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< Back New policy brief: International versus local VOD 4 Nov 2024 In a new policy brief and webinar, we present the findings of research on motivations of Flemish viewers ⇩ ENGLISH BELOW ⇩ Tijdens een webinar op 31 oktober presenteerde het Proeftuin Project nieuwe inzichten over de streaminggewoonten en voorkeuren van Vlaamse kijkers. Dit zijn de vijf belangrijkste conclusies: 1. Kijken blijft een collectieve activiteit Streaming biedt gepersonaliseerde aanbevelingen, maar kijkgedrag vertoont nog steeds sterke overeenkomsten met het traditionele, lineaire kijkpatroon. Keuzes worden vaak beïnvloed door sociale omgevingen, en samen kijken blijft een waardevolle culturele activiteit. Het ‘watercooler-effect’, waarbij populaire shows gesprekstof opleveren, blijft relevant, zowel voor internationale hits als lokale titels. 2. Lokale platformen lopen achter met personalisatie, maar voldoen aan verwachtingen Internationale platformen zijn sterk in personalisatie, terwijl Vlaamse kijkers vaak al weten wat ze willen zien op lokale platforms zoals VRT MAX en VTM GO. Hoewel deze platformen geavanceerde aanbevelingssystemen missen, slagen ze erin om te voldoen aan de vraag naar specifieke lokale content. De belangrijkste uitdaging blijft het uitbreiden van de catalogus en de gebruiksvriendelijkheid verbeteren. 3. Vlaamse kijkers waarderen lokale content Lokale platformen zijn de voorkeurskeuze voor Vlaamse kijkers die op zoek zijn naar regionale shows, terwijl grote streamingdiensten zoals Netflix over het algemeen worden geassocieerd met internationale content. Deze waardering voor lokale content geeft platformen zoals VRT MAX en Streamz de kans om zich te onderscheiden, vooral voor kijkers die regionale verhalen belangrijk vinden. 4. Streaming en bioscoop bezoek: Complementaire ervaringen Vlaamse kijkers zien streaming en bioscoopbezoek als aanvullend op elkaar. Degenen die veel streamen, gaan ook vaak naar de bioscoop, vooral vanwege de gedeelde ervaring. Hoewel de prijs voor sommigen een drempel blijft, blijft de bioscoop aantrekkelijk vanwege de unieke sociale sfeer. 5. Lokale content leeft, maar internationale content domineert Vlaamse kijkers associëren lokale platformen sterk met regionale content, maar hun kijkgedrag op grote platformen neigt naar internationale series en films. Deze voorkeur voor globaal aanbod vormt het streaminggedrag, maar lokale platformen blijven inspelen op de vraag naar binnenlandse verhalen en ervaringen. Voor een diepgaandere analyse, bekijk de volledige policybrief op de SMIT-website . ___________________________________ During a webinar on October 31, the Proeftuin Project revealed fresh insights into the habits and preferences of Flemish streaming audiences. Here are the five main takeaways: 1. Watching together remains Streaming may allow for individual recommendations, but watching habits still mirror traditional, linear viewing. Choices are often influenced by social settings, and shared viewing remains a strong cultural activity. The “watercooler effect,” where popular shows spark conversations, is still alive, with both international hits and local titles playing a role. 2. Local platforms lag in personalization but meet viewer expectations While international platforms excel at personalization, Flemish viewers often know exactly what they want to watch on local platforms like VRT MAX and VTM GO. These platforms lack sophisticated recommendation systems, yet they succeed in catering to viewers' demands for specific local content. The main challenge remains expanding their catalog while enhancing usability. 3. Flemish viewers value local content Local platforms are the preferred choice for Flemish audiences seeking regional shows, while major streaming services like Netflix are generally associated with international content. This appreciation for local content allows platforms such as VRT MAX and Streamz to distinguish themselves, particularly for viewers who prioritize regional storytelling. 4. Streaming and cinema are complementary experiences Flemish viewers see streaming and cinema as complementary. Those who stream frequently also tend to visit cinemas, mainly for the shared experience. While price remains a deterrent for some, cinemas remain attractive for their unique social environment. 5. Local content thrives, but international content dominates While Flemish audiences strongly associate local platforms with regional content, their actual viewing behavior on major platforms leans towards international series and films. This preference for global content shapes streaming behavior, yet local platforms continue to meet the demand for domestic stories and experiences. For more information the full policy brief is available on the SMIT website (Dutch only). Previous Next

