Ryan Haines / Android Authority
I like to think that I have pretty good taste in music. I’d go so far as to say I’m good at getting my friends to listen to new music, whether it’s through a playlist at a party or by attaching a new song to an Instagram post. However, with such a well-trained Spotify algorithm, even I find myself in a music rut on occasion. I’ll bounce from my pop mix to my Jason Isbell mix to my upbeat mix and somehow find quite a few of the same songs on each one.
So, when Spotify introduced Prompted Playlists, I figured it was a good chance to try something new. After all, if I could lead the algorithm to the vibe I was trying to capture, it would have to give me new music. At worst, I could simply direct it to introduce me to new tunes as part of my prompt. So, I opened my create tab, started a new playlist, and here’s what I got.
It pays to be precise
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Before I get to the results of my first few AI-generated playlists, I should probably clarify the concept of Prompted Playlists a little better. After all, there’s at least some AI involved in everything you already get from Spotify, so how is this any different? Well, for starters, Prompted Playlists work a little bit more like text-based image generators. You type in exactly what you’re after, and Spotify does its best to meet those requirements.
Unlike an image that might come with odd artifacts like an extra finger or creepy teeth, the Prompted Playlists pull from the platform’s expansive library. In other words, at least you know there are some guardrails in place to keep you from getting anything too unusual. Then, once you have your playlist, you can rename it, rework your prompt, or ask Spotify to update the music that’s included — not far off from the idea of editing or regenerating an image prompt.
And now that you have the basics, let’s talk about the easiest, most obvious mistake I made with my very first playlist. I’ll admit I didn’t know just how specific I’d have to be, so I typed, “make me a slow, wintery playlist that’s full of indie music and perfect for shoveling snow.” Pretty simple, pretty straightforward, and I figured it would fill out with music I already knew and liked.
Well, it didn’t.
Instead, I got a mix of Italian and Vietnamese tunes that technically fit what I asked for but might have strayed too far off the beaten path. I listened for a few minutes, but couldn’t relate to lyrics I couldn’t understand, even if the instrumentals were just what I like. So, I jumped right in and began to rework my prompt. And, by that, I mean that I just specified that I wanted familiar music to be included.
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