The illusion of popularity in streaming platforms — A couple of years ago, Music Business Worldwide unearthed a shady operation out of Bulgaria that’s as fascinating as it is alarming. It revealed the dark side of the streaming economy. Two obscure playlists, “Soulful Music” and “Music From The Heart,” appeared on Spotify and rapidly climbed Spotify’s global playlist…

Here’s what a recent study revealed about the fight against diabetes — At just 14, Noémie Galuszka, a Belgian teenager carries responsibilities, unlike most teens. She battles daily with Type 1 diabetes. Noémie’s routine is rigorous: four blood tests and two insulin injections every day. It’s not just a physical burden. It’s an emotional one. She feels it’s unfair that she has…

The Lo-fi and white noise hype — A 26-year-old musician is flipping the music industry on its head. Under the name Bonsai Beats, Michael Turner and his colleague Mike Bono compose lo-fi music that amasses $60k a year. And it only takes them a couple of weekends to create. It seems they’re the maestros of the modern…

For anyone trying to learn a new language or an instrument — In 1959, the Russian composer Vissarion Shebalin suffered a stroke that made it hard for him to talk and understand language (i.e., Aphasia). Despite this, his ability to compose remained intact. However, the language of his music began to change. Before the stroke, Shebalin’s compositions had intricate structures, elaborate orchestrations…

The narrative sold to us is a lie. — A fat wallet spent on a lavish wedding is the golden ticket to a lasting marriage. That’s what the wedding industry wants you to believe. The multi-billion-dollar industry that thrives on the commodification of love and romance, needs this marketing stunt to keep thriving. And societal pressure surely helps to…

BTC, ETH, and altcoins dissected — The key to surviving in crypto isn’t by avoiding the chaos but by mastering the art of the ride. Fortunes are made and lost overnight, but strategic navigation through this wild west can avoid many headaches and stress. Here’s when to buy, when to sell, and which cryptos to look…

And what can you do about it — Never-ending work could become a reality for many of us. When folks under 40 get to the age of retirement, they might not have enough money for the pensions they were hoping to receive. A pension fund collapse almost happened last year in the UK so it’s not a far-fetched…

Going beyond pink elephants — We’ve been toying with psychedelic substances for centuries, but what would happen if we mixed them with music for therapeutic purposes? We’ve been looking at the effects of psychedelics and music separately, but there’s a scarcity of research that explores their combined effects. Early research in the 60s suggested positive…

The path to a fairer community — Our looks are one of the biggest social issues nobody talks about. We might talk about racism and sexism, but we don’t talk about the widespread prejudice towards unattractive people. Instead of fighting against it, our society reinforces the damn thing. Yes, we’ve educated people on how appearances are deceiving…