Spotify Unveils AI-Powered Podcasts, Playlists, and Creator Tools at Investor Day
Spotify announced several new features at its investor day on Thursday, including tools for user-generated personal podcasts and an expanded AI-powered playlist creation system. The announcements also covered new creator monetization options and additional features for Premium subscribers.
Personal Podcasts
Users will be able to generate personalized audio podcasts directly within Spotify based on their interests and listening habits. The feature operates similarly to Spotify's existing Promoted Playlists system.
Functionality and Customization:
- Users can input prompts (e.g., "Share my daily city updates, and tell me about local concerts from artists I love") to generate a tailored audio overview.
- Generated podcasts link to relevant episodes, shows, and creators.
- Episodes can be scheduled to recur daily or weekly.
- Users can select a voice and add context through text, PDFs, or links.
- Episodes are private and accessible only via the user's library.
Availability:
- The feature will roll out to eligible Premium users in the United States starting next month.
- Users will receive a set number of monthly credits; additional credits can be purchased.
AI Playlist Creation
Spotify has begun rolling out "Prompted Playlists" to Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. This feature, previously tested in New Zealand, allows users to generate playlists by describing their desired music in conversational language.
Key Details:
- The new tool expands upon an earlier AI playlist product launched in 2024, which supported simpler commands.
- Users can make detailed requests, such as specifying artists they want to discover and how songs should be organized.
- The underlying AI analyzes music trends, charts, culture, and history in real-time, and incorporates the user's listening history.
- Users can request that the AI not use their listening history as a reference.
- Users can direct the AI to introduce them to songs they have not previously heard.
- Prompts are not restricted to musical terminology and can be inspired by themes such as weather or TV shows.
Shareability and Coexistence:
- Generated prompts are shareable, allowing other users to try the same prompt, though each resulting playlist will be personalized to the individual user's tastes.
- Users can further modify generated playlists.
- The older AI playlist feature will continue to operate alongside the new one.
Availability:
- The feature is in beta, includes usage limits, and is currently only available in English.
- Spotify has not provided a timeline for a global rollout.
Additional Announcements
Spotify also announced several other features and tools:
- AI Q&A: A feature allowing users to ask questions about podcasts they are listening to and receive answers.
- Creator Sponsorships: A method for podcast creators to earn recurring revenue from engaged fans on Spotify.
- Desktop App: Studio by Spotify Labs, a standalone desktop application for creating podcast audio, with integration to calendar, inbox, and notes.
- Concert Tickets: Spotify Premium users will be able to reserve two concert tickets before they go on sale.
- AI Covers and Remixes: Premium subscribers can make AI-generated covers and remixes of songs.
Executive Statement
"We’re entering the era of Generation, where the experience isn’t just selected from a catalog. It’s shaped by each of our users... Today, there is no media player for both public and private content – or put differently – there is no media player for the generative era. We believe Spotify will become that."
— Gustav Söderström, co-CEO of Spotify
J.J. Italiano, head of Global Music Curation and Discovery at Spotify, stated that the Prompted Playlists feature aims to make playlist creation accessible to all users, regardless of their music curation knowledge or vocabulary. He noted that users do not need to use specific genres, years, or industry terms, as any descriptive language is sufficient.