🎧 Music Streaming

Explorations of how platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have transformed listening habits, artist compensation, and the very meaning of a music collection.

Mood Machine

by Liz Pelly • 2025

Your favorite playlist runs on anonymous musicians and ad-tech logic; it was never a music company.

3.83

5k+

🏢 Platform Capitalism 🤖 Algorithmic Culture 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism

Mood Machine 89%

Your favorite playlist runs on anonymous musicians and ad-tech logic; it was never a music company.

by Liz Pelly 2025

3.83

5k+ ratings

🏢 Platform Capitalism 🤖 Algorithmic Culture 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism

The Spotify Play

by Sven Carlsson • 2019

How Spotify used a free music catalog to outmaneuver Apple, Google, and Amazon.

3.53

2k+

🎵 Music Industry 🚀 Startup Playbooks 💻 Digital Media

The Spotify Play 89%

How Spotify used a free music catalog to outmaneuver Apple, Google, and Amazon.

by Sven Carlsson 2019

3.53

2k+ ratings

🎵 Music Industry 🚀 Startup Playbooks 💻 Digital Media

How Music Got Free

by Stephen Richard Witt • 2015

A CD plant worker leaked 2,000 albums from the factory floor. The mp3 did the rest.

4.24

7k+

🎧 Digital Music 🏴‍☠️ Digital Piracy 📡 Digital Disruption

How Music Got Free 88%

A CD plant worker leaked 2,000 albums from the factory floor. The mp3 did the rest.

by Stephen Richard Witt 2015

4.24

7k+ ratings

🎧 Digital Music 🏴‍☠️ Digital Piracy 📡 Digital Disruption

Efficient Music Production

by Ashley Hewitt • 2020

Why your home studio sabotages your output, and the optimization playbook for finishing more music.

2.90

🎧 Music Production ⚙️ Creative Workflow 🌊 Flow State

Efficient Music Production 87%

Why your home studio sabotages your output, and the optimization playbook for finishing more music.

by Ashley Hewitt 2020

2.90

10 ratings

🎧 Music Production ⚙️ Creative Workflow 🌊 Flow State

The Song Machine

by John Seabrook • 2015

Pop hits aren't moments of genius; they're manufactured on an assembly line that began in Stockholm.

3.93

5k+

🎯 Hit Making ✍️ Pop Songwriting 💻 Digital Disruption

The Song Machine 87%

Pop hits aren't moments of genius; they're manufactured on an assembly line that began in Stockholm.

by John Seabrook 2015

3.93

5k+ ratings

🎯 Hit Making ✍️ Pop Songwriting 💻 Digital Disruption

Every Song Ever

by Ben Ratliff • 2016

Genre is a filing system, not a listening guide. Twenty perceptual filters for the streaming age.

3.29

910

🎵 Music Criticism 🎧 Music Appreciation 👂 Active Listening

Every Song Ever 86%

Genre is a filing system, not a listening guide. Twenty perceptual filters for the streaming age.

by Ben Ratliff 2016

3.29

910 ratings

🎵 Music Criticism 🎧 Music Appreciation 👂 Active Listening

Rick Rubin

by Jake Brown • 2009

A dorm-room label, Slayer, Johnny Cash: one producer's philosophy of removal over addition.

3.53

282

🎛️ Music Production 🎤 Hip Hop History 🎵 Music Industry

Rick Rubin 86%

A dorm-room label, Slayer, Johnny Cash: one producer's philosophy of removal over addition.

by Jake Brown 2009

3.53

282 ratings

🎛️ Music Production 🎤 Hip Hop History 🎵 Music Industry

Music Production For Beginners 2020 Edition

by Tommy Swindali • 2020

Home studio on a budget: the path from silence to a finished first track.

2.79

🏠 Home Recording 🎛️ Mixing And Mastering 💻 Music Software

Music Production For Beginners 2020 Edition Summary

Music Production For Beginners 2020 Edition 86%

Home studio on a budget: the path from silence to a finished first track.

by Tommy Swindali 2020

2.79

14 ratings

🏠 Home Recording 🎛️ Mixing And Mastering 💻 Music Software

All You Need To Know About the Music Business

by Donald S. Passman • 2013

How a record deal really works: the fine print that decides whether you get rich.