< Back A glimpse into our work-in-progress 12 Feb 2024 Reflections on the research presented at Etmaal On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th February 2024, Hanne Vandenbroucke and Ulysse Maes attended the 26th edition of Etmaal van Communicatiewetenschap in Rotterdam. At this two-day conference, researchers from Communication Sciences in Belgium and The Netherlands unite to present their projects, get feedback from peers, and be inspired by the work of others. They were invited to present their work-in-progress during the Research Escalator. In this blogpost we highlight the key take-aways from their presentations. Multi-stakeholder approach to news personalization - Hanne Vandenbroucke What lies behind the "For you", "Read more" or "See also" sections on the website or mobile app of your favorite news brand? By conducting stakeholder interviews with professionals working in commercial news organizations operating in Flanders: DPG Media, Mediahuis and Mediafin; We aim to map the development and implementation of recommender systems. The key internal stakeholder groups involved in and impacted by news recommender systems are: (1) the newsroom, (2) the technical development, and (3) the commercial business unit. Based on the stakeholder interviews, we are able to build upon the multi-stakeholder framework of Smets et al. (2022) . The preliminary results give insights in the actual decision-making process for recommender development. News organisations started experimenting with a news recommender system on average 3 years ago. The initial process of trial and error had transformed into an ongoing cycle of adjusting the RS design. In practice both the newsroom and the business unit express their objectives, preconditions and concerns to the product owner who aligns the different perspectives and formulates a concrete set of goals. Next, the technology development team will operationalize these objectives into computational metrics and adjust the recommender system design. Performance data is continuously being collected and monitored. A feedback loop set up to communicate the results of the adjusted recommender to the product owner who – together with the data analytics team – derives insights from the data and report back to the business unit and newsrooms. Exploring the influence of misleading explanations on the perceived quality of recommender systems – Ulysse Maes Nowadays, recommender systems are everywhere: you find them on Amazon, on Netflix and Spotify, for example. These algorithmic curation systems help internet users to efficiently navigate through vast amounts of content. While holding clear advantages in terms of user experience, there are some limitations and normative concerns. One of these concerns stems from the limited transparency they provide. This may lead to distrust and frustration. Adding explanations may yield different results, which depend on your objectives. (Tintarev & Masthoff, 2007) suggest seven goals of explainable recommendations: effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, scrutability, transparency, trust, and persuasiveness. Note that maximizing for one goal might be beneficial for another (e.g. improving for scrutability- giving users the ability to change the outcomes to their liking- might improve satisfaction). However, optimizing for one goal might also harm other goals. This research specificially dives into the possible conflict between optimizing for persuasiveness and its effects on transparency and trust. By “optimizing for persuasiveness”, we mean creating compelling narratives to persuade users to consume recommended content. For example, when you buy a pair of jeans online, the shop can try to upsell by recommending some white t-shirts and explain the recommendations as “Style advice for the perfect shirt to wear on your new jeans.” A more neutral explanation could be: “Customers also bought.” Persuasion in itself is not problematic, but it might become problematic once it becomes misleading: hiding important information or even lying about the working of the system, or the drivers behind a decision. As explanations are often linked to a conception of transparency, both with end-users and academia, the mere presence of explanations can already lead to increased trust in the system. By crafting compelling but incorrect explanations, it might be possible to manipulate users into consuming certain content, while still giving them a feeling of agency. There are clearly some incentives to create misleading explanations. But do they work? Theory is still inconclusive. While some research mentions the effectiveness of personalized persuasion (Burtell & Woodside, 2023), others highlight the detrimental effects on long-term trust: would platforms really jeopardize this? Another argument against the effectiveness of misleading explanations is that the costs don’t outweigh the benefits – a critique sometimes formulated on explanations in general as well. The field of explainable AI recognizes the immense potential of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to generate personalized, dynamic explanations at scale. It has already been shown that these explanations can be more persuasive than human-generated texts. One of the reasons why we do not see LLM-generated explanations popping up everywhere, is because of their tendency to “hallucinate” - to make up plausible, but incorrect narratives. Previous Next

