Spotify is developing a more conversational AI interface for its music streaming service, building on its existing voice interaction capabilities and generative AI advances, according to comments made during the company’s second-quarter earnings call with investors on Tuesday.
During the investor call, Spotify Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström highlighted how consumers can already talk to Spotify in plain English to request music. This functionality allows the company to associate specific phrases with particular songs, creating what Söderström described as a “new dataset” that complements Spotify’s existing playlist information. “Spotify’s got this unique dataset from all of its playlists, which was really song-to-song—like which song goes well with another song, kind of the Amazon ‘people who bought this also bought that,'” he explained. “And that’s completely new to us, and it’s a very, very valuable dataset that we are collecting very quickly.”
This advancement in generative AI technology could enable Spotify to move beyond simple predictions to more complex “reasoning” over a user’s listening history and voice commands. Söderström emphasized that consumers can expect Spotify’s experiences to become “much more interactive” in the future, noting that “You can already write to Spotify, talk to Spotify. You’re just going to see that expand.” The reference to reasoning suggests Spotify is exploring AI models that can perform more complex tasks across multiple steps.
The voice data collection stems from Spotify’s AI DJ feature, which was enhanced in May 2025 to allow Premium subscribers to make voice requests by pressing a button in the app. This functionality enables users to change music, genre, or playlist mood using natural voice commands, providing a more interactive experience with the streaming service.
Beyond consumer-facing features, Spotify is also leveraging generative AI internally for rapid product prototyping and creating efficiencies in various business areas, including finance and operations. This internal use of AI helps accelerate development and improve operational efficiency across the organization.
Despite these technological advancements, Spotify faced financial challenges in the quarter. The company reported reaching 276 million paying subscribers, up 12% year-over-year, and 696 million monthly active users. However, Spotify swung to a loss after missing revenue targets, causing the stock to fall 10% following weak guidance and CEO Daniel Ek’s expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s advertising business performance.
