Music streaming giant Spotify has expanded its AI push with the launch of a new conversational feature for Premium subscribers. The feature, which is initially available in the US, Ireland, and Sweden, allows users to interact with the app to discover music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
According to Spotify, the feature uses a mix of its own AI technology and models from multiple providers to power the conversational experience. This means that users can ask the app questions, such as what inspired a particular song or what other artists they might like, and receive relevant responses.
The new feature extends the ability to chat with Spotify beyond the AI DJ experience, allowing users to talk to the app across its Home and Now Playing views on mobile devices. Users can either type or speak to the app and have back-and-forth conversations to help them choose what to play next.
Spotify has suggested a few ways that users can take advantage of the new feature, including asking the app to 'play some artists I haven't heard before' and then shaping the selection with follow-up requests. Users can also ask Spotify to save songs, add songs to their queue, or follow an artist via the new feature.
The feature is currently available on mobile devices, with a beta release indicating that things may not always work perfectly. However, user feedback will help to improve the product over time.
Spotify's move into AI-powered conversational features is the latest example of the company's efforts to infuse AI technology into its listening experience. The company has also offered tools like an AI DJ, which speaks in an AI voice that users can engage with directly, as well as AI features for building playlists with prompts and connecting Spotify with third-party AI chatbots, like ChatGPT.