We all know it: the way people consume music today has changed completely. And streaming—with its pros and cons—has become the model for everyone to follow. A year after Spotify finally turned a profit and broke its user record, it’s worth taking a critical look at the phenomenon and asking questions that go beyond the algorithm: Is all that glitters really gold? Can an artist’s success truly be measured by followers? Is streaming suffocating other ways of listening to music? Do we choose what we hear—or is someone choosing for us?