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Spotify has entered a new phase of user-led personalisation with the launch of Prompted Playlists. The feature allows listeners to directly influence how the platform’s algorithm behaves.
Announced by Gustav Soderstrom, Spotify’s Co-President, CPO, and CTO, the move marks a massive shift in strategy for the streaming giant now serving 713 million users worldwide. According to Spotify, 90% of listeners consider the service essential to their daily routines and say it enhances personalization.
The feature, launching as a beta for Premium subscribers in New Zealand, enables listeners to create playlists using natural language. Instead of relying solely on passive behavioral data, listeners can articulate exactly what they want to hear.
Listeners can type instructions such as:
‘Play top artists of the last five years.’
‘Give me deep cuts I’ve never heard.’
‘Create a high-intensity pop and hip-hop playlist for a 30-minute run, then mellow out with cool-down tracks.’
Spotify considers a user’s entire listening history, right from the day they signed up, to create a personalized playlist with short explanations for recommendations. This adds much-needed transparency to the selection process. Users can edit prompts at any time or opt for auto-refresh modes that update daily or weekly.
The music streaming giant is also providing an Ideas section to simplify the process. Listeners can select from curated prompts, such as “artists headlining major tours right now.”
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Spotify says the feature resolves a longtime tension between control and convenience. With close to 9 billion playlists created by users so far, it’s clear that human curation is central to the platform. Prompted Playlists brings the creative instinct closer to the algorithm, letting users "program" their listening experience without technical skills.
The update could improve artist discovery by showcasing their music to listeners whose prompts match their style.
Prompted Playlists mark only the first step in Spotify’s larger effort to craft a more intelligent, responsive, and culturally sensitive platform. The company hints that 2026 will be a milestone year as it continues expanding user control and deepening artist–fan connections.
