Spotify’s AI DJ is taking requests. Starting on Tuesday, Premium subscribers can ask it to play something that fits the mood. Although the company added a Spanish-speaking version last year, requests are only available in English at launch.
The AI DJ will respond to verbal requests for a specific artist, genre, mood or something that fits an activity. Spotify suggests phrases like “DJ, morning motivation needed ASAP,” “Surprise me with some indie tracks” or “Play me something with a Y2K vibe.”
You can find it by heading to the search tab and entering “DJ.” After it starts spinning, press and hold the DJ button in the lower right-hand corner. Once you hear a beep, you can tell your synthetic disc jockey about your insatiable thirst for A Flock of Seagulls deep cuts.
Spotify’s AI DJ launched in 2023, aiming to strike a balance between today’s ultra-personalized streaming algorithms and old-school radio. The company says none of its dialog is pre-recorded. It’s all generated on the fly via OpenAI.
Whether you love or hate the DJ, it can make for unintentional comedy as it butchers names and falls prey to AI’s inevitable awkwardness. When I tried it with a classic blues mix, it consistently pronounced Howlin’ Wolf as “Hole-in’ Wolf.” Some gems from a 2024 Reddit thread include “Blink One Hundred Eighty-Two” and “Here are some of your typical Sunday morning vibes, starting off with Shitfucker.”
