Love Spotify’s AI DJ or hate it, you’ve got to admit it’s one of the most unique (and fun) ways to listen to music. But unlike a real DJ, Spotify’s version has always been more of an “I talk, you listen” kind of affair. Well, until now.
Spotify’s AI DJ Now Lets You Take Control
Today, Spotify announced that it’s adding a new way to interact with the DJ through a post on Spotify Newsroom. The streaming giant shared that the DJ can now take music requests, offering users “an entirely new way to curate the vibe of their listening sessions in real time.”
With this new feature, you can simply ask the DJ to switch up your jamming session by telling it what music you’d like to listen to at that moment. You can even tell the DJ to play a specific genre, mood, artist, or drop an “activity-related request.” For instance, you could hit the DJ with a request like “play me some calm tracks for a rainy night” or “surprise me with some jazz I’ve never heard before.”
To use this feature in the Spotify app, just head to the Search tab at the bottom, search for DJ, and tap the DJ playlist. When you want to make a request, press and hold the DJ button in the bottom right corner.
Once the DJ is ready for you, you’ll hear a beep. Make your request, and the DJ will update the session based on your request, listening history, music preferences, and more.
Prior to this change, all you could do if you didn’t vibe with the DJ’s choices was hit the DJ button in the bottom right corner, and it would switch up the song you were listening to. With this new update, you now have more control over how the playlist flows, yet you’ll still be able to use the DJ feature to listen to and discover new music without doing all the work yourself.
I can imagine nudging the DJ to stop playing those tracks I’ve been skipping for weeks, but it can’t seem to let go of, and instead, play more of that indie artist I’ve been loving lately!
I’ve always loved the DJ feature. It’s unique, and since I have this weird habit of constantly tracking (and psychoanalyzing) my Spotify stats to see what I’ve been listening to lately, hearing the DJ break down my listening habits is great. Since sometimes you’re just not in an environment where speaking is ideal, I do wish there was a way to type your requests instead of having to speak them out.
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Given that DJ is only available for Spotify Premium subscribers in 60 regions, this option won’t be accessible to free users (or those located somewhere other than the markets where DJ is currently available). Though Spotify added a Spanish-speaking DJ in 2024, requests are only currently available in English. The feature is likely still rolling out (I don’t have access to it yet, though I have DJ), so you might have to wait a bit before you see it on your end.