4.28

2k+

⚖️ Entertainment Law 🏷️ Record Label Business 📄 Music Publishing

All You Need To Know About the Music Business Summary

All You Need To Know About the Music Business 86%

How a record deal really works: the fine print that decides whether you get rich.

by Donald S. Passman 2013

4.28

2k+ ratings

⚖️ Entertainment Law 🏷️ Record Label Business 📄 Music Publishing

Rockonomics

by Alan B. Krueger • 2019

Why do the top 1 percent of musicians earn almost everything? The answer reaches far beyond music.

3.91

875

🎬 Entertainment Economics 🏆 Winner-Take-All Markets 📊 Economic Inequality

Rockonomics 86%

Why do the top 1 percent of musicians earn almost everything? The answer reaches far beyond music.

by Alan B. Krueger 2019

3.91

875 ratings

🎬 Entertainment Economics 🏆 Winner-Take-All Markets 📊 Economic Inequality

How To Make It in the New Music Business

by Ari Herstand • 2016

The business half of music: booking, licensing, touring, and building the fans who actually pay.

4.39

941

🎸 Diy Music Career 🎨 Independent Artists 💌 Fan Engagement

How To Make It in the New Music Business Summary

How To Make It in the New Music Business 86%

The business half of music: booking, licensing, touring, and building the fans who actually pay.

by Ari Herstand 2016

4.39

941 ratings

🎸 Diy Music Career 🎨 Independent Artists 💌 Fan Engagement

How to DJ Right

by Frank Broughton • 2002

The mix is the easy part. The art is building a set that tells a story.

4.06

454

🎛️ Music Production 💿 Vinyl Collecting 🎚️ Mixing Techniques

How to DJ Right 86%

The mix is the easy part. The art is building a set that tells a story.

by Frank Broughton 2002

4.06

454 ratings

🎛️ Music Production 💿 Vinyl Collecting 🎚️ Mixing Techniques

How Music Works

by David Byrne • 2014

Cathedrals demanded chant. Car stereos demanded bass. The spaces we build write the music we hear.

4.00

29k+

🎶 Music History 💿 Music Industry 🎛️ Music Technology

How Music Works 86%

Cathedrals demanded chant. Car stereos demanded bass. The spaces we build write the music we hear.

by David Byrne 2014

4.00

29k+ ratings

🎶 Music History 💿 Music Industry 🎛️ Music Technology

Your Music and People

by Derek Sivers • 2020

Be helpful, specific, and too weird to ignore. The considerate way to market your music.

4.40

612

🎵 Music Business 🎨 Creative Careers 🎯 Niche Marketing

Your Music and People 86%

Be helpful, specific, and too weird to ignore. The considerate way to market your music.

by Derek Sivers 2020

4.40

612 ratings

🎵 Music Business 🎨 Creative Careers 🎯 Niche Marketing

NPR's Podcast Start Up Guide

by Glen Weldon • 2021

Start a podcast with what you own. The rest is storytelling craft, and NPR wrote the manual.

4.28

213

🎙️ Podcasting 🎧 Audio Storytelling 🏠 Home Recording

NPR's Podcast Start Up Guide 85%

Start a podcast with what you own. The rest is storytelling craft, and NPR wrote the manual.

by Glen Weldon 2021

4.28

213 ratings

🎙️ Podcasting 🎧 Audio Storytelling 🏠 Home Recording

Perfecting Sound Forever

by Greg Milner • 2009

A century of recording breakthroughs produced one thing: new illusions our ears accepted as real.

4.17

1k+

🎛️ Recording Technology 🎚️ Music Production 📢 History Of Sound

Perfecting Sound Forever 85%

A century of recording breakthroughs produced one thing: new illusions our ears accepted as real.

by Greg Milner 2009

4.17

1k+ ratings

🎛️ Recording Technology 🎚️ Music Production 📢 History Of Sound

Audio Engineering 101

by Tim Dittmar • 2011

Your first session, run right: the physics, gear, and people skills every beginner ignores.

