A new beta feature on Spotify takes the idea behind the Discover Weekly playlist and puts the control in users’ hands through AI prompts. Prompted Playlists, which are initially launching in New Zealand on Thursday, let users type out exactly what they want to listen to, with as much or little detail as they like. Then Spotify’s AI curates a playlist based on those instructions and the user’s listening history.
Users can also set Prompted Playlists to regularly refresh with new songs based on the same prompt, effectively allowing you to make a Discover Weekly playlist with an algorithm you control. Earlier this year, Discover Weekly playlists got options to prioritize certain genres, but users can’t direct the playlist’s algorithm beyond that.
Prompted Playlists are part of a broader effort to give users more control on Spotify — the streamer’s AI DJ got a similar update in May that allows users to give it voice prompts. It also mirrors similar moves on other platforms, like Instagram, which recently announced a feature that lets users tell its algorithm what they’re interested in.
