Agreed, they're spending a lot of effort to be better at pushing "recommendations": the DJ, "smart" shuffle, the new home screen UI that prioritizes recommended

Agreed, they're spending a lot of effort to be better at pushing "recommendations": the DJ, "smart" shuffle, the new home screen UI that prioritizes recommended new releases, concerts, and merchandise. Those are all ad slots. They want artists to pay to be included in those in the future.