Since the release of the popular music streaming service Spotify in The Netherlands this week, my Twitter-stream exploded with messages from enthusiasts who were waiting for months for Spotify to expand its streaming empire. So now the application’s here, along with a massive database of music, and localized advertising for – for example – (in)famous bourgeoise singers, I’m pretty much psyched about using it and spreading the word. Don’t get me wrong, there obviously is plenty of room for critique along the lines of the rent-model, but then again, the service should be praised for introducing a true digital distribution model which is involves major record-labels.

Now what  could be the cultural implications of Spotify’s uprise? In the article ‘Spotify: All you can eat‘ (Dutch), Marc Brekelmans draws the line between Spotify’s proposition and ‘all-you-can-eat’ restaurants:

“The content library is vast – more than you’ll be able to consume – yet,  although the right ingredients, the quality is disappointing. The food lacks the refinement that characterizes a decent restaurant which is why the one leaves the venue with an unsatisfied feeling.”

I find Brekelmans’ metaphor of the all-you-can-eat restaurant is a poor one for numerous reasons. First of all, the wide variety of ingredients doesn’t mean the consumer will be have a taste of all what’s available, as a matter of fact: there is no tangible menu except for the featured artists in Spotify’s start-up screen. Exploration of tastes does merely exist through the exchange of dishes within communities (for example: Playlistify let’s the user ‘bake a playlist’), by search and through hyperlinks. There’s obviously a lot of content excluded from a single user.

Furthermore, I don’t believe that musical exploration, consisting of constantly selecting, discarding and reflecting on latest discoveries is much different compared to traditional media. Associating with bands or music and developing a certain taste has always been a qualitative trajectory in which one can only engage in through the critical ear. In my opinion, in this process the medium-specificity (having a record shop or a digital library) is not all that significant and merely a puristic argument.

In closing, cultural surplus is all but new with the introduction of Spotify, I think it’s also safe to say that the application won’t eliminate evaluation as a part of developing a personal taste. In my opinion, Brekelmans’ argument towards this surplus is one that applies to the music industry’s premise for over decades now.