Spotify has announced the expansion of its Prompted Playlist feature to users in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, and Australia, a move that follows its initial rollout in New Zealand two months ago. This expansion comes as the music streaming service aims to enhance user engagement in a competitive landscape increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.
The Prompted Playlist feature allows users to create personalized playlists through text prompts, enabling them to specify genres and desired moods. This initiative is part of Spotify’s broader strategy to make music recommendations more tailored and appealing. Notably, the tool can suggest playlists based on users’ listening histories, including their first songs on the platform and tracks that are less frequently streamed by the individual user.
In a bid to attract hesitant users, Spotify has actively engaged with its community. Molly Holder, Spotify’s Vice President of Personalization, participated in a recent Q&A session on the platform r/truespotify. During this session, she discussed the Prompted Playlist feature, although it quickly became a forum for users to express concerns about the increasing presence of AI-generated music recommendations.
Users have raised significant issues regarding the integration of artificial intelligence in music curation. A long-time Spotify user expressed frustration about the prevalence of AI-generated content in their playlists, stating, “If I don’t want to listen to an artist, I have the option to ask Spotify to opt them out of playlists or suggestions.” This sentiment was echoed by others who requested clearer labeling of AI-generated songs and the ability to block them entirely from their feeds.
The feedback reflects a growing demand for more user control over music recommendations. One comment highlighted the dissatisfaction with AI artists infiltrating personal playlists, stating, “Having to repeatedly block AI artists/songs in my lists is making me use Spotify less than I did before, and less than I want to.”
Spotify’s rapid rollout of the Prompted Playlist feature could be viewed as an effort to address these user concerns, but it also highlights the challenges of balancing innovation with user preferences. As competition in the music streaming sector intensifies, Spotify’s ability to incorporate user feedback and enhance AI user controls might prove crucial for maintaining its subscriber base.
In the coming weeks, it will be important to monitor how Spotify responds to user feedback and if it implements changes that address the concerns regarding AI-generated content. The success of features like Prompted Playlist may ultimately depend on the platform’s willingness to adapt to the evolving expectations of its users.
