SKIPPING DISCOVERY? MUSIC DISCOVERY AND PERSONAL MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN THE STREAMING ERA

Online music streaming currently constitutes the preferred method of consumption among music listeners worldwide (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry [IFPI], 2019). These streaming services afford users unparalleled access to vast music databases, providing an abundance of music choice and possibilities for exploring and discovering new music. Within these platform environments, combinations of algorithmic recommendation systems and playlist curation are made salient as tools to help users navigate the conditions of abundant choice and retain listeners through the personalised curation of song suggestions (Seaver, 2018; Fry, 2018; Lüders, 2019). Despite the promise of music streaming services for the discovery of new music, curated and personalised playlists have been found to trigger only short-term exposure and may even be detrimental to long-term experiences and enduring engagement between listeners and music which is new to them (Kjus, 2016; Morgan, 2019). These perspectives draw attention to the intersection of user listening behaviours and algorithmic recommendation systems in shaping experiences of music discovery.