This stream of research focuses on the intersections between music, technology, and culture, exploring recently how digital platforms, algorithms, and artificial intelligence are reshaping contemporary music practices. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that draws on science and technology studies (STS), media studies, and sound studies, Paolo Magaudda investigates topics such as the dematerialization of music, digital infrastructures, and cultural consumption. His recent publications include La musica nell’era digitale (Il Mulino, 2023) and Platformed! (Palgrave, 2024), co-authored with Tiziano Bonini.
 /// 2024 /// Platformed! How Streaming, Algorithms and Artificial Intelligence are Shaping Music Cultures /// Palgrave /// With Tiziano Bonini
Grounded in more than a decade of field research, this book uses empirical examples, quantitative data, and qualitative interviews with young music consumers as well as music industry professionals to understand how the platforms behind music production, distribution and listening work in our digital society. Bringing together the perspectives from science and technology studies, media studies, and the political economy of digital platforms, the book outlines the process of mutual construction between music digital platforms and the cultural value of music in today’s society, and also reflects on the complicated relationship between the power of platforms and the agency of listeners. |
 /// 2023 /// La musica nell’era digitale /// Il Mulino /// with T. Bonini
The book explores the profound impact of digital technologies on music consumption. The book addresses key questions about how platforms like YouTube and Spotify have surpassed traditional media such as radio and TV in shaping musical tastes. It examines how streaming services, algorithms, and smartphones influence the discovery of new artists and the evolution of musical preferences. With examples, data, and interviews with young consumers and music industry professionals, the authors provide insights into the role of digital platforms in the production, distribution, and listening of music today. |
 /// 2013 /// Special Issue on Sound Studies /// “Studi Culturali” /// with M. Santoro
One of the earliest collective contributions in the Italian context to the field of sound studies, this special issue of Studi Culturali focuses on the sonic dimension of culture and society. Beginning with an exploration of various traditions in social and cultural studies that have examined popular music, the issue traces both the continuities and ruptures that have shaped the emergence, over the past decade, of sound studies as a dynamic and interdisciplinary field. It highlights the evolving intellectual inquiry into the complex relationship between sound, culture, and society. |
 /// 2012 /// Oggetti da ascoltare. HiFi, iPod e consumo delle tecnologie musicali /// Il Mulino This is a research book that explores the intersection of technology, consumption, and musical listening through the lens of sociology. Based on personal stories from listeners about their experiences with various “sound objects”—from vinyl records to iPods, from high-end amplifiers to personal computers—the book illustrates how these technologies shape our social context. It shows how musical listening, tied to specific devices like HiFi systems and digital music players, influences not only musical tastes but also relationships, identities, and everyday environments. |