DroniUllis

23/02/2022

Music recommendation algorithms are unfair to female artists, but we can change that
These days, more and more people listen to music on streaming apps – in early 2020, 400 million people were subscribed to one. These platforms use algorithms to recommend music based on listening habits. The recommended songs might feature in new playlists or they might start to play automatically when another playlist has ended.

But what the algorithms recommend is not always fair. In a new study we showed a widely used recommendation algorithm is more likely to pick music by male than female artists. In response, we’ve come up with a simple way to give more exposure to female artists.

The representation of women and gender minorities in the music industry is tremendously low. About 23% of artists in the 2019 Billboard 100 were women or gender minorities. Women represent 20% or less of registered composers and songwriters, while 98% of works performed by major orchestras are by male composers.

This bias is also present in streaming services. A few female “superstars” dominate among the most popular artists, but most female and mixed-gender artists are in the lower levels of popularity. While the problem stems from beyond the music industry, online music platforms and their algorithms that recommend music – called recommenders – play a large role.

Read more: Music streaming: listening to playlists drives down the revenue of smaller artists

Our study
While previous studies have repeatedly asked consumers for their opinion, the music artists, those providing the content, are rarely in the loop.

We wanted to put the spotlight on artists. We asked musicians to give us their views on what would make online music platforms more fair. When they said gender imbalance was a major problem, we decided to study this in more detail.

Our analysis of around 330,000 users’ listening behaviour over nine years showed a clear picture – only 25% of the artists ever listened to were female. When we tested the algorithm we found, on average, the first recommended track was by a man, along with the next six. Users had to wait until song seven or eight to hear one by a woman.

Close up of a phone with the Spotify application on the screen.
Applications like Spotify use algorithms to find recommendations. Shutterstock/TY Lim
Breaking the loop
As users listen to the recommended songs, the algorithm learns from these. This creates a feedback loop.

To break this feedback loop, we came up with a simple approach to gradually give more exposure to female artists. We took the recommendations computed by the basic algorithm and re-ranked them – moving male artists a specified number of positions downwards.

In a simulation, we studied how our re-ranked recommendations could affect users’ listening behaviour in the longer term. With the help of our re-ranked algorithm, users would start changing their behaviour. They would listen to more female artists than before.

Eventually, the recommender started to learn from this change in behaviour. It began to place females higher up in the recommended list, even before our re-ranking. In other words, we broke the feedback loop.

This shows how easy it can be. Our simple method can help address the biases in the algorithms that play a large role in the way many people discover new music and artists. Next, we hope to study how real consumers perceive the changes introduced by the re-ranking strategy and how it impacts their listening behaviour in the long term.

Another crucial step would be to collect and use data about the wide scale of gender identities. We’re aware this binary gender classification does not reflect the multitude of gender identities. The unavailability of data beyond the gender binary is a massive obstacle, both for research as well as for taking action and making progress on a societal level.

So far, our simulation could demonstrate the benefits of a simple re-ranking approach. But responsibility is, of course, not with the platform providers alone. Initiatives such as Keychange and Women in Music are working to represent the underrepresented in the music industry. The rest of us need to follow.

As music festivals are being criticised for the lack of women in their lineups, any step towards representing more women all genders in a more balanced manner is a step in the right direction.

22/02/2022

18/02/2022

K-pop fans are creative, dedicated and social - we should take them seriously
The phenomenal success of K-pop (Korean pop music) and its biggest export bands such as BTS, EXO, Blackpink, MONSTA X and Red Velvet can largely be credited to their highly active and dedicated fandom. This is a group not to be dissed, as Channel Nine discovered recently after airing a segment on “global crazes” featuring BTS, a Billboard chart-topping band.

The program’s attempt to poke fun at the band quickly drew the ire of dedicated fans (known as the BTS Army) who felt the presenters had not only disrespected the band, but also its diverse, global support base. They mounted a social media campaign, accusing Nine of racism. The hashtag went viral and the station issued a statement apologising for offending anyone.

