Fast Facts
- Building off of 'Smart Shuffle' and an AI DJ, Spotify is now experimenting with an AI that creates playlists based on prompts.
- With the feature, you can enter a prompt and the AI gets to work on curating songs, but you also can further refine it.
Spotify (SPOT) is not a brand that shies away from testing new features and pushing how users can discover music. The music streaming service is known for offering a broad range of curation, including an AI DJ that constantly mixes things within the genres you like.
But now in a new experimental feature, Spotify is rolling out the AI Playlist — essentially solving the problem of creating a playlist. Sure, some of us are blessed with the curation skills, but for others — even at times, myself included — it can be hard to pick the best tracks to highlight.
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Now, you can enter a prompt, and voila, a playlist fitting that written text will be created. It’s currently available as a beta feature for folks in the United Kingdom and Australia who use the Android or iOS Spotify app. Additionally, you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber, and the company plans to roll it out to other users in the coming months.
Even neater, Spotify’s AI will mix your request with the type of music and genres it already knows you like. As Spotify shows off in a teaser, you can ask it to give you a playlist that puts you in the center of attention as a main character, but you can refine it further with another prompt. Maybe you want only sad, happier, or more folky songs that tell a story.
The options are seemingly endless, and you might wind up with a new go-to playlist or even discover your next favorite track, artist, or a whole new genre. Who knew Yacht Rock was your next big thing? Spotify's AI Playlist might offer a revelation like that.
Spotify
Spotify notes that the AI focuses on music-related queries, not current events or even specific brands. It also protects against and has safeguards around offensive prompts. You can, however, mix letters and numbers with emojis.
If you’re in the UK or Australia with a Premium account, head over to the Spotify Android or iOS app to try it out. First, navigate to your library, click the + button at the top right, and then select AI Playlist. You can then enter a prompt, see a few starting tracks, and adjust the playlist with another prompt. After you hit create, it will be added to your library, much like a standard playlist.
Considering this is in beta and in two areas, I’m eager to see the user response. I’m sure we’ll see some shared on social media like TikTok in the coming days and weeks. Fingers crossed, we’ll see it arrive in the United States, so I can see how it mixes Bruce Springsteen and Olivia Rodrigo.
This latest experiment from Spotify comes after a rumor that a price hike will be introduced and an expansion to e-learning courses will be made available as a beta feature.
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