Patrick Vonderau

Prof. Dr. Patrick Vonderau is a Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (2018–present) and previously held the same role at Stockholm University (2009–2018). His research focuses on media industries, digital distribution systems, cultural history, and the intersection of advertising with screen cultures. He has authored/co-authored seminal works like Spotify Teardown (MIT Press, 2019) and Advertising and the Transformation of Screen Cultures (Amsterdam University Press, 2021).

• Education: PhD from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2005); studied at University of Copenhagen, Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Research Themes include media industries (e.g., Spotify’s algorithmic governance, sponsored films by oil companies), digital compensation models (e.g., music streaming equity studies funded by BKM), and historical media-advertising symbiosis (e.g., early 20th-century industrial films). His work spans algorithmic transparency, platform regulation, and media production cultures.

Awards & Editorial Roles: Advisory Editor of the Springer Series in Media Industries; co-founder of NECS (European Network for Cinema and Media Studies); editorial board member of Montage AV, Media Industries Journal, and Television & New Media.

Projects & Leadership: Co-led Shadow Economies of the Internet (Swedish Research Council, 2018–2022); heads the Circuit Lab at Halle-Wittenberg; organized conferences like Connected Viewing (2011) and Urban Mediations (2010).