Spotify adds conversational AI assistant for Premium listeners

Spotify is giving Premium subscribers a new way to control what they hear: a conversational AI feature that can respond to typed or spoken requests inside the mobile app. For investors watching streaming platforms compete on retention, the rollout shows Spotify continuing to use artificial intelligence to make its paid product feel more personalized.

The company said Tuesday that the beta is available first in the U.S., Ireland and Sweden. It works on iOS and Android, is limited to users 18 and older, and supports English at launch, according to Spotify.

Beta means the feature is still being tested, so Spotify said it may not perform correctly in every case. The company said user feedback will help improve the product over time.

How the new assistant works

The feature lets people speak or type to Spotify from the Home screen or the Now Playing view on mobile. Instead of searching by artist, album or playlist alone, users can have a back-and-forth exchange with the app about what they want next.

Spotify says the assistant can help find music, podcasts and audiobooks. It can also answer questions tied to a user’s listening habits, such as when they first played a song or what genres they have been streaming recently.

The company gave examples of how someone might shape a listening session through follow-up prompts. A listener could ask for artists they have not heard before, then ask Spotify to include a specific artist, focus on newer tracks or make the selection more upbeat.

The assistant is also meant to handle simple actions inside the app. Spotify said users can ask it to save songs, add tracks to the queue or follow an artist.

Spotify keeps adding AI to discovery

The new tool expands Spotify’s existing push into AI-driven listening features. The company already offers an AI DJ, which uses an artificial voice and can be interacted with, as well as prompt-based playlist creation tools.

Spotify has also connected its service with outside AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, so users can make music requests through third-party assistants. The new release brings more of that conversational behavior directly into Spotify’s own app.

Spotify did not lay out the full technical setup in its announcement. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature uses a combination of Spotify’s own AI systems and models from multiple outside providers, with the choice depending on the task.

AI models are software systems trained to recognize patterns and generate responses. In this case, Spotify is using them to interpret requests, connect them with its catalog and return playable recommendations or information.

Why it matters for the business

Spotify’s catalog is broad, spanning songs, podcasts and audiobooks. That scale can be useful, but it also creates a discovery problem: users need fast ways to find something that fits their mood, taste or moment.

A conversational assistant is one answer to that problem. If it works well, it could reduce friction between opening the app and pressing play, especially for paid users who expect a higher-quality experience.

Spotify said the feature is rolling out now in the initial markets on mobile devices. The company has not announced timing for other countries, additional languages or availability beyond Premium users.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.