Research led by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation into
recommendation algorithms used by streaming services.
The impact of
recommendation algorithms on the UK's music industry
The impact of
recommendation algorithms on the UK’s music industry: creators’
survey results
The impact of
algorithmically driven recommendation systems on music
consumption and production - a literature review
Deltapoll music streaming
polling data
Details
In July 2021, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
published its Second Report of Session 2021–22, Economics
of music streaming (HC 50). This report included a number of
recommendations to the government. Recommendation 18 called for
“research into the impact of streaming services’ algorithms on
music consumption, including where creators are forgoing royalty
payments in exchange for algorithmic promotion.” The government
agreed that “there would be value in conducting further research
on recommendation algorithms used by streaming services”, and the
Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) was asked to lead on
conducting further research in this area.
The CDEI’s research includes:
- a commissioned academic literature review, into existing
academic research in this area
- polling to understand consumer engagement with, and thoughts
about, music streaming and music recommendation algorithms
- a survey to understand creator engagement with, and thoughts
about, music streaming and music recommendation algorithms
- a report, produced by the CDEI, drawing insights from the
above and interviews with stakeholders from across the music
ecosystem
About the CDEI
The adoption of data-driven technologies affects every aspect of
our society and their use is creating opportunities as well as
new ethical challenges.
The CDEI is tasked to investigate and advise on how we maximise
the benefits of these technologies. Our goal is to create the
conditions in which ethical innovation can thrive: an environment
in which the public are confident their values are reflected in
the way data-driven technology is developed and deployed; where
we can trust that decisions informed by algorithms are fair; and
where risks posed by innovation are identified and addressed.
See more information about the
CDEI.
Next steps
The CDEI’s report suggests a number of steps that could be
taken by streaming services to improve transparency to consumers
and creators, and further examine whether recommendation
algorithms unfairly disadvantage particular groups.
