Platformed! How Streaming, Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence are Shaping Music Cultures

"Magaudda and Bonini present a look into digital platforms that will change the conversation about how platforms operate. Instead of assuming that platforms are neutral, Magaudda and Bonini show that platforms are embedded in networks of people. As a result, they show how platforms have become the new gatekeepers for cultural content. This book will change the way we think about platforms for years to come." —David Arditi, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington, USA "Magaudda and Bonini are two of the most prolific and thoughtful scholars on the topic of music and technology. In this book they provide insight into how streaming platforms are shaping music production and consumption cultures. This book will help us better grasp how we can intervene in creating a music ecosystem that benefits everyone.” —Robert Prey, Assistant Professor at the Center for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen, Netherlands Grounded in more than a decade of field research, this book uses empirical examples, quantitative data, and qualitative interviews with young music consumers as well as music industry professionals to understand how the platforms behind music production, distribution and listening work in our digital society. Bringing together the perspectives from science and technology studies, media studies, and the political economy of digital platforms, the book outlines the process of mutual construction between music digital platforms and the cultural value of music in today’s society, and also reflects on the complicated relationship between the power of platforms and the agency of listeners. Tiziano Bonini is Associate Professor in Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Siena. He has co-edited the book Radio Audiences and Participation in the age of network society (with B. Monclus, Routledge, 2015) and co-authored the book Algorithms of Resistance (with E. Treré, MIT Press, 2024). Paolo Magaudda is Associate Professor in Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Padova. He is author of History of Digital Media (with G. Balbi, Routledge, 2018) and Youth People and The Smartphone (with M. Drusian and C.M. Scarcelli, Palgrave 2022).