liz pelly

“That’s very clear, although Pelly and other Spotify critics will undoubtedly be watching closely to check that Spotify doesn’t commission any AI music from third parties for these purposes either.” indeed musically dot com

not including “labels/distros that might eventually be owned by universal music group at some point” which may as well be the whole recorded music business at this point lol

mysteriously missing from list of labels/distributors opting in to share info about how AI is used in tracks: all the majors

Spotify reveals its latest measures to handle AI music, spam and deepfakes What are streaming services going to do about the explosion of fully AI-generated music being uploaded to their platforms?

i think tracks made fully using gen AI should be clearly labeled in ways that actually serve the avg user -
giving labels/distributors the ability to opt-in to submit metadata disclosing use of AI to be added to credits is a start but still far away from what’s needed
musically.com/2025/09/25/s...

Excited to announce that @lizpelly.bsky.social will be reading from her book 'Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist' at UMAW's free show in D.C. this coming Monday Sept 29. RVSP now for your spot it's filling up fast: actionnetwork.org/events/julia...

Get more from Critical Listening on Patreon a podcast about music, technology & culture industry hell

episodes 1-5 of @criticallistening.bsky.social, the podcast i co-host with @peretsky.bsky.social, are avail everywhere but spotify. we’re starting work on eps 6-10 this week. if you would like to support this work pls subscribe here! www.patreon.com/criticallist... tysm

The book exists. First copy hand delivered by my editor at Yale, who was on his way to see Pulp in Boston! Thank you super blurb crew Jarvis Julia Heba Jeff Stephin @lizpelly.bsky.social & @simonreynolds.bsky.social PREORDER LINK: yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

Our own @adlan.bsky.social will be moderating a panel on DIY music and print media in the digital age between GUNK, Secret Riso Club, and @lizpelly.bsky.social. Tomorrow evening! Come on through!

i love this beautiful song. talking is freee
lilykngsbrg.bandcamp.com/track/talk-t...

all linked here: lizpelly.info/events

also welcoming recs for what you'd do with a couple days off in melbourne. i heard there's bat watching

off to NZ & AUS soon for book events. here's all of them! if you know anyone there let them know?

aug 26- auckland @ whammy bar
aug 28- melbourne @ wheeler centre
aug 29- sydney @ soft centre festival
aug 31- brisbane @ ima
sept 1- perth @ 459 bar rosemount hotel
sept 2- perth @ blue room theatre

AI-generated music is here to stay. Will streaming services like Spotify label it? Unlike other tech giants, many music-streaming services like Spotify are not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content. But experts say more transparency is key.

Unlike other tech giants, many music-streaming services like Spotify are not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content. But experts say more transparency is key.

YouTube video by alice does computer music Bliss - alice does computer music (full album)

also really love this Alice Does Computer Music record that came out today via free download, nina, soulseek, yt, lp/cs. one of my fav sets i've seen in ny this year
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXwc...

screenshot from a spotify blog post titled "4 Spotify Tips to Create the Perfect Summer Soundtrack" "Curate your ideal vibe This year, your summer soundtrack is more personalized than ever thanks to recent product updates designed to bring you even closer to the music you love. With our latest enhancement to DJ, you can use your voice to request music and guide the vibe of your listening session in real time. Meanwhile, AI Playlist—now in beta in more than 50 markets—lets you generate custom playlists by entering a unique prompt into the chat. For example, you might prompt AI Playlist to “create a reggaeton playlist for chillin’ by the pool,” or ask DJ to “play hot new releases for a day at the beach.” Whatever your mood, your ideal summer soundtrack is just a request away."

been saying this a lot in interviews lately, but i really think convincing ppl to offload putting any thought into what they want to listen to via chatbot-style prompts is as corrosive to culture as the existence of the velvet sundown or whatever
(from spotify blog post)

not hitting skip on things after 2 seconds is important

screenshot from phil elverum's newsletter: "Today “GIANT OPENING MOUTH ON THE GROUND” by Phil Elverum & Arrington de Dionyso is released. Records are in the mail, bandcamp downloads are downloading, and some streaming places probably have it streaming. If you’re an “experimental music” nerd or a drone-poisoned metalhead, this is the record for you. If you’re a fan of regular ass songs, this is the record for you also, but in the way where you’ll be weirded out and grumpy but then maybe come around to it and begin a whole new chapter in your life. That’s the giant hole in the ground opening. You go in and emerge later different."

from phil elverum's newsletter

very excited to be participating in a bunch of book festivals this fall including the Chippewa Valley Book Festival in Eau Claire oct 25!
volumeone.org/articles/202...

liz_pelly - listening in 2025 A website for curating and sharing lists of independent music downloads available on Bandcamp.

not very good at keeping this updated this year but trying
www.buymusic.club/list/liz_pel...

Perth folks, chatting with @lizpelly.bsky.social on 2 September :) events.humanitix.com/mood-machine...

Frame of Us, by Ava Luna from the album Ava Luna

YES !!! new ava luna
avaluna.bandcamp.com/track/frame-...

We're raising funds for The Sameer Project, a donations based aid initiative run by Palestinians in the diaspora currently focused on the distribution of food, water, and tents in South Gaza as the Israeli blockade continues. Visit topshelfrecords.com/gaza to double your donation and learn more.

Why Sound Matters A poignant consideration of the material aspect of sound and how it fundamentally shapes our experience of the world, both in its presence and absence   Fro...

“Why Sound Matters convincingly argues that issues of music and creative labor today are rooted in a general misunderstanding of the value of sound—a vital contribution to the conversation on where music and audio culture goes from here.”
— @lizpelly.bsky.social

yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

congrats friends at @thebaffler.com. everyone working anywhere should have a union.

Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines | Critical Listening Get more from Critical Listening on Patreon

Really grateful for this project rn “the first installment of what we’re calling “Headlines,” diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month.” 🔥

@criticallistening.bsky.social

Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines | Patreon

Mood Machine: Liz Pelly and Nicholas Carah | Institute of Modern Art Mood Machine (2025): An unsparing investigation by Liz Pelly into Spotify’s origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is…

Bluesky posters of Brisbane, Australia:

i'll be in town on August 31, 2pm at the IMA in conversation with Nicholas Carah!

www.ima.org.au/ima-events/i...

We’re back with the first installment of what we’re calling Headlines, diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month. For July, there were some headlines that just seemed impossible to ignore. Listen to the episode in full at patreon.com/criticallistening

when i press play on a new record and my gut reaction is "this is so bad" and three minutes later i'm thinking "this is amazing" that's the true sign

YouTube video by More Perfect Union Why Spotify’s CEO Is Worth Billions While Musicians Make Pennies

Why are so many artists struggling in a booming music industry? New for @moreperfectunion.bsky.social
youtu.be/I8zBkQFDpsg?...

Episode 3 of your favorite podcast ever by @lizpelly.bsky.social and myself is now live for Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/criticallistening and will be available on public platforms (minus the Swedish one) at the end of the month.