Ever since it was announced that Spotify would be launching an AI DJ feature, I’ve been dying to try it out. And now that it is official and I have been using it for a few days, I can say that I am very disappointed.
I thought this new feature would be like listening to a personal radio host playing my favorite music, but the reality is that Spotify’s AI DJ It’s a very generic feature that doesn’t enhance existing custom playlists.. Below, I’ll tell you 6 reasons why I won’t be using it again (for now).
I Tried Spotify’s AI DJ and Will Never Use It (For Now)
When Livy (Spotify’s Spanish AI DJ) greets you and tells you she’s prepared a set of songs for you, it’s hard not to be impressed by this feature (especially if you’ve never interacted with other AIs before).
However, after a few days of using it, I noticed that the behavior is very predictable. in fact, It sounds like a generic music selection with pre-recorded phrases, and you’re not dealing with artificial intelligence. in real time.
Even a DJ set I used my Spotify account for a session and compared it to a colleague’s account (whose music taste I don’t share) and there wasn’t much of a difference between the music recommendations. Well, below I’ve summarized 6 reasons why I won’t be using Spotify DJ Liv again (for now:)
It’s not as “smart” as it sounds: it’s full of generic music tips and pre-defined phrases.
According to Spotify, DJ is a “personalized AI guide,” but it’s less personalized. To begin with, he always speaks in general terms and impersonally (he never mentions your name, he can talk to anyone).
Also, after skipping a lot of selections, you’ll notice that his phrases are repetitive and predetermined. For example, say “Here’s a selection of artists I know you like” and play 5 songs by musicians you don’t know.
And when he tells you that he’ll surprise you with music you’ve never heard before (I appreciate it), he limits himself to putting the songs that are leading the charts right now, even if it’s a genre you don’t listen to.
The worst thing is, even if you constantly skip music selections based on the entire chart, the AI doesn’t seem smart enough to understand it and comes back with the same recommendations within 1 hour.
It is not personalized at all: it repeats the same behavior with all users
Spotify knows what musical genres DJs like (something that’s not new, as its long-standing recommendation algorithm knows this too). However, it does not access your preferences and does not personalize music preferences.
For example, I usually listen to rock and in one of those “it’s time to listen to a selection of rock legends you really enjoy” thing. I found out that it came with songs from my favorite classic bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. However, if the selection wasn’t my choice (I don’t think I played their songs) there were classic bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maine or AC/DC.
This has also happened to me with other genres (hip hop, kpop, etc.) it says it comes with a choice of what I like most about them, but it fails. That being said, it seems that all users who like rock (for example) are given the same song selection. There’s no real personalized experience, the AI just pigeonholes you based on the genres you listen to.
If you don’t like popular music, you’re going to hate it. Forget your artists
Although I listen to very popular artists and bands, I also like other great musicians who don’t have 100,000 monthly listeners. Well, using the function these days, Spotify DJ has not added a single song from artists with few listeners in the selections, even when she pulls “these songs you have on loop”, which is her moment more successful. Because it focuses on songs you listen to often.
And if it doesn’t include tracks from artists you regularly listen to, you won’t find a new band or musician with this feature. because of? Well, when a Spotify DJ says, “I’m bringing you something new you’ve never heard before,” it becomes a song that’s trending on the charts, the Internet, or social media. What you heard.
The transitions between songs are brutal: say goodbye to the intros and outros of your favorite songs
My personal gripe (while others may like it) is the Spotify AI DJ node. And yes, it’s common for a “DJ” to make this transition between two songs, overlapping the end of one with the beginning of the next.
Now, personally, I think he cuts a lot of the intros and outros of the songs. There are songs where this doesn’t help much. However, there are others that have good moments at the beginning or end, and with DJ those moments are lost, because the crossover is about 10 seconds.
The relationship with the AI is very weak: you cannot communicate with it directly
Another thing that makes us question whether Spotify’s AI DJ is truly AI is the input method for this function. It means the way you interact with it. And currently there is only one button to change the music selection. And you’ll notice that some of the AI’s responses are out of context by pressing multiple times.
Currently, you can’t talk directly to AI (text or voice) to give you clearer instructions about what we want to hear. This feature will be added soon as interaction is one of the main features like ChatGPT, Bing and voice assistants.
It doesn’t update Spotify’s old playlists.
The best thing Spotify DJ Livi does is include your favorites in her playlists. It often mentions “songs you heard a few months ago” or “titles you can’t stop listening to in 2019” etc.
Now, let’s be honest, a collection of songs that you loved, liked, or listened to long ago and forgot about is one thing that Spotify’s previously personalized playlists have offered for a lifetime: “Your Time Capsule,” “Repeat,” “Remember and Repeat,” and Your Pack. From previous years.
In conclusion: Spotify’s AI DJ is a feature with a lot of potential, but I don’t recommend it right now.
Despite the above, I know Spotify’s AI DJ is still in beta (or so they say). This gives me hope that they are working to provide a more personalized experience by making recommendations based on my music preferences and providing more direct interaction with the AI, which makes me feel like I actually have a personal DJ and not a preset. – Recorded voice.
For now, I don’t use it and I don’t recommend its use. I hope one day with AI it will be my personal DJ, play me my favorite songs, surprise me with unexpected advice and give me time from time to time or tell me about an interesting fact about what it was like to be a lifetime radio host.
