Spotify's AI DJ- Expectations

Since Chat GPT’s launch, you can barely walk to the bathroom without hearing about some groundbreaking advancement in AI. Generative AI’s market presence has drastically changed the public’s perception of AI and machine learning. Spotify’s AI DJ, X, is a result of this developing market. I will go into detail on its current state and potential development.

Using Spotify’s AI DJ

“Your DJ picks each song for you in the moment, so you never know what’s coming next.”

Spotify’s DJ works with a simple press of a button. After pressing, music will play based on your listening history. The songs that play will fit a particular mood, whether it be a genre you like, a group of songs you play a lot, or songs you haven’t heard before. The DJ will explain why it picked the songs before it starts playing and while playing you can press the DJ button to get a new selection of music. It has become my favorite way to listen to music and I haven’t found a comparable service offered by any other music streaming service.

Current Limitations

From what I have read online, the rollout of the DJ is ongoing. It is reasonable to assume Spotify has improvements planned since this feature is still in its infancy. Right now, communication with the DJ is limited to a single button. You can’t tell the DJ to play a specific genre, if the picks are okay or great, or see what sets it plans to play.

Improving Communication

I see DJ communication being improved by extending the functionality of the DJ button by revealing options with a long press like on Pinterest. Being able to extend a set's duration, play a specific genre, or tell the DJ their picks have been good could be done through this menu. I don’t see voice or text commands being used because of Spotify’s minimalist/convenient UI.

Pinterest’s options menu after a long press.

The DJ looks at a listener’s play history, but play history is determined by so many factors. Maybe a listener was binging an artist a week before they saw them live. The AI could ask about habits and develop smarter ways to pick music. For example, the DJ could notice a listener is listening to a lot of songs about loving relationships, and a week later they’re about breakups. The DJ could make a query about this change and then start recommending music tailored to get that listener through their mini-crisis. Other ideas for more personal recommendations could be picking music based on location, lifestyle, or setting.

I want to see the Spotify DJ become a DJ.

Conclusions

In my mind, Spotify’s AI DJ has put the platform even further ahead of all other music streaming platforms. I believe this innovation was the result of the public's evolving perception and expectations of AI and hope to see similar ideas sparked by these new viewpoints. I can’t wait to see this functionality develop further and hopefully become more interactive.