
Member Reviews

On the surface, this is a story about the streaming service Spotify. But it is really a story of the music industry in general, and, if we are honest, the story of creative capitalism. It’s very difficult to marry the desires of creative artists with the desires of big business - and this story is full of promises made to artists that needed to be “adapted” in order to create the scale necessary for multimillion dollar international sales. We hear about issues of the rights of artists, privacy, curation, choice of music and musicians, in each case, the company morphs in ways that helps them at the expense of the artists,
Pelly closes the book with a few rays of hope: pending legislation intended to level the playing field between artists and musicians and initiatives by indie artists internationally. But as she has meticulously documented, this is an extremely complex issue and will be difficult to resolve. This well written book (which, to be honest, at times lost me in the complexity of the issue) should serve as a cautionary tale as well as a way forward.
Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book - changed my perspective on Spotify and streaming music. In particular, I found myself reframing my view of "free choice" online - and how spotify's recommendation algorithm is a valuable advertising tool.

I haven't read a nonfiction book in almost 2 years -- mostly because I often can't make my brain retain information like that, and the world is so bad that I usually just want to read romance. But sometimes, I come across a really interesting nonfiction book, and Mood Machine happened to be one of those books. In Mood Machine, Liz Pelly traces the origin story of Spotify as a company founded by two ad execs to today, as Spotify is increasingly engaging in AI-related content and screwing over artists. I'm someone who has Spotify going pretty much all day long while I'm working, and I'm not alone. And that's something that Spotify seeks to take advantage of -- they want to be playing in the background while you're not super paying attention, feeding you playlists of Spotify-generated content that they can pay artists and musicians less to make in exchange for more "promotion." This book also talks about all of the "moods" that Spotify tags music with -- if you've ever been perplexed by a ridiculous daylist, or you wonder why Spotify is not good at grouping music based on lyrics, this book covers that.
I'm glad I read this book -- it gave me a lot to think about in terms of how I consume music, and how I (and we as a society) can be supporting artists and musicians with our money and choices.

As an active Spotify user since it launched, I was excited to peel back the current on the mood machine. This book is meticulously researched and tells a very deep story about Spotify as a tech company, not just a music company. I was blown away by some of the manipulation of users … even though I shouldn’t be because I work in marketing tech!
It was really interesting to learn about the playlist methodology and vision, as well as about the company’s approach to background music. “We’re competing against silence” is the truest competitive statement I’ve ever read.
Now excuse me while I pull up an “ambient music for sleep” playlist and go to bed.
Thank you for the early copy!

It is very interesting and well-researched. It is a bit dry at times, but for those who are big into music and the music industry, it will probably be a page-turner.

This book offers a detailed and well-researched history of Spotify, shedding light on its role in the music industry and its impact on how we consume music. While some parts may feel repetitive, the author effectively provides historical context and encourages readers to think critically about their use of the platform. It's a valuable read for anyone who uses Spotify and wants to understand its broader implications.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!
WOW!!! What a great book!! This one had me hooked from page 1! This was a first for me from this author and I will not be my last! This one was a win for me!

An excellent, clear, and thoroughly researched history of Spotify and its primary product: music as a vehicle for advertisements, personal data collection, and upholder of the unjust, inequitable status quo within the music industry. The middle chapters were somewhat repetitive but I especially appreciated how Pelly incorporates so much history and context about music's role in twentieth and twenty-first century American culture. Any consumer of Spotify, which is most of us, ought to understand this history as thoroughly as the author presents it in this book. So glad this book is coming to market and more people can reconsider how they engage with Spotify, along with reconsidering how they engage with music in their everyday lives.

This is a really well-researched and well-told history of the rise of Spotify, which at this point feels ubiquitous. I admire the book, but I feel like nothing really surprising or revolutionary was revealed? I think if you use the service and pay attention to the general trends of capitalism and the music industry, it’s mostly a more detailed investigation into what feels obvious.
3.5 stars rounded up. I think there is definitely an audience for this! I just felt like a lot of it was stuff I already knew or assumed.