Spotify announced on Wednesday that, for the first time, it’s giving users more control over the streaming service’s algorithm. That’s at least how the company is framing the launch of its new “Promoted Playlists,” a feature that will initially be available to Premium subscribers in New Zealand.
The feature, which is currently available in English only, is still in beta and will evolve before rolling out to other markets, according to Spotify.
The new tool allows users to describe what they want to hear in a personalized playlist that reflects the “full arc” of their tastes, according to the company. That means the playlist focuses not only on the songs you like now, but your entire Spotify listening history from day one — something that differentiates the feature from other playlists, the company says.
The feature is an evolution from Spotify’s existing AI playlist option, which debuted last year, and also works through written prompts. As with AI playlists, the new Prompted Playlists allow users to request what they want to hear with written instructions. However, they can now write much longer prompts with more specific instructions. That’s because the new AI feature factors in world knowledge, a rep from Spotify explained to TechCrunch.
In addition, the ability to go further back in your listening history and schedule how often the playlist refreshes makes it different from Spotify’s other AI playlist offerings.
For instance, Spotify suggests subscribers can use the new feature to ask for something like, “music from my top artists from the last five years,” then amend the prompt to include a request for “deep cuts I haven’t heard yet.”
In another example of a longer prompt, Spotify said you could ask for “high-energy pop and hip-hop for a 30-minute 5K run that keeps a steady pace before easing into relaxing songs for a cool-down” or “music from this year’s biggest films and most-talked-about TV shows that match my taste.”
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In addition, you can continue to fine-tune the prompt to make it even more specific, and can set how often you want it to refresh, like daily or weekly. The idea is that users can essentially make their own version of something like Spotify’s flagship playlist, Discover Weekly, but one that’s focused on a type of music, genre, or time period they’d like to track, or their own version of something like Spotify’s genre-focused Daily Mixes.
The company says the playlist will include descriptions and context so you know why you’re getting the recommendation. Plus, it will offer a set of prompts to help users get started.
Spotify isn’t the only social app pitching how it’s letting users take control of its algorithm. Instagram today also introduced a new feature that lets users control what type of reels they see. Bluesky, a decentralized X competitor, also lets users swap out its algorithm for one of their own.
