Spotify Tests AI-Powered Prompted Playlists for More User Control

Spotify is experimenting with a new way to give listeners greater control over their music recommendations. The company has introduced Prompted Playlists, an AI-driven feature that allows users to create customised playlists simply by typing out what they want to hear. The feature is rolling out in beta in New Zealand starting Thursday.

With this tool, Spotify says you can “curate your next Discover Weekly, exactly the way you want it.” Users can input detailed or simple prompts, and Spotify’s AI builds a playlist based on those instructions while factoring in personal listening habits.

One standout addition is the ability to set these playlists to refresh automatically using the same prompt — effectively letting users create their own version of Discover Weekly but with far more control than ever before. Earlier updates allowed some genre prioritisation, but directing the algorithm beyond that wasn’t possible until now.

Prompted Playlists also build on Spotify’s broader mission to hand over more control to listeners. Earlier this year, the platform updated its AI DJ to accept voice prompts, making interactions more intuitive. The move aligns with trends across tech platforms; Instagram recently introduced a tool that lets users inform its algorithm about their interests.

With Prompted Playlists, Spotify is signalling a shift toward more personalised and user-led music discovery.