Music recommender systems, that are integrated into music streaming services, help listeners find which music to play at which moments. Previous research has focused on providing the best possible recommendations for the music consumers of these systems, and on fairness for artists that offer their music on streaming services. Related user studies then showed these stakeholders’ goals and values and how those could be addressed in recommender systems. While those insights are imperative, another group of stakeholders has been omitted so far: the many other professionals working in the music industry. They, too, are (in)directly affected by music streaming services. Therefore, this work explores the perspective of music industry professionals. We present a questionnaire inquiring about the role of streaming services in participants’ careers, and their perspective on fairness, transparency, and control for users and artists within these services. Results indicate that streaming service functionalities play a considerable role in most of our participants’ professional lives, both for those that provide music themselves and those that do not. Also, music recommender systems’ transparency, and the extent to which recommendations are controllable, are seen as limited for both consumers and artists. Finally, participants desire music streaming services to play a vital role in increasing variety in consumers’ listening behavior and taste.
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Looking at the FAccTs: Exploring Music Industry Professionals' Perspectives on Music Streaming Services and Recommendations