< Back Talking about Stakeholder Perspectives at WMEMC 22 May 2025 Hanne presented her research on stakeholder alignment for news recommender system development Today at WMEMC, Hanne presented her work on what happens behind the scenes of news organizations that are developing in-house News Recommender Systems (NRS). Spoiler alert: it’s no smooth ride. As newsrooms explore the possibilities of algorithmic curation, it turns out there's a lot more involved than just building smart tech. The real challenge? Getting all organizational stakeholders on the same page: journalists, software developers, managers, and business units each have their own goals, logics, and some concerns or doubts about (personalized) news recommendations. That’s where Hanne's research comes in. By setting foot in large-scale commercial news organizations (in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia) and speaking to different stakeholders. Those interviews allow to explore the intricate (and let's be honest, sometimes messy) process of getting all organizational stakeholders to cooperate and negotiate NRS. The result? Balancing on a tightrope while juggling goals, demands, and objections. 🔹 Balancing Act #1 : Aligning Stakeholders Different stakeholder groups - newsroom, commercial units, and tech development teams - hold different perspectives on the opportunities and risks of (personalized) recommendations. Opposing views and expectations might lead to tensions between departments, and different product owners (POs) are assigned the role of mediators. These POs are ambidextrous actors with knowledge, experience, and professional backgrounds, crossing the traditional stakeholder boundaries, which enables them to create a shared understanding, translate jargon and build bridges between distinct stakeholder groups. A multi-disciplinary, cross-functional team of different POs, each representing another stakeholder group, sits around the negotiation table, and they are in charge of the decision-making around NRS. 🔹 Balancing Act #2 : Exploration vs. Exploitation Organizations constantly have to decide: do we explore new features and test new capabilities, or do we focus on optimizing our current technologies for ROI? With limited resources, news organizations can’t do both at full speed, simultaneously. Therefore, the team of POs needs to decide on which actions should be undertaken and, in doing so, develop a strategic roadmap navigating the tricky waters of budget and time allocations, and find that sweet spot between experimentation and exploitation. Both balancing acts are intertwined, as good alignment between stakeholders facilitates how these trade-offs are made. And the decisions made about the strategic roadmap for NRS development, in turn, influence whether stakeholders stay aligned or drift apart. It’s a dynamic, ongoing dance. The big takeaway? We need better, smarter ways to manage the decision-making on AI innovation in newsrooms, whether that relates to NRS or generative AI. This study is a first step in that direction — and just the beginning of figuring out how to align perspectives, reduce friction, and get these powerful tools off the ground in ways that actually work. Because building a scalable and effective recommender system is hard. But getting different stakeholders to agree on what the NRS design such look like? That’s where the real challenge lies. Previous Next

< Back The RecSys Conference 2024 8 Oct 2024 Our contributions to the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems From 14 until 18 October 2024, the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems takes place in Bari, Italy. Our SRP Media researchers have various contributions to this conference, as well as the preceding ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems . ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems 2024 During the ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems, leaders in the field give lectures on the practice, research, and state of the art in Recommender Systems. This year, there will be 120 attendees among which 90 students. Click here for the full program . On Tuesday 8 Octobe r, Lien Michiels will teach a lecture on Best Practices for Offline Evaluation . On Friday 11 October, Annelien Smets lectures a course on Digital Economics and Recommender Systems . The ACM Europe School on Recommender Syste ms is organized by Ludovico Boratto (University of Cagliari, Italy) , Cataldo Musto (University of Bari, Italy) , and Fedelucio Narducci (Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy) . How to Evaluate Serendipity in Recommender Systems: the Need for a Serendiptionnaire During the Doctoral Symposium , Brett Binst will present his work from the Serendipity Engine project. Recommender systems can assist in various user tasks and serve diverse values, including exploring the item space. Serendipity has recently received considerable attention, often seen as a way to broaden users’ tastes and counteract filter bubbles. However, the field of research on serendipity is fragmented regarding its evaluation methods, which impedes the progress of knowledge accumulation. This research plan proposes two studies to address these issues. First, a systematic literature review will be conducted to provide insights into how serendipity is currently studied in the field. This review