Classification and manipulation strategies of music streaming algorithms

The evolution of digital music platforms is directly linked to the rapid development of digitalization and internet technologies. The digitalization process, which gained momentum from the mid-20th century, accelerated significantly, especially in the 1980s with the widespread adoption of personal computers and the global accessibility of the internet. Toward the late 1990s, Napster, a revolutionary innovation in the digital music world, played a groundbreaking role in shaping the culture of music sharing and redefining the fundamental dynamics of the music industry by enabling the digitalization and mass distribution of music. Platforms like Napster facilitated the easy sharing of music works among users, while simultaneously questioning traditional music distribution methods. This process further accelerated with the emergence of digital music platforms, leading to a profound transformation in music consumption habits. Digital music platforms have become one of the main components of the music industry today, leading to the complete digitalization and data-driven transformation of music listening habits by offering new possibilities to music producers and listeners. Especially major platforms like Spotify have profoundly influenced music consumption habits, creating new dynamics within the music industry. The collection and analysis of user data have enabled a detailed examination of listeners' preferences and habits; this process has allowed music listening habits to become more personalized and shaped according to individual preferences. Therefore, digital music platforms have gained the potential to guide users' digital actions by classifying and analyzing their "likes". This thesis comprehensively examines the operational mechanisms of music streaming algorithms, their effects on listener preferences, and how music is categorized. In this context, the study analyzes in detail the processes through which users are directed toward specific content and the algorithmic structures behind these directions. Additionally, it critically evaluates the discourse of democratization of music within the digitalization process, scrutinizing the dynamics of data surveillance, algorithmic control, and digital exploitation underlying these discourses. The study also addresses the sociocultural transformations that have emerged in the process of music digitalization, discussing the societal impacts of digital music platforms and their reflections on music listening habits. The thesis emphasizes that this new transformation in the music industry is not merely a technical advancement but also a process with deep sociocultural and economic consequences.