These days, the road to a hit song starts on Spotify.

These days, the road to a hit song starts on Spotify. Playlists on the platform and singles on Soundcloud have overtaken traditional album drops and radio releases—especially for a certain genre. Hip hop artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Cardi B have been boosted by “The RapCaviar Effect,” aka the sudden upswing in streams from being featured on the famous and popular Spotify playlist. The “synergy” between artists and streaming has “upended business strategies” for labels and freed young musicians from “the shackles of the album.” After all, as one exec explains, “‘No cool kid is listening to top 40 radio.’ Instead, those kids are glued to streaming services.” (Vulture)