Spotify Rolls Out Conversational ChatGPT-Like Conversational AI Assistant for Music Discovery

Spotify on Tuesday announced a new conversational AI experience that offers the ability to interact using natural language. According to the Swedish music streaming platform, users will have access to a ChatGPT-like interface, using which they can ask Spotify to play music, refine playlists, learn more about songs and artists, revisit their listening history, and explore podcasts and audiobooks through a ChatGPT-like interface. The feature is currently rolling out in beta for eligible Spotify Premium subscribers.

Spotify's New AI-Powered Features Are Limited to Premium Subscribers 

The new conversational AI assistant is aimed at making discovering and controlling content more intuitive, Spotify said in a blog post. Premium subscribers will see new AI entry points within the Home screen and the Now Playing interface. Using them, they can have back-and-forth conversations with the streaming service without leaving the app.

Spotify said that the new feature can be accessed either through voice by tapping a microphone button or by typing prompts directly into the app. It is optional, and users can choose to continue interacting with the app in its traditional manner if they prefer.

One of the primary uses is to generate music recommendations using natural language prompts. As per the company, users can request artists they have never listened to before or ask the app to make a playlist that is more upbeat. Citing an example, Spotify said that users can ask Spotify to add songs from a specific artist, narrow recommendations to recent releases, or automatically save tracks, add them to the playback queue, or follow an artist. It also allows them to register follow-up prompts to further refine the generated content.

The music streaming platform's AI assistant is also claimed to be capable of responding to contextual questions about the music they are listening to, including an artist's inspiration, album release dates, genres, or other background information. Based on these conversations, the AI will also recommend related artists and similar music.

For podcasts and audiobooks, Spotify allows users to ask questions about authors, guests, books, or topics being discussed. It is claimed to be capable of identifying other books written by an author or recommending podcasts featuring a particular guest. The company said its AI assistant leverages users' listening history to deliver personalised insights and answer questions. For example, subscribers can ask questions such as when they first listened to a particular song, which genres they have explored recently, or how their listening habits have evolved.

Spotify said that the new AI assistant is in the beta phase and is currently rolling out to Premium subscribers aged 18 and above in Ireland, Sweden, and the US. It supports English and is available on both Android and iOS devices.