A Study on the Transformation of the Music Industry Driven by Digital Technologies

Abstract

The global music industry is undergoing a profound transformation because of the swift advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), recommendation systems, and platform economies. In order to understand how technology has completely changed the way music content is created and the way platforms make money, this paper will take Spotify, Apple Music, NetEase Cloud Music, and QQ Music as examples for a closer look. It focuses on four major areas: AI-assisted creation tools, the development of user feedback mechanisms, recommendation algorithm logic, and revenue structures in the streaming era. These aspects highlight two main contradictions in the digital music ecosystem: the authority of platforms versus the concentration of revenue, and the freedom of creation versus the control of algorithms. Platform mechanisms increase efficiency, but they also exacerbate issues like income inequality, homogenized content, and the suppression of artistic expression. The paper proposes several solutions, like allocating revenue by putting users first and designing a diversified recommendation system, so as to achieve a balance between technical efficiency and cultural justice. It also mentions a framework for collaboration between humans and machines and how to regulate the copyright of content created by AI. This paper aims to provide both theoretical insight and practical direction for building a more sustainable, diverse, and innovation-driven digital music environment.