Preprogrammed: How Electronic Presets Changed Music and Media

A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more.

How much of your life is preprogrammed? Presets, or default settings on technology, can be found everywhere, from predictive text and Instagram filters to microwave popcorn buttons and morning alarms. But while presets facilitate the completion of tasks and the production of art, they also reinforce—or sometimes challenge—eco...