Spotify is rolling out Prompted Playlists, a new artificial intelligence feature that allows users to create playlists by describing what they want to hear in their own words. The feature is launching for Premium subscribers in the United States and Canada, following earlier testing in New Zealand.
Prompted Playlists builds on Spotify’s existing AI playlist tool introduced in 2024, which supported shorter and more structured prompts. The new version enables longer, conversational requests, allowing users to describe moods, discovery goals, or creative instructions in greater detail.
From Simple Prompts to Conversational Control
In a demonstration to the press, Spotify showed how users can request playlists using detailed instructions, such as asking the system to introduce them to an unfamiliar artist and prioritize songs they are most likely to enjoy. The AI then generates a playlist that reflects both the prompt and the user’s listening history.
According to J.J. Italiano, Spotify’s Head of Global Music Curation and Discovery, the goal is to make playlist creation accessible to users who may not understand music genres or curation terminology. The feature is intended to replicate the creative process used by Spotify’s internal editorial teams while removing technical barriers for listeners.
The prompts do not need to include musical language. Users can describe feelings, scenarios, weather, or references to movies and television shows. Italiano said the tool is designed so that “if you can describe a feeling, you can make a playlist.”
Personalization and Discovery
The AI behind Prompted Playlists analyzes real-time music trends, charts, cultural signals, and historical data, alongside each user’s full listening history since joining Spotify. While personalization is enabled by default, users can also instruct the system to avoid their past preferences and focus on discovery, helping them break out of habitual listening patterns.
Photo: Spotify
Spotify said the feature supports both personalized recommendations and intentional exploration, depending on how users structure their prompts. Each playlist generated from a shared prompt will differ across users due to individual listening histories, even when the same instructions are used.
Because prompts can be shared, the feature could give rise to a new type of creator focused on crafting effective playlist prompts rather than playlists themselves. Users can further edit and refine the generated playlists after creation.
Product Strategy and Availability
Spotify described Prompted Playlists as the next evolution of its AI playlist offerings. The company said the feature is more responsive to real-time music culture, has a deeper understanding of long-term listening behavior, and provides greater user control. The original AI playlist feature will remain available, with both tools operating side by side.
Prompted Playlists is currently in beta and subject to usage limits, which may change over time. The feature is available only in English, and Spotify said it does not yet have a timeline for a global rollout, citing the need to learn from early markets before expanding further.