will serve as a reference for novice researchers and help mitigate fragmentation by presenting a thorough overview of the field. This systematic literature review has already revealed a significant gap: the lack of a validated, widely accepted method for evaluating serendipity. Therefore, the second part of this research plan is to develop a validated questionnaire, the serendiptionnaire, to measure serendipity. This tool will provide a ground truth for evaluating serendipity, aiding in answering fundamental questions within the field and validating offline metrics. GenUI(ne) CRS: UI Elements and Retrieval-Augmented Generation in Conversational Recommender Systems with LLMs [demo] During the poster session on Tuesday, Ulysse Maes will present joint work with Lien Michiels and Annelien Smets . Previous research has used Large Language Models (LLMs) to develop personalized Conversational Recommender Systems (CRS) with text-based user interfaces (UIs). However, the potential of LLMs to generate interactive graphical elements that enhance user experience remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we introduce “GenUI(ne) CRS,” a novel framework designed to leverage LLMs for adaptive and interactive UIs. Our framework supports domain-specific graphical elements such as buttons and cards, in addition to text-based inputs. It also addresses the common LLM issue of outdated knowledge, known as the “knowledge cut-off,” by implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). To illustrate its potential, we developed a prototype movie CRS. This work demonstrates the feasibility of LLM-powered interactive UIs and paves the way for future CRS research, including user experience validation, transparent explanations, and addressing LLM biases. It’s (not) all about that CTR: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on News Recommender Metrics During the poster session on Thursday, Hanne Vandenbroucke will present joint work with Annelien Smets . Recommender systems are increasingly used by news media organizations. Existing literature examines various aspects of news recommender systems (NRS) from a computational, user-centric, or normative perspective. Yet research advocates studying the complexities of real-world applications around NRS. Recently, a multi-stakeholder approach to NRS has been adopted, allowing to understand different stakeholder perspectives on NRS development and evaluation within the news organization. However, little research has been done on the different key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics considered valuable by different stakeholders. Based on 11 interviews with professionals from two commercial news publishers, this paper demonstrates that stakeholders prioritize distinct KPIs and metrics related to the reach-engagement-conversion-retention funnel. The evaluation of NRS performance is often limited to short-term metrics like CTR, overlooking the multiplicity of stakeholders involved. Our findings reveal how different purposes, KPIs, and metrics are valued from the journalistic, commercial, and tech logic. In doing so, this paper contributes to the multi-stakeholder approach to NRS, advancing our understanding of the real-world complexity of NRS development and evaluation. Navigating Discoverability in the Digital Era: a Theoretical Framework During the MuRS: Music Recommender Systems Workshop 2024 , Rebecca Salganik will present joint work with Valdy Wiratama , Heritiana Ranaivoson and Adelaida Afilipoaie (FairMuse). The proliferation of digital technologies in the distribution of digital content has prompted concerns about the effects on cultural diversity in the digital era. The concept of discoverability has been presented as a theoretical tool through which to consider the likelihood that content will be interacted with. The multifaceted nature of this broad theme has been explored through a variety of domains that explore the ripple effects of platformization, each with its own unique lexicography. However, there is yet to be a unified framework through which to consider the complex pathways of discovery. In this work we present the discovery ecosystem, consisting of six individual, interconnected components, that encompass the pathway of discovery from start to finish. Workshop on Normative Design and Evaluation of Recommender Systems (NORMalize) On October 18, Lien Michiels is co-organizing t he Second Workshop on Normative Design and Evaluation of Recommender Systems. Previous Next