4.06

139

🎛️ Music Production 🎚️ Mixing Basics 📊 Equalization

Audio Engineering 101 85%

Your first session, run right: the physics, gear, and people skills every beginner ignores.

by Tim Dittmar 2011

4.06

139 ratings

🎛️ Music Production 🎚️ Mixing Basics 📊 Equalization

A Composer's Guide to Game Music

by Winifred Phillips • 2014

Game music bends to the player. The craft, technology, and business behind interactive scores.

4.21

175

🎮 Game Music Composition 🎧 Interactive Audio 🔄 Adaptive Music

A Composer's Guide to Game Music Summary

A Composer's Guide to Game Music 85%

Game music bends to the player. The craft, technology, and business behind interactive scores.

by Winifred Phillips 2014

4.21

175 ratings

🎮 Game Music Composition 🎧 Interactive Audio 🔄 Adaptive Music

Our Noise

by John Cook • 2009

When the majors came knocking, Merge Records bet everything on handshakes and artistic freedom.

4.05

1k+

🎸 Indie Record Labels 🎶 Indie Rock History 🏗️ Diy Music Scenes

Our Noise 85%

When the majors came knocking, Merge Records bet everything on handshakes and artistic freedom.

by John Cook 2009

4.05

1k+ ratings

🎸 Indie Record Labels 🎶 Indie Rock History 🏗️ Diy Music Scenes

Hit Men

by Fredric Dannen • 1990

Payola never died. It just got a commission, a territory, and a threat of violence.

3.96

975

🎵 Music Business 💵 Payola 📋 Investigative Journalism

Hit Men 85%

Payola never died. It just got a commission, a territory, and a threat of violence.

by Fredric Dannen 1990

3.96

975 ratings

🎵 Music Business 💵 Payola 📋 Investigative Journalism

12 Notes

by Quincy Jones • 2022

From the producer of Thriller: twelve notes on turning pain into art and practice into legacy.

4.29

2k+

🎹 Music Memoirs 🎵 Music Industry 🎨 Creative Process

12 Notes 85%

From the producer of Thriller: twelve notes on turning pain into art and practice into legacy.

by Quincy Jones 2022

4.29

2k+ ratings

🎹 Music Memoirs 🎵 Music Industry 🎨 Creative Process

Classical Music for Dummies

by David Pogue • 1997

From plainchant to Stravinsky: how classical music works, what to listen for, and when to clap.

3.95

650

🎻 Classical Music 🎧 Listening Guides 🏛️ Music History

Classical Music for Dummies 85%

From plainchant to Stravinsky: how classical music works, what to listen for, and when to clap.

by David Pogue 1997

3.95

650 ratings

🎻 Classical Music 🎧 Listening Guides 🏛️ Music History

TikTok Boom

by Chris Stokel-Walker • 2021

China built the world's most addictive app. The algorithm knows you better than your friends do.

3.72

191

🏛️ Tech Geopolitics 💰 Creator Economy 🤖 Algorithmic Curation

TikTok Boom 85%

China built the world's most addictive app. The algorithm knows you better than your friends do.

by Chris Stokel-Walker 2021

3.72

191 ratings

🏛️ Tech Geopolitics 💰 Creator Economy 🤖 Algorithmic Curation

Music Theory for Computer Musicians

by Michael Hewitt • 2008

The producer's missing manual: music theory from notes to exotic scales, built for the DAW workflow.

4.22

391

🎧 Music Production 🎹 Electronic Music 📚 Music Theory Basics

Music Theory for Computer Musicians Summary

Music Theory for Computer Musicians 85%

The producer's missing manual: music theory from notes to exotic scales, built for the DAW workflow.

by Michael Hewitt 2008

4.22

391 ratings

🎧 Music Production 🎹 Electronic Music 📚 Music Theory Basics

Listen

by Michel Faber • 2023

Your music taste isn't universal. It's a tribal signal, a traded commodity, and a social weapon.

