Spotify is testing an ai-powered feature that creates playlists from text messages. TikTok user @robdad_ aware a short clip with the caption: “Did I just happen to discover Spotify's ChatGPT?” For your chosen guinea pigs, the feature is available as an option in Your Library after tapping the plus sign to create a new playlist. the news was ai-playlists-feature/”>reported by TechCrunch, which says it has received confirmation from Spotify that it is testing ai playlists. It is not yet clear if the music streamer plans to release it publicly.
“Turn your ideas into playlists using Al,” reads the in-app description of the feature in the TikTok video (although it notes that it's only available in English). Above a chatbot field for custom input, it also suggests directions. These include: “Focus on work with instrumental electronic music,” “Fill the silence with coffee music in the background,” “Cheer yourself up with fun, rhythmic, positive songs,” and “Explore a niche genre like Witch House.”
@robdad_ chose the latter option. “Here's your Witch House Exploration playlist,” the robot responded. “Swipe left to remove songs you don't want while you continue refining your playlist.” Due to the video editing, it's impossible to tell from the TikTok clip how long it took Spotify's ai to generate the tracks.
The resulting playlist (with a lot of Grimes) included “Bloom for Me” by Pearly Drops, “Goth” by Sidewalks and Skeletons, “Pin” by Grimes, “After Dark” by Mr.Kitty, “Suffocation” by Crystal Castles, “Cold Touch” by Kito and GrimesAI and “chain” by Aziya and “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Sevdaliza and Grimes. I'll let the experts at Witch House determine if the ai did a good job.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Spotify remained mum on whether the general public can expect to see ai playlists. “We routinely perform a series of tests,” a Spotify spokesperson wrote. “Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader experience and others serve only as important learning. We have nothing more to share at this time.”
If Spotify does eventually release the feature, perhaps it could include it as an incentive to entice users to pay for a more expensive subscription tier. The company's premium hi-fi feature, announced almost three years ago, has yet to materialize after rival Apple Music added lossless audio without charging more. Expanded access to audiobooks could be another benefit to include in a more expensive plan.
Earlier this year, Spotify launched an ai DJ feature (powered by OpenAI technology) that gives you recommendations. It does this using an ai voice trained on the company's director of cultural partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan.
Like much of the tech industry, the music streamer seems eager to incorporate artificial intelligence into its products. In addition to the ai DJ, Spotify CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek ai-powered-capabilities-surrounding-personalization-and-ads/”>saying in a July earnings call that the company could use ai to “contextualize and personalize content.” The ringer founder Bill Simmons noted in May (first reported by Traffic lights) that Spotify was developing “a way to use my voice for ads.” The sports analysis podcaster added: “Obviously you have to give your approval to the voice, but it opens up, from an advertising point of view, all these great different possibilities.”
Earlier this month, Spotify carried out its third round of layoffs in 2023. It's just the latest chapter in what turned out to be a devastating year of job cuts in the tech industry.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-is-testing-ai-generated-playlists-181800569.html?src=rss
