AI-Curated Playlists Under Scrutiny for Western Bias, Impact on Asian Artists
Image Credit: Tadas Mikuckis | Splash
The increasing use of artificial intelligence to curate music playlists on streaming platforms is raising concerns among industry experts that non-Western artists, particularly from Asia, may face reduced visibility due to algorithmic bias toward Western music.
AI in Music Curation
Major streaming platforms such as Spotify have adopted AI-driven playlist curation, analyzing user listening patterns to generate automated recommendations. In September 2024, Spotify expanded its AI Playlist beta for Premium users in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, following earlier launches in other markets. The feature enables users to create playlists via text prompts specifying genres, moods, or artists, aiming to improve music discovery and personalisation.
Concerns Over Western Bias
Researchers have documented that AI algorithms, typically trained on large internet datasets and historical user data, may reinforce existing market preferences, which are often dominated by Western genres such as pop, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence reported that a majority of music datasets used for algorithm training underrepresent non-Western genres, potentially limiting recommendations for Asian music styles such as K-pop, J-pop, Cantopop, and traditional genres.
Punjabi-Canadian artist Harj Nagra, in a statement included in the 2025 Juno Awards press materials, highlighted that social media has improved outreach for Asian artists but noted ongoing challenges with mainstream digital platforms. The Juno Awards introduced a South Asian Music Recording of the Year category in 2025, reflecting a broader push for regional inclusion in the industry.
Impact on Asian Artists
Asian artists have gained international attention in recent years. For example, K-pop singer Sung Hanbin’s solo OST “CHAMPION” trended on X in May 2025, indicating strong regional and global interest. Despite this, academic and industry observers caution that algorithmic curation could still favour tracks that reflect dominant Western trends, creating obstacles for wider international exposure of Asian music.
A 2025 report from NPR on Soviet-era Central Asian pop music noted that both algorithmic and human curation sometimes fail to surface regional genres, a concern echoed in music industry commentary.
Advantages and Industry Actions
AI-powered playlists can help users discover new music, and platforms like Boomy enable artists to create and distribute songs with greater ease. Spotify encourages users to refine AI-generated playlists by specifying preferred genres or artists, which can include Asian categories. However, as of May 2025, streaming platforms have not announced specific public measures to counter potential Western bias in AI curation.
Some artists and labels are using social media and other digital channels to bypass algorithmic limitations and reach wider audiences. Legislative actions are also emerging; for instance, Tennessee passed the ELVIS Act in 2024, prohibiting unauthorized AI-generated replicas of artists’ voices and increasing scrutiny of AI’s impact on the music industry.
Risks to Cultural Diversity
Industry groups and advocacy organizations have warned that overreliance on AI systems trained on Western-centric data could lead to less diverse music recommendations. In 2024, more than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish and Stevie Wonder, signed an open letter expressing concern about AI’s influence on music authenticity and rights.
Source: Spotify Newsroom, NME, arVix, ACL Anthology, EventBrite, BPI
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