3.30

374

🔉 Sound Studies 👥 Sociology Of Music 🧠 Psychology Of Music

Listen 85%

Your music taste isn't universal. It's a tribal signal, a traded commodity, and a social weapon.

by Michel Faber 2023

3.30

374 ratings

🔉 Sound Studies 👥 Sociology Of Music 🧠 Psychology Of Music

Classical Recording

by Caroline Haigh • 2020

The Decca method: why the room matters more than the microphones, and spill is the glue.

4.59

🎛️ Audio Engineering 🎻 Classical Recording 🎤 Microphone Techniques

Classical Recording 85%

The Decca method: why the room matters more than the microphones, and spill is the glue.

by Caroline Haigh 2020

4.59

17 ratings

🎛️ Audio Engineering 🎻 Classical Recording 🎤 Microphone Techniques

Punk Rock Etiquette

by Travis Nichols • 2008

Start a band with nothing, record for pennies, survive the road without a label.

3.75

123

🎸 Indie Music 🔧 Diy Ethos 🤘 Punk Subculture

Punk Rock Etiquette 85%

Start a band with nothing, record for pennies, survive the road without a label.

by Travis Nichols 2008

3.75

123 ratings

🎸 Indie Music 🔧 Diy Ethos 🤘 Punk Subculture

This Is What It Sounds Like

by Susan Rogers • 2022

A former Prince engineer turned neuroscientist decodes your music taste.

3.82

4k+

🧠 Music Psychology 🎭 Musical Identity 💖 Music And Emotion

This Is What It Sounds Like 84%

A former Prince engineer turned neuroscientist decodes your music taste.

by Susan Rogers 2022

3.82

4k+ ratings

🧠 Music Psychology 🎭 Musical Identity 💖 Music And Emotion

Netflixed

by Gina Keating • 2012

Blockbuster could have bought Netflix for $50 million. They passed. What followed took down a giant.

3.97

2k+

🎬 Entertainment Business ⚔️ Corporate Rivalry 💡 Disruptive Innovation

Netflixed 84%

Blockbuster could have bought Netflix for $50 million. They passed. What followed took down a giant.

by Gina Keating 2012

3.97

2k+ ratings

🎬 Entertainment Business ⚔️ Corporate Rivalry 💡 Disruptive Innovation

Music

by Ted Gioia • 2019

Why music's most forbidden elements are what actually make it change and survive.

4.00

817

🎵 Music History 🔄 Cultural Evolution 💥 Subversive Art

Music 84%

Why music's most forbidden elements are what actually make it change and survive.

by Ted Gioia 2019

4.00

817 ratings

🎵 Music History 🔄 Cultural Evolution 💥 Subversive Art

Elvis '68 Comeback

by Steve Binder • 2022

The Colonel wanted a Christmas show. The director fought for leather, sweat, and a comeback.

4.72

165

🎸 Rock And Roll History 🎬 Behind The Scenes 🎤 Music Business

Elvis '68 Comeback 84%

The Colonel wanted a Christmas show. The director fought for leather, sweat, and a comeback.

by Steve Binder 2022

4.72

165 ratings

🎸 Rock And Roll History 🎬 Behind The Scenes 🎤 Music Business

Context

by Cory Doctorow • 2011

3.66

372

🕸️ Internet Freedom 📜 Copyright Reform 🔐 Digital Rights

Context 84%

by Cory Doctorow 2011

3.66

372 ratings

🕸️ Internet Freedom 📜 Copyright Reform 🔐 Digital Rights

Michael Jackson, Inc.

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg • 2014

He bought the Beatles' catalog against all advice. It's now worth a billion dollars.

4.22

338

🎵 Music Business 🎩 Music Moguls 📜 Music Publishing

Michael Jackson, Inc. 84%

He bought the Beatles' catalog against all advice. It's now worth a billion dollars.

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg 2014

4.22

338 ratings

🎵 Music Business 🎩 Music Moguls 📜 Music Publishing

The Kickstarter Handbook

by Don Steinberg • 2012

Your Kickstarter succeeds on 30 days, a video, and the crowd you build beforehand. The playbook.

