Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?
The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today.
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![Farley outside his home in Danvers, Mass. In 2023, Farley’s music earned him just shy of $200,000.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2024/03/31/magazine/31mag-spotify-02/31mag-spotify-02-thumbLarge.jpg?auto=webp)
![Farley outside his home in Danvers, Mass. In 2023, Farley’s music earned him just shy of $200,000.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2024/03/31/magazine/31mag-spotify-02/31mag-spotify-02-threeByTwoMediumAt2X.jpg?auto=webp)
The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today.
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