Besides the algorithmic recommendations, there's a big and increasing amount of Payola on Spotify (as well as the streaming services from Apple, Amazon, etc.)

Besides the algorithmic recommendations, there's a big and increasing amount of Payola on Spotify (as well as the streaming services from Apple, Amazon, etc.) Payola in the digital world is not blatantly done like in radio where you invite the DJs to a brothel and / or pay them some money, but by encouraging Spotify to recommend a certain artist / song more than others because it's supplied by a "preferred" partner. How do you become a "preferred partner"? Well...take a wild guess.