Spotify is testing a new way for listeners to take greater control of its recommendation engine with the launch of AI-powered “Prompted Playlists.” The experimental feature, now available to Premium subscribers in New Zealand, allows users to generate hyper-personalized playlists using detailed text prompts — marking Spotify’s most flexible personalization tool to date.
The feature remains in beta and is currently limited to English speakers, but Spotify says it will evolve before rolling out to additional markets.
A deeper, more flexible playlist tool
Prompted Playlists builds on Spotify’s existing AI playlist capabilities introduced last year, but goes significantly further. Instead of short instructions or simple mood cues, listeners can now write long, multi-layered prompts that tap into their full listening history — not just what they’ve played recently.
According to Spotify, this gives users access to the “full arc” of their taste. In practical terms, that means any playlist generated can blend old favorites, niche discoveries, previous top artists, and tracks that align with a user’s long-term preferences.
Spotify also confirmed that its new system incorporates broader world knowledge, enabling it to respond more intelligently to complex instructions. For example, a listener can request:
“High-energy pop and hip-hop for a 30-minute 5K run that keeps a steady pace before easing into relaxing songs for a cool-down.”
Or:
“Music from my top artists over the last five years, including deep cuts I haven’t heard yet.”
These prompts can then be refined repeatedly—adding instructions, narrowing genres, or updating themes.
Beyond Discover Weekly
The new feature essentially lets users build their own version of Discover Weekly, but with more control. Users can specify the genres they want to explore, particular eras, the energy level, how obscure or popular the selections should be, and how often the playlist refreshes—daily, weekly, or on a schedule that best fits their habits.
Spotify says this custom refresh function is one of the key differentiators compared to its standard AI playlists. It allows a user to track a trend, sound, or artist cluster over time instead of relying solely on the platform’s weekly algorithmic drop.
Each playlist will also include descriptions and context, explaining why certain songs were added — a transparency feature that streaming platforms have been under increasing pressure to deliver.
Part of a larger trend: user-controlled algorithms
Spotify’s update lands at a moment when major digital platforms are rethinking recommendation engines. Instagram recently introduced a feature that allows users to control the type of Reels they see, while decentralized social platform Bluesky lets users swap out algorithmic feeds entirely.
For Spotify, Prompted Playlists represents a strategic move to keep listeners engaged while demonstrating that personalization can be user-driven, not just algorithm-driven. Giving subscribers greater control also helps the company distinguish itself in a competitive streaming landscape where Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Deezer are all investing in smarter discovery tools.
Why New Zealand?
Spotify often uses New Zealand as a test market due to its controlled population size and diverse user behavior patterns. Major features like the redesigned Home feed, upgraded lyrics display, and early versions of AI DJ were tested there before scaling globally.
While the company has not announced a wider release date for Prompted Playlists, the pace of its recent AI rollouts suggests it may not remain exclusive for long.
What this means for users and creators
For listeners, Prompted Playlists could become one of the most powerful personalization tools available on any streaming platform. It gives users the ability to:
- Build dynamic playlists for niche or highly specific moments
- Explore forgotten tastes from years past
- Discover new music with deeper context
- Create multi-segment playlists for events, workouts, or mood shifts
- Track evolving genres or sound trends on autopilot
For artists, however, the impact is more complex. AI-generated playlists may increase exposure for mid-tier and emerging musicians, or they could reinforce algorithmic echo chambers depending on how listeners use the feature. Spotify says it will continue refining transparency tools to help users understand why certain songs surface.
The road ahead
Spotify’s continued investment in AI-assisted discovery signals the company’s belief that personalization remains its competitive advantage. As Prompted Playlists expands beyond New Zealand, the company will be tested on how well it can balance user autonomy, artist fairness, and algorithmic accuracy.
For now, Premium users in the test market can experiment with the new tool — crafting deeply customized playlists that reflect not just what they like today, but the entire story of how their musical taste has evolved.
