We’ve all been there: You’re listening to a track and suddenly want to know the backstory, or you need a playlist that matches a specific, fleeting mood. Spotify gets it.
Recently, the streaming giant announced Talk to Spotify, a new in-app conversational AI designed to turn your search bar into an interactive music assistant.
But before you rush to update your app, let’s get the bad news out of the way. If you’re reading this in the Philippines, you’re out of luck. The beta is currently locked to Premium users aged 18 and older in the United States, Ireland, and Sweden across iOS and Android. There’s no official word on when it’s crossing over to Southeast Asia, but given Spotify’s track record, a wider rollout is likely in the pipeline soon.
More than just a smart DJ
So, what are we missing out on? Talk to Spotify allows you to type or tap the mic icon to have a back-and-forth conversation with the app. It goes way beyond basic voice commands. You can ask it to “play some artists I haven’t heard before,” and then refine this request by saying stuff like “make the songs more upbeat.”
Once the chatbot nails the mood, you can ask it to save the song, queue it up, or follow the artist without ever digging through your menus.
Spotify’s new feature is designed to give you context, too. Because the AI taps into the service’s deep catalog and your personal listening history, you can ask highly specific questions right from the Now Playing screen.
Wondering about the inspiration behind Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism? Just ask. Trying to remember when you first heard a specific indie band? It can tell you. The feature even extends to podcasts and audiobooks, allowing you to ask what other shows a guest has appeared on or what else an author has written.
Naturally, we’ll keep a close eye on when this hits the Philippine market. For now, we’ll just have to keep building our Spotify playlists the old-fashioned way.
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