Spotify is launching its AI feature called “DJ” for premium customers in the U.K. and Ireland. The feature is aimed at music discovery and it plays curated music with AI-powered commentary in English. In many ways, using the AI DJ feels like listening to a radio DJ.
The company first launched this feature back in February for premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. The feature is powered by OpenAI’s tech and is still in beta, so there might be some glitches.
After the feature launch, the company noticed that Gen Z and millennials enjoyed the new DJ feature, as they made up 87% of DJ users. Plus, the company found that people who use the AI DJ on a particular day will spend 25% of their listening time with the feature.
Spotify said the DJ’s voice is modeled after the company’s head of cultural partnerships Xavier “X” Jernigan. For instance, it noted that users tuning into the feature will hear about Arlo Parks releasing her newest album, “My Soft Machine,” by the end of the month. Eventually, Spotify could use this feature as a new revenue stream to promote new releases on the platform.
During the feature’s launch at Spotify’s Stream On event, the company said that the AI DJ is powered by its Sonantic acquisition in 2022 in addition to OpenAI technology.
The DJ plays tracks automatically, but users can tap on the AI DJ button to switch moods or genres. Just like any AI-aided tech, the feature learns more about your choices as you listen more.
The AI DJ feature is available on both iOS and Android. You can access it through the Music Feed by tapping on the DJ card.
