Spotify tests text prompts to build tailored playlists

Spotify has begun rolling out a beta feature called Prompted Playlist for Premium users in Australia, adding a text-based way to build personalised playlists in the app.

Listeners can type a request in everyday English and get a playlist based on the prompt. The tool draws on a user's listening history as well as signals from broader music and cultural trends. The beta is also launching for Premium users in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden.

To use it, open Spotify, tap Create, and select Prompted Playlist. Enter a description of what you want to hear, and Spotify generates a playlist. You can refine the results by editing the prompt or starting over.

How it works

Prompted Playlist is designed to let listeners be more direct about what they want from Spotify's recommendation systems, putting control of the algorithm "directly in your hands," according to the company.

Prompts can be broad or highly specific, covering moods, memories, and activities. They can also reference genres, eras, instruments, lyrics, and themes inspired by television and film.

Each track in the generated playlist includes a one-line explanation of why it fits the prompt. Users can also set a playlist to refresh daily or weekly, adding new tracks over time based on the same prompt.

Spotify says there are "nearly 9 billion playlists" on the platform. Prompted Playlist adds another way to create playlists, alongside manual selection and existing recommendations such as Discover Weekly.

Australia focus

For Australian listeners, Spotify suggests prompts focused on local artists and discovering newer acts. One example asks for a "morning commute" playlist with "only Aussie artists," while keeping the sound aligned with the user's usual listening.

Another prompt focuses on discovery within a user's own library, asking for "songs I've saved to my Library" that the listener "either haven't played yet or have only listened to once," as a way to revisit saved tracks that were never fully explored.

A separate example is tied to a recent film viewing: "I've just watched the new Wuthering Heights film! Create me a playlist of songs with gothic and eerie vibes, whilst still romantic." Spotify suggests the tool can blend that theme with tracks from a listener's listening history.

Limits and beta testing

Spotify says the feature is in beta and that parts of the experience may change during testing. Usage limits apply to Prompted Playlist and may shift as Spotify evaluates feedback. Scheduled updates for playlists set to refresh are also subject to those limits.

The rollout comes as music services continue to compete on personalisation and discovery. Prompted Playlist starts with direct user input rather than relying only on inferred preferences from listening behaviour.

The one-line explanations add context to recommendations, but Spotify has not said how they are generated or whether they rely on audio attributes, editorial metadata, listening patterns, or a mix of signals.

Spotify points to two key inputs: individual listening history and real-time patterns in music and culture. In practice, prompts can aim for something familiar, such as deeper cuts from favoured genres, or something aligned with current trends.

"With nearly 9 billion playlists on Spotify, our listeners have proven to be endlessly creative. Now, with Prompted Playlist, you can steer the algorithm and use simple language to create something uniquely yours."

Spotify plans to keep expanding the feature during the beta phase, evolving the experience as it tests and learns from listener feedback.