Spotify Launches AI-Generated Playlists in the US and Canada

Spotify is introducing Prompted Playlists, a new AI-powered tool for creating playlists, to its Premium subscribers in the United States and Canada. Originally tested in New Zealand, this feature enables users to generate playlists by describing the kind of music they want to hear in their own words.

Prompted Playlists expands on an earlier AI playlist feature released in 2024, which supported simpler inputs such as "help me focus at work with instrumental electronica" or "boost my mood with fun, upbeat, and positive tracks."

With the new version, users can now express their preferences more naturally and in greater detail, using everyday language.

During a press demonstration, Spotify showcased a playlist generated from a detailed request: “Find an artist I haven’t discovered yet but would probably enjoy, or an artist I’ve only heard one or two songs from, and introduce me to their music. Create a playlist that gives a good overview of their work so I can get to know them. Put the songs you think I’ll like the most in the top five spots.”

According to J.J. Italiano, Spotify’s Head of Global Music Curation and Discovery, the goal of this feature is to make playlist creation accessible to everyone—even those unfamiliar with music curation or industry terminology.

“For most people, curating playlists isn't part of their job. You don’t always have the time or energy to build the perfect playlist every time your mood shifts—that’s where Prompted Playlists can help,” said Italiano, whose team is behind popular Spotify playlists like Today’s Top Hits, New Music Friday, and Rap Caviar. “This gives listeners access to the creative process without needing to know genres, release years, or insider jargon. You don't need the 'right' words—just your own.”

“If you can describe a feeling, you can create a playlist,” he added.

Spotify notes that the AI behind the feature analyzes the music landscape in real time, taking into account trends, charts, cultural context, and historical data, as well as the user’s full listening history since joining the platform.

Although playlists are personalized by default, users can also use the tool to explore beyond their typical listening habits. They can instruct the AI to ignore their personal listening history or ask it to introduce them to unfamiliar songs, as shown in the earlier example.

Prompts don’t require any technical music terms. For example, users can request a playlist inspired by the weather or a favorite television series.

Since prompts can be shared, this feature could give rise to a new type of creator—one who designs AI prompts that others want to try. While the prompt remains the same for everyone, each user’s resulting playlist is personalized based on their listening history and taste. They can then further refine the playlist if they wish.

Spotify describes Prompted Playlists as the "next evolution" of its earlier AI playlist tool. The new version is better attuned to real-time music trends, considers a user’s entire listening journey—not just recent activity—and offers more customization. The original AI playlist feature will remain available, meaning both tools will coexist, which may cause some confusion due to their similarities.

Because the feature is still in beta, it will have certain usage limits, which may change over time. It is currently available only in English.

The company has not announced a timeline for a global rollout, stating that it plans to learn from these initial launches before expanding to other markets.