Context
This project explores a Spotify playlist of 60 songs through a visual analysis of the singers and bands behind the music. The idea arose from a personal curiosity, driven by contemporary social movements to empower women, and questions such as: Who is behind the music I listen to? Are there many women DJs? Are they young? Is the song I'm listening to made at the beginning or end of the artist's career?
Objective
The primary goal was to uncover insights about the artists behind the songs on a personal Spotify playlist. By collecting and analyzing data about the authors, their career trajectories, genres, nationalities, and collaborations, the project aimed to reveal patterns and trends related to gender representation and the diversity of artists.
My Role
I was responsible for the entire project, from conception to final execution. I developed the initial idea and conceptual framework, conducted thorough research to gather and analyze the necessary data, designed the experimental data visualization poster, and brought the design to life. This project not only highlighted gender disparities within a personal music playlist but also served as a small-scale reflection of broader trends in the music industry.
Process
Data Collection
The process began with the selection of a frequently listened-to Spotify playlist. Data was collected for each song, including the author's name, the start date of the author's career, the date of the song, the genre of the author/s, the genre of the collaborations, nationality, and the type of song.
Download the dataset here
Examples
The song "I'd Love To Change The World" by Jetta (2014) falls under electronic music and indie pop. Jetta, a British female artist, began her career in 1989 and collaborated with male artist Matstubs.
The song "And I" by Ed is Dead (2016), a dance/electronic track by a Spanish male artist who started his career in 1983 and collaborated with male artists WOMOH and NN.
Data Analysis
After collecting the data, it was analyzed to identify patterns and insights. The analysis revealed that most of the music listened to was created by men, while many collaborations featured female voices. Although the sample size of 60 songs was small and not necessarily representative of the broader music industry, the findings provided a glimpse into the gender dynamics of the playlist.
Design and Development
The design and development phase focused on creating the visualization poster. The goal was to make an engaging and informative visual representation that effectively communicated the insights derived from the data.
How to read it
Scheme & Example
Deliverables
The final deliverable was an experimental data visualization poster. This poster visually represents the data collected from the playlist, offering a new and engaging way to understand and explore the information.
Poster details
