Music journalist Liz Pelly examines how the rise of Spotify has impacted the ways we create, share, and listen to music.

The way we discover and experience music in the 21st century is almost inextricable from streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

The fact that we can listen to music from any era or location with just one click sounds amazing. But we often forget that our tastes and listening habits are being influenced by tech companies and their shareholders.

Liz Pelly is an American music journalist and editor known for her work in media outlets like The Baffler, The Guardian, and NPR.

Encompassing almost a decade of research, Pelly's 2025 book, Mood Machine, looks at how Spotify has shaped the music industry and our collective listening habits.