3.74

133

🎯 Crowdfunding 💡 Creative Entrepreneurship 👥 Audience Building

The Kickstarter Handbook 84%

Your Kickstarter succeeds on 30 days, a video, and the crowd you build beforehand. The playbook.

by Don Steinberg 2012

3.74

133 ratings

🎯 Crowdfunding 💡 Creative Entrepreneurship 👥 Audience Building

Working in Public

by Nadia Eghbal • 2020

Open source runs on solo maintainers, not communities. The scarcest resource: attention, not code.

3.92

951

💻 Open Source Software 💰 Creator Economy 👁️ Attention Economics

Working in Public 84%

Open source runs on solo maintainers, not communities. The scarcest resource: attention, not code.

by Nadia Eghbal 2020

3.92

951 ratings

💻 Open Source Software 💰 Creator Economy 👁️ Attention Economics

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music

by Robert Greenberg • 1998

How ideas, power, and faith shaped every era of Western music, and what to listen for.

4.56

1k+

🎵 Classical Music 👂 Music Appreciation 📜 Music History Surveys

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music Summary

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music 84%

How ideas, power, and faith shaped every era of Western music, and what to listen for.

by Robert Greenberg 1998

4.56

1k+ ratings

🎵 Classical Music 👂 Music Appreciation 📜 Music History Surveys

One Up

by Joost van Dreunen • 2020

Three transformations in four decades, and each one rewarded strategy over creative genius.

4.13

213

🎮 Video Game Industry 🏗️ Platform Economics 📡 Digital Disruption

One Up 84%

Three transformations in four decades, and each one rewarded strategy over creative genius.

by Joost van Dreunen 2020

4.13

213 ratings

🎮 Video Game Industry 🏗️ Platform Economics 📡 Digital Disruption

The People's Platform

by Astra Taylor • 2012

Digital abundance set culture free and made it cheap. Platforms got rich; creators got precarious.

4.04

610

🖥️ Internet Culture 🏭 Platform Capitalism 👁️ Attention Economy

The People's Platform 84%

Digital abundance set culture free and made it cheap. Platforms got rich; creators got precarious.

by Astra Taylor 2012

4.04

610 ratings

🖥️ Internet Culture 🏭 Platform Capitalism 👁️ Attention Economy

Without Their Permission

by Alexis Ohanian • 2013

A college project became a top-ten site. Why that path is open to everyone.

3.70

2k+

🚀 Tech Startups 🌐 Internet Culture 📖 Founder Memoir

Without Their Permission 84%

A college project became a top-ten site. Why that path is open to everyone.

by Alexis Ohanian 2013

3.70

2k+ ratings

🚀 Tech Startups 🌐 Internet Culture 📖 Founder Memoir

Sound Within Sound

by Kate Molleson • 2022

A microtonal Mexican, an Ethiopian nun, and eight more composers the classical canon erased.

4.34

181

🧪 Experimental Music 🗓️ 20th Century Music 👩 Women Composers

Sound Within Sound 84%

A microtonal Mexican, an Ethiopian nun, and eight more composers the classical canon erased.

by Kate Molleson 2022

4.34

181 ratings

🧪 Experimental Music 🗓️ 20th Century Music 👩 Women Composers

Why You Love Music

by John Powell • 2016

Every time music gives you goosebumps, your brain is following a rule you never learned.

3.76

590

🎵 Music Psychology 🔊 Psychoacoustics 🧠 Music Cognition

Why You Love Music 84%

Every time music gives you goosebumps, your brain is following a rule you never learned.

by John Powell 2016

3.76

590 ratings

🎵 Music Psychology 🔊 Psychoacoustics 🧠 Music Cognition

YouTube Secrets

by Sean Cannell • 2022

Zero subscribers, one weekly video: the YouTube playbook for building an audience that pays.