< Back Looking back at RecSys 2024 23 Oct 2024 Sharing our reflections on the ACM RecSys Conference 2024 Some researchers of the SRP Media team recently attended the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems (RecSys 2024) in Bari, Italy. Known for its stunning coastline and sunny weather, Bari provided the perfect backdrop for a gathering of both academic and industry experts in recommender systems. Beyond indulging in the delicious Italian cuisine and navigating the city’s chaotic traffic, our team traveled to Bari to share our latest research, gain insights from the inspiring talks, and engage with the Recsys community. SRP Media's Contributions at RecSys 2024 A previous blog post already summarizes all of the SRP Media team's contributions to the conference. Annelien and Lien each gave a learning session at the RecSys Summer School, which took place the week before the conference. Ulysse attended the Summer School and then stayed another week in beautiful Bari to present a demo poster at the conference. During the conference, Brett participated in the doctoral symposium, where he presented his initial findings and received valuable feedback from leading experts. In addition, there was also a poster for Hanne and Annelien's paper which got shortlisted for the Best Short Paper Award! The RecSys Summer School: Gaining Insights Although RecSys 2024 officially kicked off on October 14th, some of our team members arrived in Bari a week early to attend the ACM Europe School on Recommender Systems. On the program there was Lien Michiels 's lecture on Best Practices for Offline Evaluation and Annelien Smets ' course on Digital Economics and Recommender Systems . Their insights offered a refreshing perspective amidst the buzz around transformer-based algorithms. Ulysse, as a participant in the Summer School, had the chance to connect with fellow researchers from around the world, fostering an environment of collaboration and learning. The Main Conference: Workshops, Presentations, and Keynotes The RecSys conference consists of two parts: on Monday and Friday, a series of workshops and presentations took place at the Politecnico University of Bari. From Tuesday to Thursday, the main track continues with an extensive program of lectures, presentations and posters at the magnificent Teatro Petruzzelli. Some of our highlights: Ulysse's highlights For Ulysse, one of the standout moments was the CARS workshop led by Dr. Rishabh Mehrotra from Sourcegraph. Drawing on his experience at Spotify, Dr. Mehrotra presented a thorough analysis of eight real-world recommendation challenges, offering invaluable insights into the practical applications of recommendation systems. Ulysse also appreciated a keynote from Mounia Lalmas, also from Spotify, as well as events like the Women in RecSys session, the Normalize workshop, and Netflix’s “Raising a Recommender System”—although his duties as a student volunteer required him to follow these online. Brett's reflections Brett's experience at the doctoral symposium was the outstanding highlight of the week. Thanks to valuable feedback from experts such as Julia Neidhardt, Markus Zanger and Bart Knijnenburg, Brett gained new clarity on his PhD project, particularly his development of the "Serendiptionnaire" a tool designed to evaluate how recommender systems promote serendipity. Throughout the main track, Brett found himself both impressed and challenged by the industry presence. While captivated by the venue and delighted by the food, he noted a strong focus on technical issues, which sometimes overshadowed a more human-centered approach. Mark Riedl’s keynote resonated with this perspective, particularly the idea that recommender systems should enhance user agency. Workshops like RecSoGood, AltRec , and the POPROX project emphasizing the importance of considering the societal implications of research on recommender system. Hanne’s first RecSys Attending the RecSys Conference in person for the first time was an exciting and enriching experience. The conference brings together researchers and industry practitioners from a wide range of sectors, creating a vibrant and open-minded community. The empowerment of women in this traditionally male-dominated field, with the Women in RecSys breakfast and session is very valuable to facilitate connections. Her own contribution, a short paper titled “It’s (not) all about that CTR: A Multi-stakeholder Perspective on News Recommender Metrics” was shortlisted for the Best Short Paper award. This nomination, together with the encouraging feedback on the poster, is a testament to the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in recommender system research. The need for bridging the gap between academia and industry echoed throughout the week. Final Thoughts: A Rich Exchange of Ideas and Inspiration RecSys 2024 in Bari offered not only an incredible learning experience but also an opportunity to engage with great minds in the Recsys field. From insightful workshops and keynotes to helpful feedback and new connections, our team left the conference feeling motivated and inspired. As we look ahead, the key takeaway is clear: recommender systems must evolve beyond technical optimization. The importance of fostering user agency, promoting social sciences in the research on recommenders, and bridging the gap between academia and industry applications is more pressing than ever. Previous Next

