The Artist
In Episode 6 of The Playlist, we see the final piece of the puzzle come into view – the artist. Those talented men and women who actually produce the music we love to listen to. Naturally, the episode opens with a beautiful stage performance before we jump forward to Stockholm in 2024. We see exactly what the digitalization of music and the effect Spotify and other streaming services have had on artists like Bobbi T. Remember her? She’s the woman we’ve been seeing snippets of across the season. ..
How is Daniel intending to exploit users further?
Daniel meets with an investor called Jim, who wants to maximize revenue by introducing a new venture called “Discovery Max.” This new model would see record companies make off with 70% of the profit and halve the royalties given to artists. Daniel agrees, tentatively, but tells him to do it in a way that “keeps people on their side.” ..
Spotify’s impact on the music industry has been a topic of contention for some time now. Specifically, protestors argue that the streaming service has been detrimental to their livelihoods. Bobbi is one such artist who is feeling the effects of Spotify. She’s struggling to provide for her children and earns most of her income through gigs. The closer Bobbi gets to giving her daughter what she wants, which includes a new iPhone, the more gigs she will have done. ..
Bobbi speaks out about her experiences in the music industry and how she’s been able to make a living through side gigs. She talks about how her songs have been played close to 200,000 times a month on Spotify, but she can’t actually afford to pay for her rent.
The industry is doing well, but the artists are not. The industry is making more money now than it ever did before, but the artists are not making as much money as they used to.
Does Daniel change anything with Spotify?
Bobbi reaches out to Daniel personally, telling him they should sit down and talk about a new model that benefits everyone. However, Daniel watches Bobbi’s video apathetically and simply unfollows her. Despite that, the video goes absolutely viral and those small protests outside Spotify HQ turns into a massive movement as people and artists turn against Daniel Ek and the others, with the hashtag “Scratch the record” hitting the masses.
Spotify’s high-paid executives are exacerbating the income gap between musicians and those in positions of power, according to Daniel. The investors have warned him not to let the situation get out of hand, but time is running out and the situation is volatile. ..
Daniel blames himself for what he’s signed up for. He realizes that the balance of power has once again switched back to the very people he was trying hard to stick it to originally. Daniel shows up to meet with Bobbi in a bar and offers to show her the secrets of becoming successful on Spotify. Bobbi turns it around, pointing out all the other musicians struggling and how, as the most powerful person in the music industry right now, he’s not doing enough to make a fairer platform for artists to shine.
What happens during the hearing in Washington?
In 2025, Daniel Ek is brought in to speak to the Senate about Spotify’s finances. He explains that the company is in a difficult situation and needs help. Bobbi T is there with him, and she listens as he is spoken to.
Spotify has a monopoly on the streaming music market in many countries. They have more users than any other streaming service, and they make a lot of money from advertising. However, some artists can’t take themselves off the platform as it would mean they lose their exposure to the masses. So in all intents and purposes, Spotify is essentially a monopoly.
Senator Landy likened Spotify to a cartel, which Rattles Daniel Ek who realizes exactly what he’s built. Bobbi also gives an impassioned speech about musician rights and how streaming has become an exploitation, and until the balance of power is redressed and made fairer for everyone, the ones who suffer the most are those who make the music.
How does The Playlist end?
After the hearing, Bobbi and Daniel Ek talk. The latter admits that he regrets not walking out on the negotiations and deciding to do everything on his terms. Had he not listened to everyone else, things could have been different. But as it stands, they’re not. And Bobbi walks away. ..
The Episode Review
The final episode of the series ends on a thought-provoking note, highlighting the troubles artists have in an industry that continues to slip further toward a monopoly every day. This chapter does a great job highlighting all of that, with a desire to really get to the root cause of how difficult it is to make a living as a musician nowadays. ..
Record labels used to take a good chunk of money from artists, but now it seems to be more damaging than ever. ..
The show has been a great way to learn about the business of Spotify and how it came to be, as well as all the casualties along the way. It is difficult to make a living in this industry, but the show makes it seem like it is not so bad.
The visuals and cinematography on the whole have been really good, and the ending definitely wraps things up nicely. Daniel Ek on one side and Bobbi on the other, either side of the Washington Monument, are both amazing.
While it may not be the best drama of the year, this has been a thoroughly enjoyable watch overall and certainly a thought-provoking one too! ..
