The promise of music streaming platforms like Spotify was that they would level the playing field for artists and make the industry more equitable. As Mood Machine makes clear, what we actually got were playlists dominated by major label acts, endless feeds of muzak filled with ghost artists, and a world where musicians increasingly struggle to make a living from their work.

Drawing on over 100 interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians, author Liz Pelly charts the beginnings of Spotify as an advertising company and the playlist-ification of music in our modern era. But it's not all doom and gloom, as Pelly argues for artists to come together to fight for better and more sustainable models of sharing music.

An illuminating and incisive read that would be perfect for music mavens, tech skeptics, culture vultures, or anyone curious about the world around them.

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Who wrote it?
Liz Pelly, an American writer, journalist, and adjunct professor at New York University.

How does it come?
Paperback, 288 pages, approx 23 x 15 x 3 cm