< Back Media Industries Conference, London 19 Apr 2024 An overview of our presentations at Media Industries in London From April 16 to 19, 2024, the Media Industries Conference took place at King’s College London. Our SRPMedia team was well represented with presentations related to our doctoral research tracks on news recommenders and public service media , our living lab project on streaming affordances in small media markets , and presentations on the ALGEPI and PSM-AP projects. Last but not least, the De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics was presented, which contains several contributions from our team and is co-edited by Tim Raats. In this post, we provide an overview of the various presentations delivered by our team. Integrating Recommenders and Platformization in Small Media Markets’ Legacy Players In our presentation we offered insightful perspectives on navigating the challenges and opportunities within the evolving media landscape in Flanders. From exploring streaming and recommender systems in Flemish media to analyzing the importance of scalability in small markets. The Flemish public service media VRT has been working to establish a strong central brand with content brands inspired by findability. They are challenged to reclaim control over their audiences, rather than have to rely on third parties (like social media) to reach audiences. In their distribution strategy they adopt a 50% human, manual curated, and 50% curation by algorithms both for audio and video taking into account contextual factors for example offer a podcast in the morning and user is in the car, but entertainment or series when user is at home watching on TV. VRT chooses taste-broadening as way to go by recommending unconsumed content that is deemed to be in range of consumers interest, but still diverse enough. Additionally, we question the value of news recommender systems by examining the return on investment for commercial news organizations. Finally, the findings from the diary study show that the social aspect remains relevant even with the rise of VOD services, with viewing giving a sense of community. Also while SVOD services provide personalized interfaces, local BVOD services seem to function more as generic content collections with limited navigation support. Gatekeeping in the Digital Age: Newsroom Resistance to News Personalization? Aina Errando shared some valuable insights from her research, conducted in collaboration with Heritiana Ranaivoson and Adelaida Afilipoaie as part of the ALGEPI project . Their presentation highlighted the current challenges in implementing News Recommender Systems (NRS) in Spanish newsrooms, emphasizing the importance of bridging “tech-editorial gaps” and promoting collaboration among stakeholders within news organizations. Platformization Meets Universality Catalina Iordache presented insights from the comparative policy analysis of the platformization process of public service media (PSM) in seven media markets, as part of the PSM-AP project. Findings show a wide range of priorities set in the policy documents and digital strategies of PSM organizations, with a focus on People--connecting to and with audiences, Personalization - the use of recommender systems and the development of (public service) algorithms, and Prominence - with regard to PSM services/apps, content, and brands. Universality remains a core principle in the formulation of online strategies and regulatory recommendations. De Gruyter Handbook of Media Economics During a roundtable the new Handbook of Media Economics was presented, edited by Ulrike Rohn , M. Bjørn von Rimscha and Tim Raats . The handbook presents key contributions from scholars worldwide, providing a comprehensive exploration of current trends in media industries from diverse perspectives. Within the framework of understanding contemporary and future trajectories in media markets and industries, the volume delves into their influence on media organization and delivery, along with broader societal and market implications. Encompassing research at the crossroads of economics, management, political economy, and production studies, the handbook emphasizes the necessity for a robust interdisciplinary dialogue. Beyond scrutinizing present and forthcoming industry developments, the handbook addresses pivotal issues pertaining to media economics research methods and pedagogy. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and media professionals, providing insights into media economics as an academic field and delving into the multifaceted dynamics that shape the media landscape. Doing this, it contributes to the ongoing discourse on the evolving nature of media markets and their profound impact on society. The handbook is co-edited by Tim Raats and contains the following contributions from our team: Tim Raats, Developing a curriculum for media economics Alessandro D’Arma, Jeanette Steemers & Tim Raats, Public service media: Challenges for delivering universal public service in the platform age Catalina Iordache, The effects of streaming on media markets Heritiana Ranaivoson, Annelien Smets,& Pieter Ballon, Challenges and opportunities for recommender systems in media markets De Gruyter Handbook on Media Economics will be published on 20 May, 2024. Previous Next

