Spotify Introduces AI-Powered Prompted Playlists for Premium Users in U.S. and Canada
Spotify has unveiled its new Prompted Playlists feature, exclusively available to Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. This AI-driven tool allows users to create personalized playlists simply by describing their music preferences in natural language. Originally tested in New Zealand, this innovative feature enhances user experience by enabling more detailed and conversational prompts.
Building on a previous AI playlist initiative launched in 2024, the new feature offers a significant advancement. Users can now express their musical desires through intricate prompts, such as, “Find me one artist I haven’t listened to yet, but would probably love, or an artist I’ve only heard one or two songs from, and introduce me to them. Build a playlist that gives me an overview of their catalog, with the tracks I’ll enjoy the most at the forefront.”
According to J.J. Italiano, Head of Global Music Curation and Discovery at Spotify, the goal is to democratize playlist creation. “This feature allows everyone to craft a playlist without needing extensive music knowledge or terminology,” he explained. “If you can articulate a feeling, you can generate a playlist.”
The AI technology employed analyzes current music trends, cultural movements, and users’ complete listening history since joining Spotify. While each playlist is tailored to individual preferences, users can opt to receive fresh recommendations and even instruct the AI to disregard their listening history, fostering exploration.
Additionally, the prompts are versatile, empowering users to create playlists inspired by non-musical themes, such as weather conditions or favorite television shows. Furthermore, the shareable nature of the prompts could encourage a new wave of creativity, as users may develop prompts that resonate with others, leading to unique playlists.
Spotify describes Prompted Playlists as the “next evolution” in personalized music curation, boasting greater responsiveness to real-time trends and deeper understanding of user listening behavior. Despite the introduction of this new feature, the previous AI playlist option will remain accessible, potentially leading to some confusion given their similarities.
Currently in beta, Prompted Playlists have usage limits, and they are available exclusively in English. Spotify has yet to announce when this feature will roll out to global subscribers, indicating that feedback from these initial markets will shape future developments.