4.02

2k+

🎥 Video Marketing ✍️ Content Creation 💡 Creator Economy

YouTube Secrets 84%

Zero subscribers, one weekly video: the YouTube playbook for building an audience that pays.

by Sean Cannell 2022

4.02

2k+ ratings

🎥 Video Marketing ✍️ Content Creation 💡 Creator Economy

Chokepoint Capitalism

by Rebecca Giblin • 2022

A few corporations hold the gates between artists and audiences. The plan to pry them open.

4.25

1k+

🧠 Creative Industries 💻 Digital Platforms 🏢 Corporate Power

Chokepoint Capitalism 84%

A few corporations hold the gates between artists and audiences. The plan to pry them open.

by Rebecca Giblin 2022

4.25

1k+ ratings

🧠 Creative Industries 💻 Digital Platforms 🏢 Corporate Power

Swipe to Unlock

by Parth Detroja • 2017

Why Google and Facebook give everything away free, and how you can repurpose their strategies.

4.22

3k+

🧩 Tech Strategy 🏗️ Platform Businesses 🔄 Subscription Models

Swipe to Unlock 84%

Why Google and Facebook give everything away free, and how you can repurpose their strategies.

by Parth Detroja 2017

4.22

3k+ ratings

🧩 Tech Strategy 🏗️ Platform Businesses 🔄 Subscription Models

Make Your Own Rules

by Andrew Huang • 2024

A working creator's guide to making a living from art without burning out or selling out.

4.27

319

🎨 Creative Careers 💼 Creative Entrepreneurship 🎯 Redefining Success

Make Your Own Rules 84%

A working creator's guide to making a living from art without burning out or selling out.

by Andrew Huang 2024

4.27

319 ratings

🎨 Creative Careers 💼 Creative Entrepreneurship 🎯 Redefining Success

Web 2.0

by Amy Shuen • 2007

Your users are your best asset: why giving products away builds billion-dollar businesses.

3.32

149

🏗️ Platform Economics 🔗 Network Effects 🆓 Freemium Models

Web 2.0 84%

Your users are your best asset: why giving products away builds billion-dollar businesses.

by Amy Shuen 2007

3.32

149 ratings

🏗️ Platform Economics 🔗 Network Effects 🆓 Freemium Models

What Would Google Do?

by Jeff Jarvis • 2009

The internet's most successful company wrote a playbook, and it has nothing to do with search.

3.87

11k+

🌐 Internet Business 🏗️ Platform Economics 🔓 Open Systems

What Would Google Do? 84%

The internet's most successful company wrote a playbook, and it has nothing to do with search.

by Jeff Jarvis 2009

3.87

11k+ ratings

🌐 Internet Business 🏗️ Platform Economics 🔓 Open Systems

Effortless Mastery

by Kenny Werner • 1996

Your brain blocks what your fingers already know. A method for playing music without thinking.

4.22

3k+

🎵 Music Performance 😰 Performance Anxiety 🌊 Flow State

Effortless Mastery 84%

Your brain blocks what your fingers already know. A method for playing music without thinking.

by Kenny Werner 1996

4.22

3k+ ratings

🎵 Music Performance 😰 Performance Anxiety 🌊 Flow State

The Gospel according to Bruce Springsteen

by Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz • 2008

Springsteen's songs as American gospel: theology found in dive bars, highways, and factory towns.

3.67

🎸 Rock Music 📖 Pop Culture Theology 🇺🇸 American Dream Critique

The Gospel according to Bruce Springsteen Summary

The Gospel according to Bruce Springsteen 84%

Springsteen's songs as American gospel: theology found in dive bars, highways, and factory towns.

by Jeffrey B. Symynkywicz 2008

3.67

76 ratings

🎸 Rock Music 📖 Pop Culture Theology 🇺🇸 American Dream Critique

Deliver Me from Nowhere

by Warren Zanes • 2023

Why Bruce Springsteen's darkest album was a home demo he never meant to release.

4.33

4k+

🎧 Album Making-Of 🏠 Home Recording 🧠 Creative Struggle

Deliver Me from Nowhere 84%

Why Bruce Springsteen's darkest album was a home demo he never meant to release.

by Warren Zanes 2023

4.33

4k+ ratings

🎧 Album Making-Of 🏠 Home Recording 🧠 Creative Struggle

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