Spotify is testing personalized AI playlists you can make with text prompts

Spotify Premium on an Android phone.
(Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Spotify has introduced AI Playlist, which is currently in beta, allowing users to build playlists by typing a few words.
  • Users can use pre-made prompts provided by Spotify or create their own unique prompts to generate playlists.
  • The feature is initially accessible in the UK and Australia on Android and iOS devices, with plans for expansion to other countries.

Spotify is joining the AI trend like many other companies, introducing AI Playlist, which helps you make playlists with just a few text prompts to capture the vibe you're after.

The new Spotify feature, currently in beta, allows you to build a playlist by typing a few words, similar to how you'd interact with a large language model like ChatGPT or Gemini. It's still in the testing phase, so expect some rough patches along the way, as per Spotify's announcement.

Spotify gives you some fun ideas to get started with AI Playlist, like "an indie folk playlist to give my brain a big warm hug" and "relaxing music to tide me over during allergy season." But feel free to get creative and come up with your own unique prompts.

Spotify has safeguards in place to prevent offensive prompts, although the specific details of these measures are not yet clear.

Once you enter a text prompt, Spotify's advanced AI model will search through its vast music library to curate the ideal tracks for you. This feature is exclusively for Premium users and initially accessible in the UK and Australia on both Android and iOS devices. However, it's expected to roll out to more countries in the next few months.

To get started, tap the "+" button located in the top-right corner of your library. From there, select "AI Playlist" and pick from existing prompts or make your own. Spotify will whip up the playlist, and you can take a peek or remove tracks. When you're satisfied, hit "Create," and your playlist will be saved to your library.

Spotify AI playlist

(Image credit: Spotify)

This builds upon Spotify's beloved AI-powered DJ feature, which curates music just for you. This new feature is like that DJ voice that chats between songs, but instead of a pre-made playlist, you tell it what kind of music you want with a quick message.

The music streaming service mentions that the AI playlist can handle prompts related to animals, movie characters, colors, places, activities, and emojis. The platform suggests blending different elements in your prompt to craft the perfect playlist for your mood. If the playlist doesn't hit the mark, you can fine-tune it by adding more prompts.

Building playlists can swing from a fun time to a tedious task, depending on why you're doing it. Sometimes, you might even miss out on the perfect songs simply because you haven't heard them yet. But with Spotify's AI Playlist, your choices just got a whole lot wider.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.