Spotify VS. Your Instincts

Which is better?

There’s a widely held belief that algorithms — math — can better predict the individual songs and artists you and I will like than a human being can.

That may be true for many human beings, but not all.

I have worked with gifted programmers who have an instinctive feel for the songs their listeners will love, and who have the freedom, and the courage, to play them.

I’d be willing to bet their percentage of hits vs. misses exceeds that of the Pandora and Spotify algorithms, at least in my user experience.

And now science backs me up: Algorithms Make Better Predictions - Except When They Don't.