- Spotify’s algorithm is often criticized for giving us more of what it already knows we like, thus running music1.
- While this may be true, it is at least partly because we rarely intentionally interact with the platform, failing to feed the algorithm meaningful new information2.
- Spotify’s new AI Playlist could offer a fresh way to engage intentionally with music discovery.
- Yes, AI is doing the heavy lifting, but at least we are the ones prompting it with our unique ideas. It’s better than mindlessly shuffling through Discover Weekly.
- Of course, this is just one feature among many; none of which can solve music discovery alone.
- Since music discovery is about our internal soundscapes, it requires our intentional engagement. It is a manual journey that cannot—and should not—be fully automated.
- As music is something we engage with for our own enjoyment, it is a realm—unlike work—where technology can assist us but cannot—and should not—replace us.
My personal reservation is that, like any form of virtual or digital suggestion service, tools such as these can never truly replace the joy of finding music yourself, because while it’s fun to have a mechanism that compiles playlists on your behalf, nothing has ever really beaten the satisfaction and in-depth nuance that comes with compiling one to your very specific tastes, needs and preferences.
I spent a week playing with Spotify’s AI playlist curator, and things got a little strange | What Hi-Fi?
- By intentionally engaging with our music streaming platforms, we’ll become less reliant on algorithms or AI.
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