Spotify adds a chat feature to help Premium users find audio

In short: Spotify is rolling out a new chat feature that lets Premium subscribers talk with the app to pick music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

What happened

Spotify announced a new AI-powered conversational feature called “Talk to Spotify.” It lets Premium users type or speak to the app and then continue with follow-up questions, like a back-and-forth chat.

The feature is launching as a beta, which means Spotify is still testing it and it may not always work as expected. It is available first in the U.S., Ireland, and Sweden, on iOS and Android, for users age 18 and up. It currently works in English.

Spotify says the chat can help you discover things to play next, based on what you ask for and what you have listened to before. For example, you could ask for “artists I haven’t heard before,” then refine it by saying “make it more upbeat” or “only recent songs.” You can also ask questions about your listening history, like when you first played a track, or ask for details about music like release dates.

Spotify also says you can use the chat to take actions, such as saving songs, adding tracks to your queue, or following an artist. The company told TechCrunch it uses a mix of its own AI and AI from multiple outside providers, depending on the task (like choosing the best tool for each job).

Why it matters

Spotify already recommends audio, but this adds a simpler way to steer those recommendations using plain requests, like talking to a helpful store clerk. For listeners, it could make it easier to find something that fits a moment without scrolling through menus or guessing the right playlist name.

Source: TechCrunch AI