< Back New report of the Fair MusE project 1 Nov 2024 New report "From Value Networks for Recorded Music to Music Ecosystem" The latest report from the Fair MusE Project - "From Value Networks for Recorded Music to Music Ecosystem" - dives deep into how Music Streaming Services (MSS) and User-Generated Content (UGC) platforms are reshaping the music industry’s value landscape. This shift in the industry is about more than just a digital transformation; it's fundamentally changing how power, access, and revenue flow through the music ecosystem. A New Layer of Gatekeeping With the rise of MSS platforms like Spotify and UGC platforms like YouTube, traditional routes for accessing and promoting music have been redefined. These platforms now serve as powerful gatekeepers, determining which artists and tracks gain visibility. This influence reshapes who has control over exposure and, ultimately, success. Rather than simply distributing music, these platforms filter content through algorithms, strategically showcasing certain songs while others remain hidden, based on complex calculations that prioritize user engagement and platform profits. Navigating and negotiating the new landscape Despite the power of these platforms, traditional stakeholders, particularly major record labels, are finding ways to adapt. Labels are leveraging their vast artist rosters and music catalogues to secure valuable partnerships with MSS and UGC platforms. By doing so, they maintain a degree of influence over what listeners see and hear, reinforcing the competitive dynamics in the industry. The relationships between labels and streaming platforms can be seen as a balancing act, as both sides negotiate control, exposure, and revenue shares. A shift from value networks to a music ecosystem Approaching the music industry as an interconnected ecosystem reveals the complex interdependence between streaming and UGC platforms, labels, artists, and audiences. This ecosystem perspective helps contextualize the ongoing evolution, but it also exposes fairness concerns. For example, algorithmic curation tends to spotlight content from major labels, reinforcing their dominance. The current payout models on platforms like Spotify and YouTube often favor big players, leaving smaller artists and independent labels in a more precarious position. ➜ Full Report If these insights spark your interest, the Fair MusE report also has a systematic review of academic literature on music streaming including case studies on both Spotify and YouTube. For the full tracklist of findings and analysis, check out the complete Fair MusE report: https://fairmuse.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/D3.1_Value-Networks.pdf Previous Next

< Back New Policy Brief: Streaming Public Service Television in the Age of Platforms 27 Jan 2025 Evaluating Public Service Media (PSM) in-house video-on-demand (VoD) services Public service media (PSM) all over the world have consistently been subject to social and technological changes . These include radical changes in media use, the advent of streaming services , and the dominance of big tech. The new competitors for the attention of citizens have challenged PSM both as an institution and as organisations. The profound changes in the media landscape have affected the broadcasters themselves, requiring them to transform into fully digital, online-first organisations . In this context, we present results from research conducted during the second year of PSM-AP , a large-scale comparative research project analysing ‘Public Service Media in the Age of Platforms’. In this policy brief , we put forward a series of findings and recommendations on PSM publishing and personalisation practices based on analysis of the PSM in-house video-on-demand (VoD) services and main linear channels in the Belgian market , alongside insights from our wider analysis that includes Canada, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK. Visit the webpage: https://smit.research.vub.be/en/policy-brief-82-streaming-public-service-television-in-the-age-of-platforms Streaming_public_service_television_in_the_age_of_platforms .pdf Download PDF • 725KB https://doi.org/10.48785/100/301 Previous Next

< Back Out now: Handbook of Platform Urbanism 20 Jan 2026 Online Book Launch for the Handbook of Platform Urbanism The Handbook of Platform Urbanism (Edward Elgar Publishing) brings together leading international scholars to explore how digital platforms are (re)shaping contemporary urban life. This volume presents a critical and interdisciplinary examination of the role that digital platforms play in data-driven cities. Edited by Annelien Smets and Pieter Ballon , the handbook provides a comprehensive overview of platform urbanism as a key lens for understanding how cities are increasingly organized, managed, and experienced through digital infrastructures. 📖 The Handbook of Platform Urbanism examines how digital platforms such as Uber, Airbnb, and Google Maps mediate access to public services, reorganize economic activities, and reshape social interactions in cities. All chapter abstracts are available online and provide a detailed overview of the book’s scope and contributions ➡️ Want to know more? Have a look at the one-pager attached! This also includes a 40% discount code valid for the entire handbook via Edward Elgar Publishing. Smets Handbook Flyer DISC .pdf Download PDF • 449KB To celebrate the publication of the handbook, we invite you to join the online book launch and panel discussion: 📅 Date: 2 March 2026 ⏰ Time: 10:30–12:00 CET Register for the online book launch and submit your questions for the Q&A here : https://sites.google.com/view/platformurbanism/book-launch Previous Next

