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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

The Music Industry’s Challenge: From Struggling to Find Songs to Struggling to Choose

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The abundance of digital music has made personal discovery harder for listeners, who now face an overwhelming number of choices.
  • Spotify says editorial playlists and human curators can help emerging artists reach wider audiences while offering local knowledge and context.
  • Spotify’s Editorial Watch Feed uses storytelling about music’s cultural background and artists’ journeys to guide listeners.

In the age of endless digital music choices, the challenge is no longer finding a song. It is finding music that feels personal and reaches the heart.

The abundance of options can leave listeners confused, according to Spotify. The platform presents itself as a bridge between musicians’ work and potential listeners, while curated editorial playlists can give emerging artists a valuable first step into a wider audience ecosystem.

Boon Ken Wong, Spotify’s head of editorial for Southeast Asia, said human curators have become more important as the number of available choices grows. “There are so many choices out there, and that actually makes the process of finding music more difficult. In my view, that is why human curation is now more important than ever. The question that needs to be answered is what actually matters. As human curators, we can bring local experience and knowledge,” he said at the IdeaTalk event in Jakarta.

There are so many choices out there, and that actually makes the process of finding music more difficult. In my view, that is why human curation is now more important than ever. The question that needs to be answered is what actually matters. As human curators, we can bring local experience and knowledge.

· Boon Ken WongSpotify’s Southeast Asia editorial head discussed the role of human curation at an IdeaTalk event in Jakarta.

Spotify’s approach is not limited to compiling popular songs. It also uses storytelling, presenting the stories behind a work, its cultural background and the musician’s emotional journey as ways to build a connection with listeners.

Wong pointed to the Editorial Watch Feed as one example. The feature highlights the deeper stories behind music phenomena, including Thai rock, through the experience of one of Spotify’s editors, Touch. “What we have done is make use of the storytelling format. In today’s world, it is the context of music that helps listeners make decisions,” Wong said.

What we have done is make use of the storytelling format. In today’s world, it is the context of music that helps listeners make decisions.

· Boon Ken WongHe described Spotify’s storytelling approach and its Editorial Watch Feed.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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