Spotify has teamed up with OpenAI to offer a new way to find music and podcasts by literally asking for them. In a move that sits somewhere between helpful and slightly dystopian, users can now link their Spotify account to ChatGPT and get personalised recommendations just by chatting to the AI.
Want a playlist made entirely of the Latin artists you’ve been rinsing lately? Done. Need podcasts that go deep into black holes or blockchain? Just ask. It's conversational curation, powered by OpenAI’s large language model, the same one behind ChatGPT.
The feature is available to both Free and Premium users, though you’ll have to opt in (no secret data-siphoning here… for now). Spotify is keen to stress that no music, podcast, or video content will be shared with OpenAI for training purposes, a line repeated more than once in their press release, which is usually a good sign someone in legal got nervous. Now the app has Lossless as well, it will sound even better, and you have fewer decisions to make on your morning commute.
Given the current noise around AI in music, including Spotify recently pulling 75 million AI-generated tracks to protect real artists from getting drowned out by algorithmic sludge, users could be forgiven for assuming this was just another data trade-off.
But it’s not. Or at least, it claims not to be. “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product,” goes the old internet adage. So it’s... mildly refreshing to see Spotify make a point of saying: we’re not using your plays to feed the machine.
According to Spotify’s global head of consumer experience, Sten Garmark: “By bringing Spotify into ChatGPT, we’re creating a powerful new way for fans to connect with the artists and creators they love conversationally, whenever inspiration strikes.”
So what does that actually mean? You can now ask ChatGPT to do everything from making a road trip playlist based on your recent listens to recommending deep-dive podcasts in niche genres. Think of it as the nerdy, emotionally intelligent music buddy you didn’t know you needed, although it won’t be for everyone, as plenty will still enjoy the cathartic ritual of making a break-up playlist.
The only downside is that it may put DJ X out of a job.
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