Spotify Launches the New AI DJ for Premium Users in South Africa

Personalization is at the heart of what Spotify focus on. The beauty of these experiences is their ability to deliver the right piece of music for that exact moment in time, and maybe even connect you with your next favorite artist in the process.

Starting today, Spotify are excited to begin rolling out DJ, in Beta, to Premium users in South Africa – taking personalization to the next level and connecting artists and fans in a deeper, more meaningful way. Since launching in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland earlier this year, DJ has become the most discussed Spotify feature on social media, and they are so excited to bring it to South Africa. Check it out below.

DJ is a personalized AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you. This feature will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists Spotify thinks you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice. Never before has listening felt so completely personal to each and every user, thanks to the powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI and a dynamic, expressive voice.

At launch, listeners will have the option to hear English language commentary from Spotify’s initial voice model, Spotify’s own Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan as the first voice model for the DJ.

Previously, X served as one of the hosts on Spotify’s first (and personalized) morning show, ‘The Get Up‘. His personality and voice resonated with  listeners and resulted in a loyal following for the podcast. His voice is the first model for the DJ, and Spotify will continue to iterate and innovate, as they do with all our products.

How Spotify AI DJ works

To create the DJ, Spotify reimagined the way users listen on Spotify. The DJ knows you and your music taste so well that it will scan the latest releases they know you’ll like, or take you back to that nostalgic playlist you had on repeat last year. Never before has listening felt so completely personal to each and every user, thanks to the powerful combination of:

Spotify’s personalization technology

This will offer you a lineup of music recommendations based on what Spotify knows you already like.

Generative AI through the use of Open AI technology

Spotify put this in the hands of their music editors to provide you with insightful facts about the music, artists, or genres you’re listening to. The expertise of Spotify’s editors is something that’s really important to their philosophy.

Spotify have experts in genres who know music and culture inside and out. No one knows the music scene better than they do. With this generative AI tooling, their editors are able to scale their innate knowledge in ways never before possible. Using a dynamic AI voice platform from their Sonantic acquisition that now brings to life stunningly realistic voices from text.

Why did Spotify decide to use a human-like AI powered voice for this experience?

“We know that human voice helps people form connections, and the same is true when it comes to DJ. We found that having the voice sound human is key for users to foster a deeper connection with DJ, as human voice provides familiarity and instant context. By incorporating voice traits such as pacing, projection, emotion, and emphasis, it results in a DJ that’s emotional and highly realistic.”  says Zeena Qureshi

Where to find the DJ

1. Head to your Music Feed on Home in the Spotify mobile app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Tap Play on the DJ card.
3. Let Spotify do the rest! The DJ will serve a lineup of music alongside short commentary on the songs and artists, picked just for you.
4. Not feeling the vibe? Just hit the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen to be taken to a different genre, artist, or mood.

Download the Spotify app via the Android or iOS app store or by heading HERE

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