K-pop fans often complain how Australian mainstream media is, in their view, racist and insensitive in its reporting on the groups. While it may be tempting to dismiss fan activity as evidence of highly successful marketing techniques, these fan networks actually perform an increasingly important role as a source of social belonging.

Contrary to common perception, most fans are not socially withdrawn nerds – because the social aspect of K-pop fandom is central to being a true fan. Fan clubs typically consist of global networks of loosely organised local chapters, comprising diverse nationalities and ages. There are also many middle-aged and retired fans, some of whom (such as Shinhwa fans) have grown older with their idols.

20th anniversary concert of K-pop band Shinhwa.
While there are no reliable statistics quantifying the number of K-pop fans, The Korea Foundation (which is affiliated with Korea’s ministry of foreign affairs) recently estimated the number of fans of Korean pop culture in general to be 89 million across 113 countries. BTS was the first Asian act to surpass 5 billion streams on Spotify. They have over 9 billion views on YouTube and 20.7 million Twitter followers, compared with EXO’s 5.7 million , Blackpink’s 2.5 million and MONSTA X’s 3 million.

Read more: Explainer: what is K-pop and J-pop?

Embodying an ‘ideal self’
K-Pop bands are not simply perceived as pretty and talented people to be admired from afar. They are seen as the ultimate embodiment of “ideal self” achieved through hard work.

The work of transforming from an ordinary mortal into a K-pop star is often well documented through groups’ official social media feeds or behind-the-scenes videos. Polished (often cosmetically enhanced) appearances are seen as the hallmark of investment in self.

K-pop band members also work hard to reduce social distance between themselves and their fans; either by meeting them in person or using social media. In a recent tweet, BTS member J-Hope posted a photo in anticipation of a fan meet the following day, with the line “Thank you Army! See you tomorrow!”.

The use of purple heart emojis has a special significance, representing the connection the band and BTS fans share.

Frequent livestream interactions with fans via Instagram live or South Korean video service VLive also reduce the social distance between idols and fans, who can quickly build a real sense of attachment to their idol.

As “ideal selves”, K-pop stars rarely say or do anything controversial and are thus stable, predictable role models. (Although when they do trip up, as happened recently with the former Big Bang boy band member Seungri, the fall from grace can be swift).

K-pop fandom involves much more than buying merchandise or attending concerts – fans are cultural producers themselves. They run fan sites, create self-designed band merchandise and produce fan chants: lyrics shouted out during performances at collectively agreed points of the song.

Fan chants are also popular in Japan, but K-pop fans have taken them to a new level. They are disseminated through fan sites and social media.

A K-pop band performance and fan chant.
Fan clubs even have unique pet names bands use, such as Exo-L (“L” for the love the band has for their fans) and V.I.P. for Big Bang (denoting how each fan is important to them).

Committed K-pop fans also demonstrate their dedication through orchestrated mass voting to ensure the bands’ success in music charts and awards. In return, the idols acknowledge the importance of their fans, and actively seek to nurture this relationship.

“Thank you to ARMYs for giving us such a big happiness. We will never forget the magical time we had with you at the Magic Shop”, said BTS in a tweet after wrapping up the fan meetings in Seoul and Busan. The Seoul event was beamed live to global audiences – allowing for those outside Korea to “take part” through live streaming and commenting.

Philanthropy
Philanthropy is an increasingly important part of K-pop fandom. Many fan clubs pool resources to support charities. BTS have also promoted UNICEF, joining forces with it in their Love Myself campaign, which raised more than US$1.4 million (much via direct donations from fans).

Western media should also bear in mind that bands such as BTS are not popular in spite of being Korean, but precisely because they are Korean.

The number of Australians learning Korean has grown exponentially over the past few years, with five major Australian Universities now offering a BA major in Korean Studies. Much of that interest has likely have been sparked by an encounter with Korean popular culture.

Critics may also be wise to note that fan clubs such as the global BTS Army are increasingly succeeding in what years of government policies in Australia have failed to do: a real and meaningful desire to connect with cultures outside our borders.

18/02/2022