Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.79> Article
Research Article

Artistic Labor and Cultural Value under Platform Algorithm

Shuhan ZhangSteinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, USA* Yihan YanSteinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, USA

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

In the era of digital platforms, algorithms have become key mechanisms shaping cultural production and value. Social media platforms use algorithms to determine the visibility and dissemination of content, reshaping the visibility and economic logic of artistic creation. As the main agents of artistic production, artists are inevitably influenced by the societies they inhabit. While existing studies have largely focused on the relationship between algorithms, media, and users, little attention has been given to how platform algorithms affect artists themselves. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with ten artists active on RedNote, Douyin, and Instagram to explore how platform algorithms influence their modes of labor, income structures, and value recognition. The findings reveal that algorithms provide artists with new visibility but also lead to unstable creative work due to factors such as paid promotion, preferences, and algorithmic rules. Artists are required to engage in more “platform labor,” including content management, data analysis, and audience interaction. This research helps explain how artists redefine their roles across creation, sharing, and negotiation, and demonstrates how they balance efficiency with long-term cultural value within digital spaces.

Keywords: platform algorithm; artistic labor; cultural value recognition
Published: November 5, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.BJ28934
Volume: CHR Vol.79
pp. 158-168
Download PDF

References

  1. RedNote. (2025). Artist Tasks Are Here! | 4 Weeks, 3 Tasks, and Millions of Views to Share. RedNote. (2025). https: //www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/6896149c000000000403f022?app_platform=ios& app_version=8.96& share_from_user_hidden=true& xsec_source=app_share& type=normal& xsec_token=CBEuqXqsRmYqDjHJf5c4-KllxS-bhR2yUF8fO-oqlALGs=& author_share=1& xhsshare=WeixinSession& shareRedId=N0wyOTpGOUo2NzUyOTgwNjY0OThJNUc_& apptime=1755167059& share_id=39ee2c7ae4a5448b8072fe125bbc1cf1& wechatWid=cd235f70625f6279334578d2bd341da7& wechatOrigin=menu
  2. Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform capitalism. John Wiley & Sons.
  3. Fuchs, C. (2014). Digital labour and karl marx. Routledge.
  4. Xu, J. (2024). Opening the 'black box’of algorithms: regulation of algorithms in China. Communication Research and Practice, 10(3), 288-296.
  5. Feng, K. (2025, May). A Study on the Current State of Digital Labor among Small-Scale Influencers on Xiaohongshu: An Analysis Based on the Political Economy of Communication. In Proceedings of the 2024 2nd International Conference on Economic Management, Financial Innovation and Public Service (EMFIPS 2024) (Vol. 327, p. 269). Springer Nature.
  6. Zhao, M. (2023). Fragmented control of platform game work in China. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 34(2), 328-342.
  7. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
  8. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. sage.
  9. Flick, U. (2022). An introduction to qualitative research.
  10. Noy, C. (2008). Sampling knowledge: The hermeneutics of snowball sampling in qualitative research. International Journal of social research methodology, 11(4), 327-344.
  11. Duester, E., & Zhang, R. (2024). Digital and AI transformation in the contemporary art industry in China. Arts & Communication, 3(2), 3822.
  12. Poposki, Z. (2024). Corpus-based critical discourse analysis of NFT art within mainstream art-market discourse and implications for the political economy of digital art. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1-10.
  13. Bourdieu, P. (1993). The field of cultural production: Essays on art and literature. Columbia University Press.
  14. Kallio, H., Pietilä, A. M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semi‐structured interview guide. Journal of advanced nursing, 72(12), 2954-2965.
  15. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023). Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be (com) ing a knowing researcher. International journal of transgender health, 24(1), 1-6.
  16. O'Neill, P. (2016). The Culture of Curating and the Curating of Culture (s). Mit Press.
  17. Scholz, T. (Ed.). (2012). Digital labor: The internet as playground and factory. Routledge.
  18. Bucher, T. (2018). If... then: Algorithmic power and politics. Oxford University Press.