< Back Our presentations at ECREA 1 Oct 2024 The SRP team presented their work at the ECREA 2024 Conference The 10th edition of the European Communication Research and Education Association Conference (ECREA) took place on 24-27 September 2024 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The VUB’s Communication Sciences department had a large delegation of over 25 researchers at the conference, including several SRP team members. On Wednesday 25 September, Tim Raats presented a paper entitled ‘ Ensuring visibility of European public service media. An analysis of policy, industry and academic views on prominence measures in Belgium ’, as part of the session ‘Public service and the public interest in European Media’, in the Communication, Law and Policy section. The presentation was based on research conducted together with SRP colleagues Adelaida Afilipoaie and Pieter Van der Elst . On Thursday 26 September, Catalina Iordache presented research conducted together with Catherine Johnson (University of Leeds) on ‘ Balancing the scales between public service algorithms and editorial curation , the cases of BBC and VRT. The presentation was part of pre-constituted panel on ‘Comparative approaches to public service media disruption: The transformation of values, norms and prevailing structures in the age of platforms’, hosted by the Public Service Media in the Age of Platforms ( PSM-AP ) project. And on the final day of the conference, Friday 27 September, Noëmie Forest presented the paper ‘What will we be streaming tonight? And why? An analysis of motivations for VOD consumption in Belgium’, co-authored with Isabelle Puskas, Wendy Van den Broeck and Tim Raats. The presentation was part of the session on Audiovisualities and Audiences, in the section Audience and Reception Studies. Tim Raats and Catalina Iordache also presented their ongoing work on assessing discoverability and prominence on VOD services as part of the roundtable ‘ Re-conceptualising the television 'text' for the platform age: textual analysis, texts and interfaces ’, organised in the Television Studies section. As part of the business meetings, Catalina Iordache and Tim Raats have also be re-elected as vice-chairs of their respective sessions Media Industries and Cultural Production and Communication, Law and Policy . Previous Next

< Back Presenting VRT's digital first strategy 20 Jun 2024 Preliminary findings of Pieter's case study: The digital-first strategy of VRT In the span of a month, Pieter Van der Elst got to present his PhD work-in-progress at two different international conferences. First, he participated in the RIPE conference held in Lisbon from 16 til 18 May 2024. The RIPE conference is dedicated to research on Public Service Media (PSM) for innovation and sustainability. In a paper presentation about his case study on Flemish public broadcaster VRT's digital-first audio strategy, he outlined the innovative approaches VRT has adopted to adjust their operations to the platform era media landscape. The RIPE conference brings together established and junior researchers working on the topic of Public Service Media in the digital age. A perfect match with Pieter's work to present the preliminary findings, gather valuable feedback, and have some interesting discussions. Pieter's next stop was the workshop on 'Television Strategies in an On-Demand Driven Media Culture', at the Danish Aarhus University. In the two-day gathering on 13 and 14 June 2024, Pieter presented the VRT case study to academics and industry representatives, in hopes of enriching their work on television with his learnings and take-aways on digital audio. Previous Next

< Back New publication: NORMalize Workshop (@ RecSys23) 15 Sept 2023 Exploring Power Dynamics in Digital Platform Markets: A Pragmatic Approach to Normative Recommender Systems We are excited to share that our research team has contributed a paper to the first workshop on Normative Design and Evaluation of Recommender Systems (NORMalize), co-located with the 17th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems in Singapore. Our paper, titled "Towards a Pragmatic Approach for studying Normative Recommender Systems: exploring Power Dynamics in Digital Platform Markets" examines two key economic dynamics prevalent in digital media markets that challenge the development of normative RSs. The first hurdle focuses on the susceptibility of digital platforms to lock-in and monopolization due to network effects, skewing the power balance towards system providers. The second hurdle delves into the "attention economy" and the engagement-centric logic in RS design. This logic, while successful in boosting engagement, might compete with explicit or long-term user objectives We illustrate the real-world significance of these dynamic with insights from the domains of video-on-demand and news media. Furthermore, by offering policy recommendations we wish to address the normative challenges that arise in RS design. PhD researcher Hanne Vandenbroucke will be presenting this paper during the NORMalize workshop on Tuesday, September 19. Previous Next