Spotify has added a robot DJ to its app, which includes a computerized song-spinner with a “stunningly realistic” voice that creates custom playlists based on how you listen to music.
Starting this Wednesday, English-speaking Spotify Premium users in the United States and Canada will have access to the beta version of DJ.
There are already a lot of custom listening options on Spotify, such as the Daily Mix and Discovery Weekly playlists. DJ is different because it uses technology from OpenAI and combines it with the personalization features of Spotify and generative AI, the company that made the ChatGPT chatbot. According to Spotify, its music editors have access to AI technology “to provide you with insightful facts about the music, artists, or genres you’re listening to.”
In addition, the Spotify DJ, like a real one, offers running commentary on the songs and artists it is currently playing. The feature makes use of Spotify’s artificial intelligence text-to-speech engine, which it acquired from Sonantic in the previous year. Xavier “X” Jernigan is now the head of cultural partnerships at Spotify. He was one of the hosts of “The GetUp,” the company’s first personalized morning show, and his voice was used to model the DJ’s voice in the first release. We’ll “continue to iterate and innovate, as we do with all our products,” Spotify said, referring to the DJ’s development from Jernigan’s voice as the first model.
The Spotify DJ will scan new releases it thinks you’ll like based on your music profile or bring back songs you’ve had on repeat in the past based on your history with Spotify. The feature also regularly updates the selection in response to your comments. If you don’t like what the DJ is playing, you can change the playlist by clicking the “DJ” button.
This new feature is “a generative, expressive, and realistic AI DJ that delivers a personalized lineup of music and commentary to each user,” as Spotify’s chief R&D officer Gustav Söderström put it in a tweet.
Finding the DJ on Spotify:
- Go to Home in the Spotify mobile app on your iOS or Android device and click on “Music Feed.”
- Tap the Play button on the DJ card.
- All done! The DJ will stream a list of personalized songs with short comments about the songs and the artists who made them.
- Hit the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen to change the genre, artist, or mood.
