Spotify added a new AI DJ feature.
Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons
If video killed the radio star, then Spotify’s newest DJ update resurrected him. In late February, Spotify released an update of their platform which includes a DJ feature. The feature is still in its beta phase and only available on the mobile app, but it has already revealed a continued desire for curation.
In the age of chronic individualization in nearly every facet of modern life, the return to wanting a third party to choose your music strikes a familiar chord. What used to be the roles of radio hosts, record store clerks, media outlets, and older siblings with vinyl collections has now evolved (or devolved) into an automatic DJ.
Last year Spotify acquired Sonatic, an AI voice platform that creates realistic voices from text. The AI DJ is Spotify’s first move in integrating the platform into the infrastructure of the streaming platform. The DJ’s voice is modeled after the Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan, who served as a host of “The Get Up,” Spotify’s first morning show.
The choice to model the DJ’s voice after a beloved member of the company is another detail of this launch that exemplifies the still present desire for personality within engagement. Although the voice isn’t a real person, the DJ model strives to personalize the listening experience of users.
Spotify uses the listening data from the user to mix new releases and old favorites together, which allows people with extensive music libraries to revisit forgotten tracks and artists. Users can select a different vibe or genre and the DJ will use that to fine-tune the song selections.
The AI DJ may be a spark that propels people to engage with those third parties again and personalize their taste further. For younger generations who grew up with streaming platforms, the AI DJ introduces a third-party role that they’ve been unfamiliar with thus far. It can help create space for future curators and media outlets moving forward and is a spark of hope in building a more detail-oriented and customizable music experience.
Some people find AI to be spooky, but it’s no longer a hazy figure of the future. It’s here— and it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.
