Spotify on Wednesday announced a major upgrade to its personalization tools. With over 713 million listeners globally, the platform is moving into an era where users don’t just listen—they control the experience. Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s Co-President, CPO, and CTO, highlighted how Prompted Playlists mark a new phase of listener-driven control.
A New Era of Listening
From Discover Weekly to Release Radar, Spotify has always made listening personal. Tools like Smart Shuffle, Playlist song suggestions, and Mixing Tools let users shape their playlists. But Prompted Playlists go further: you can now guide the algorithm with your own words, ideas, and logic. Spotify listens and adapts to create playlists tailored to your full listening history.
Prompted Playlists: Your Words, Your Music
Prompted Playlists let you:
- Describe exactly what you want to hear and set playlist rules
- Draw from your complete listening history
- Keep playlists fresh based on your habits and cultural context
Example Prompts:
- “High-energy pop and hip-hop for a 30-minute run, easing into relaxing songs for a cool-down.”
- “Music from my top artists over the last five years, including deep cuts I haven’t heard yet.”
You can fine-tune prompts, start fresh anytime, and refresh playlists daily or weekly. Each song includes descriptions and context to make your playlist feel crafted and alive. Music editors also provide inventive prompt suggestions for inspiration.
Why It Matters & Looking Ahead
Human curation has always been central to Spotify, with nearly 9 billion playlists created by listeners. Prompted Playlists combine control and convenience, giving users unprecedented influence over the algorithm. For artists, the feature enables smarter discovery and deeper fan engagement.
Looking ahead, Spotify aims to make its platform more personal, responsive, and culturally aware. Prompted Playlists are just the beginning of a new phase where listeners take the lead in shaping their music experiences.
Availability
The Prompted Playlists beta will be available starting today, for Premium users in New Zealand. Spotify plans to expand access to more listeners over time.