The AI DJ on Spotify Now Accepts Requests

Spotify is improving its AI DJ feature to enable users to request songs or alter the mood of a playlist with voice commands, in an effort to make the experience more engaging.

Spotify’s AI DJ means of accepting requests, this means that the feature is allowing users to have more control over which songs are played. Premium members will be able to request that it play a mood-appropriate song starting on Tuesday. As of right now, Spotify Premium users can customize the music that the DJ plays using English voice commands rather than depending on the constantly shifting playlist that is created based on their listening preferences in more than 60 regions. Requests are only available in English at launch, despite the company adding a Spanish-speaking edition last year.

Users were previously limited to listening to the AI DJ play music with extra comments interspersed with specific tracks. The feature is now evolving into an interactive one.

Users can instruct the AI DJ to play music from particular artists or to alter the mood or genre.

When utilizing the AI DJ feature, users can access these new features by holding down the “DJ” button in the lower right corner and listening for a beep. When asked vocally for a particular artist, genre, mood, or item that fits an activity, the AI DJ will react. The DJ bot can then be instructed vocally by users. “DJ, morning motivation needed ASAP,” “play me some electronic beats for a midday run,” “surprise me with some indie tracks I’ve never heard before,” and “Play me something with a Y2K vibe” etc. These are some of the phrases that Spotify recommends. This depends on your mood and how you’re feeling. You can also inform your synthetic disc jockey of your ravenous want for deep cuts by A Flock of Seagulls as soon as you hear a beep.

Before the modification, consumers had no influence over what would play next; this button would just randomly change the tune they were listening to. According to Spotify, users may now instruct it to play particular musicians, genres, and moods. Additionally, it incorporates some of the more quirky vibe-based song suggestions from Spotify’s AI Playlist creation function, which was introduced in beta last year and generates a playlist in response to text inputs. The AI DJ can be asked to “play me some music to soundtrack my life as a movie,” for instance.

However, if you’re using the function in a setting where you can’t be chatty, it can be a little difficult because this new voice command update is now the only way for users to have any control over what tunes the AI DJ will play.

In February 2023, Spotify’s AI DJ was introduced with the goal of finding a middle ground between traditional radio and today’s highly customized streaming algorithms feature for the first time in the US and Canada. In August 2023, the company expanded its global reach. The music streaming service introduced support for an AI DJ who speaks Spanish last year. According to the company, none of its dialogue has been pre-recorded. All of it is created instantly using OpenAI.

Whether you like the DJ or not, it may be amusing when it accidentally makes fun of names and succumbs to the inevitable awkwardness of AI. I tried it with a traditional blues mix, and it continued to pronounce Howlin’ Wolf as “Hole-in’ Wolf.” A 2024 Reddit thread with some gems is “Blink One Hundred Eighty-Two” and “Here are some of your typical Sunday morning vibes, starting off with Shitfucker.”

Using text instructions, customers may make playlists with the company’s other major AI function.

This new feature gives users more control over their listening sessions, continuing Spotify’s commitment to providing a more personalized experience for its consumers. Listeners can now influence their musical choices by merely asking the DJ for what they want to hear.