Music streaming giant, Spotify, has unveiled its latest feature, the AI DJ, which is set to provide a more personalized music listening experience for its users. The AI DJ, powered by OpenAI technology and the voice from its 2022 acquisition of Sonantic, acts like a radio DJ, providing a curated selection of music with AI-powered commentary on tracks and artists. The feature has the potential to transform Spotify into a passive and lean-back experience for users who prefer not to decide what to listen to or explore the platform’s interface to find a playlist they like.
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Personalization Technology
Spotify has long been a leader in the music streaming market, leveraging personalization technology to enhance its user experience. Its flagship playlist, Discover Weekly, was launched in 2015, followed by several other playlists aimed at catering to users’ unique preferences, such as Release Radar, Daily Mixes, Your Time Capsule, Blend, and those designed for specific activities like commuting or working out, among others. Spotify’s personalized annual review, Spotify Wrapped, has also become a trendsetter, copied by its rivals.
OpenAI Technology and AI Commentary
Spotify’s AI DJ feature is a combination of its existing personalization technology, the voice from Sonantic, and OpenAI technology. The company used OpenAI’s generative AI tech to scale its music editors, experts, scriptwriters, and data curators’ insights about music, artists, and genres, creating culturally relevant and accurate pieces of commentary at scale. The new feature presents listeners with a personalized stream of songs that includes both newer tracks and old favorites, with the AI providing commentary such as “This week, Chicago rapper Polo G teams up with Atlanta’s Future for his first release of the year.”
Continuous Refresh and Accuracy Improvement
The stream continually refreshes, with the AI DJ voice transitioning between songs, providing insightful facts about the music, artists, or genres they are listening to, when the user last listened to it, and more. The feature’s accuracy improves the more it is used, similar to how song skips or liking a track informs an algorithm of a user’s interests. If the AI DJ misses the mark, users can tap the DJ button again to shift to a different genre, artist, or mood.
Beta Testing and Availability
Spotify’s AI DJ feature is currently in beta testing and is available to English-speaking Spotify Premium subscribers in the US and Canada. The company aims to develop its users’ personalized experience through the DJ feature, which will choose what to play for them when they hit the button. Spotify explains that its AI DJ is like an “AI DJ in your pocket,” providing a never-ending radio station-style stream of music based on a user’s listening history and habits.
Conclusion
Spotify’s AI DJ feature represents a significant shift towards leveraging AI advances to improve personalization experiences. The feature combines OpenAI technology, personalization technology, and the company’s music experts’ innate knowledge, providing users with a more insightful and culturally relevant commentary on the music, artists, or genres they are listening to. The AI DJ is available in beta testing and can be accessed via the “DJ card” on the Spotify mobile app.
FAQs
What is Spotify DJ?
Spotify DJ is an AI-powered feature that curates a personalized stream of music with spoken commentary on tracks and artists.
What is the goal of Spotify DJ?
The goal of Spotify DJ is to provide users with a passive and lean-back music listening experience that is personalized to their unique preferences.
How does Spotify DJ work?
Spotify DJ uses a combination of OpenAI technology, personalization technology, and the expertise of music editors, scriptwriters, and data curators to create a stream of music that continually refreshes with AI-powered commentary. Users can shift the genre, artist, or mood by tapping the DJ button again.
