Spotify has launched Prompted Playlists, an AI-driven tool for playlist creation, for Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, expanding on a prior test in New Zealand.
This new feature enables users to generate playlists by describing desired content in their own words. An earlier AI playlist product, launched in 2024, supported simpler prompts such as “get focused at work with instrumental electronica” or “get pumped up with fun, upbeat, and positive songs.” Prompted Playlists allows for more detailed, conversational input.
During a press demonstration, Spotify presented a playlist created from a comprehensive prompt: “Find me one artist I haven’t listened to yet, but would probably love, or an artist I’ve only heard one or two songs from, and introduce me to them. Build a playlist of songs that’ll give me an overview of their catalog so it feels like I’m getting to know them. Put the songs you think I’ll like the most in the top five spots.”
J.J. Italiano, Head of Global Music Curation and Discovery at Spotify, stated the tool aims to allow anyone to construct a playlist, regardless of their familiarity with music curation or specific terminology. Italiano observed, “For most people, isn’t a part of their job. You don’t always have the time or the energy to keep building the perfect playlist every time your mood changes, and that’s where prompted playlists will come in.” He added that the feature “gives listeners access to that creative process without needing to know genres, or years, or industry language. You don’t need the right words. You just need your words.” Italiano affirmed, “If you can describe a feeling, you can make a playlist.” His team produces popular Spotify playlists, including Today’s Top Hits, New Music Friday, and Rap Caviar.
The AI driving Prompted Playlists analyzes real-time music trends, charts, culture, and history, alongside the user’s complete listening history since service enrollment. While playlists are personalized by default, users can direct the AI to omit their listening history or introduce them to unfamiliar songs, facilitating discovery beyond established preferences. Prompts are not limited to musical terminology; users can request playlists inspired by weather or TV shows.
The shareable nature of prompts may foster a new category of creators who develop AI prompts for others. Although the prompt remains consistent, each user’s resulting playlist will be individualized based on their tastes and listening history, with options for further modification. Spotify identifies Prompted Playlists as the “next evolution” of its earlier AI playlist feature. The new iteration demonstrates greater responsiveness to real-time music trends and culture, comprehends a user’s entire listening behavior rather than just recent activity, and provides enhanced control. The legacy AI playlist feature will remain operational, coexisting with the new product.
The feature is currently in beta and has usage limits, which are subject to change. It is exclusively available in English. The company has not provided a timeline for global expansion, prioritizing insights from initial market performance to inform future launches.
