Much of the showcasing, recommending, and curating is done using various tools (algorithmic, editorial, “algotorial“), based on criteria determined by the online broadcasting platforms.

Many experts have called for more transparency and information to better understand the work of these algorithms and their results. Research to date has uncovered some data points:

  • On YouTube, 64% of recommendations go to content that already has more than 1 million views, and only 5% of these recommendations highlight content that has been viewed less than 50,000 times.
  • On Spotify, the major labels’ (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group) catalogs provide 85% of the songs, but also 90% of the songs included in the playlists.