Big Mood Machine: How Spotify Gathers And Sells Its Customers’ Emotional Profiles

“Spotify is currently running a campaign centered on moods [and its mood playlists] — the company’s Twitter tagline is currently ‘Music for every mood’ — complete with its own influencer campaign. But a more careful look into Spotify’s history shows that the decision to define audiences by their moods was part of a strategic push to grow Spotify’s advertising business in the years leading up to its IPO — and today, Spotify’s enormous access to mood-based data is a pillar of its value to brands and advertisers.” – The Baffler