While Apple attempts to get its ducks in a row, so to speak, and inject some additional AI features into iOS 18 and beyond, Spotify has stolen a march on its rival with a new AI playlist feature.
"We just launched a new beta test - AI playlists," Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek said on X (formerly Twitter).
"It’s a feature that uses AI chat prompts to help you curate personalized playlists. It’s still a work in progress but I’m excited for you to give it a try."
As shown in the accompanying gif, users can ask Spotify via a chatbot-style prompter for a custom playlist. The example given in Ek's post is "Give me a playlist that will make me feel like a main character".
The update is rolling out for Premium subscribers in the UK and Australia for now, although at the time of writing, I'm not able to see the option on my phone.
We just launched a new beta test - AI playlists. It’s a feature that uses AI chat prompts to help you curate personalized playlists. It’s still a work in progress but I’m excited for you to give it a try. We’re starting with Premium users in the UK and AU, so let me know what you… pic.twitter.com/bJBei7nxNcApril 8, 2024
Apple Music and AI
Apple Music's recommendations do a decent job of curating tracks for your library, but it's one of the areas where Apple's foray into AI is expected to be leveraged for increased personalization.
Spotify has already been doing something similar with its AI DJ. It's not a chatbot, but offers a synthesized voice to recommend an array of tracks based on what you've been enjoying recently or further back.
It's the chatbot-style interactions that help this new format stand out, and given Apple is reportedly working hard on its own large language model, seems like it could be a battleground where the next generation of music curation is fought.
As for Spotify, users may see a price hike in the coming days if reports are correct. The streaming service has been pushing to make podcasts and audiobooks profitable in the long term.
