Spotify is about to change how you listen to music. The company announced it will be launching an OpenAI-powered DJ feature that will get to know its users so well that an AI DJ will choose what to play for you. And yes, there will be a fake DJ hosting it.
Spotify has utilized its personalization technology a lot over the last few years, curating personalized playlists like Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes, Your Time Capsule, Blend and others. These playlists are all designed to cater to the user’s unique preferences.
The new DJ feature is a combination of Spotify’s existing personalization technology, an AI voice from its 2022 Sonantic acquisition and Generative AI through the use of OpenAI technology. In other words, Spotify’s music editors, experts, scriptwriters and data curators have access to OpenAI’s Generative AI tech to scale their insights about music, artists and genres.
The AI will present a personalized stream of songs that will include both newer tracks and old favorites. As users engage with the new DJ feature, they will also hear commentary directly followed by the song it’s referring to.
The DJ’s voice is based on Spotify’s Head of Cultural Partnerships Xavier “X” Jernigan, who hosted Spotify’s morning show podcast, “The Get Up.” The company said his voice is the “first model” for the DJ feature, suggesting that Spotify plans to expand the range of voices in the future. To access the DJ, users will head to the Music Feed on the Home page of Spotify’s iOS or Android app and then tap Play on the DJ card to begin.
Spotify’s new AI-powered DJ feature could be a game-changer for streaming platforms. Spotify’s personalized technology has been replicated by competitors, so we’re sure it’s only a matter of time before Apple and Amazon Music roll out their own AI DJs.
The DJ is still in beta testing and is only available in English for Spotify Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. But if the feature lives up to its promise, it could be the start of a new era for music lovers who are tired of fumbling around with Spotify’s interface to find a playlist they like.
