Cost of registration is €3, but this is returned to you as drink tokens upon arrival. This talk will take place in English.

Streaming platforms like Spotify have substantially changed our listening habits. From algorithmically compiled playlists to the emergence of mood music – music is no longer something we discover but something that is served to us. What does this mean for artists, listeners and the music industry?

During this talk, we explore the power of Spotify: how it influences our choices, what the economic and artistic consequences are, and what alternatives exist. Expect sharp insights, critical questions and an engaging discussion about the future of music in the age of streaming.

Liz Pelly wrote Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, a critical look at Spotify’s influence and a reflection on how tech companies direct the creative sector. She pleads for alternative models that pay artists more fairly and give listeners more say. Especially for this talk, Liz is coming to AB to throw light on her book.
After an interview with Liz, Jozefien Vanherpe (KU Leuven) and Nick Yule (AEPO-ARTIS) join the conversation. Simon Taylor will be hosting the evening.

Nick Yule
Nick Yule is Head of Legal at AEPO-ARTIS, the European organisation that represents 40 collective management organisations around Europe active in the music and audiovisual sectors. Much of his 15 years’ experience of performers’ rights has been focussed upon all elements of music streaming including involvement with several research projects and a number of studies. As a self-proclaimed music obsessive, he is passionate about making the music streaming ecosystem a sustainable and fairer environment for all concerned.

Jozefien Vanherpe
Jozefien Vanherpe is a professor at the Centre for IT and IP Law (CiTiP) at KU Leuven. She studied law at KU Leuven and the University of Cambridge. After working for several years as a lawyer specializing in intellectual property, she transitioned to academia in early 2019. In the spring of 2022, Jozefien defended her PhD on the legal framework surrounding contracts in the music industry. Since October 2022, she has been appointed as a professor and introduces law, engineering, and biomedical sciences students to the fascinating world of intellectual property law. In addition, she conducts research on the application of intellectual property rights in the digital world, including in the context of the development of artificial intelligence.

Simon Taylor
Simon Taylor is a Brussels-based music writer and journalist. He writes a monthly preview of the best gigs in Brussels for The Brussels Times, an English-language news and features website, as well as regular articles on music for the bimonthly print magazine. His latest article covered the 30th anniversary of the Fuse nightclub. Simon also organises events with UK authors of music books. His recent events have covered the history of Goth music, 20th avant-garde and electronic music. A forthcoming event will cover the Electronic Body Music (EBM) of bands such as Front 242 and Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft. Simon also writes about EU affairs including Brexit and transatlantic relations.