What is Spotify's AI DJ feature and how to get the most out of it?

If you have ever dreamed of owning a personal pincha that knows you like the back of your hand, now you are closer: Spotify's AI DJ brings that concept to your phone, with sessions tailored to your listening habits and radio-style voiceover commentary. This isn't just another recommended playlist, but an experience that blends editorial curation and generative technology to help you discover music with context.

In addition to selecting songs tailored to your tastes, this virtual DJ accompanies you between songs with a voiceover generated by Artificial Intelligence, sharing information about artists, genres, and moments from your history. The idea is to recreate the human touch of a radio station, but tailored to you and available in English and, for Spanish speakers, in Spanish.

What is Spotify's AI DJ and how does it work?

AI DJ is a Spotify feature that generates a personalized music session based on your preferences, your listening history, and the platform's data on your favorite artists and genres. No two listens are the same: each session changes in real time as you interact.

Between songs you will hear a voice speaking to you as an announcer would. Spotify uses technology from Generative AI (based on models of OpenAI and Sonantic's voice technology) to create those comments, which are supported by information curated by Spotify music editorsThe result seeks to make you feel like you are on the radio, but where the programming revolves around you.

In its initial English release, the voice was performed by Xavier Jernigan (DJ X). For Spanish, Spotify worked with Olivia "Livi" Quiroz Roa, a senior music editor in Mexico City, to create the Hispanic voice model. Many testers noted that The feeling was that of receiving recommendations from a friend.

It should be noted that at certain stages of the function, there was no option to mute the voice and the comments were only in English. Today the experience includes Spanish for Spanish-speaking Premium users in markets where DJs are available, maintaining the spirit of accompanying you with small informative capsules.

Requirements, availability and countries

In order to use DJ with AI you need two things: a Spotify Premium subscription and having the app updated to its latest version in iOS o AndroidThis feature also depends on availability in your market: it started in the US and Canada, later came to the UK and Ireland, and as of August 2023, it has been rolled out in beta to nearly 50 markets, including Australia.

The list of countries mentioned in that expansion included, among others: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Regarding Spanish, Spotify announced that it was testing AI DJ in Spanish with the voice of Livi and that Spotify Premium users in Spain and Latin America could be used in markets where DJs were active. These Spanish-speaking countries include: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

If you don't see the DJ card in your app, don't worry: The deployment may not have reached your account yet. or your region; also check that you have the latest version of the app installed. There is no standalone DJ app on desktop, but you can use it through Spotify Connect broadcasting from the phone.

How to Use AI DJ on Mobile (Step by Step)

There are several ways to start your DJ career. The most straightforward is to open Spotify and use the search engine to type "DJ"; in the results you will see the card or playlist called Spotify AI DJTap it and press play: in seconds, you'll hear a selection tailored to you and the virtual host's first comments.

Another route that also works on many devices is to go to Search > Especially for you (Made for You) and, inside, touch the card DJ to start listening. When starting the function, DJ will be automatically added to your library so you can find it faster next time.

While listening, you can change music without leaving the session: Tap the DJ button on the Now Playing bar (bottom of the app) to request a selection change. If your DJ is in English, press and hold that button to Ask for a mix by genre, mood, artists, or decades; will generate a custom song set based on your request.

Every time you use the feature, the system will take into account what you skip or listen to. This interaction makes the experience is dynamic and evolving: Rescue old favorites, mix with the latest and surprise with discoveries that fit your profile.

How to use it on your computer: connect it from your phone

To enjoy AI DJ on your desktop, simply stream from your mobile with Spotify Connect. Open the app on iOS or Android (updated), launch DJ, and in the device selector, choose your computer as the destinationIn a few seconds you will have the playback on your PC or Mac, with the same selection and comments from the DJ.

This method works for users with Premium subscription, maintaining the quality and control of your session. You can return to your phone whenever you want or transfer to other compatible devices without interrupting the music.

Language and voice settings

If you want to change the language of the DJ's comments, go to the function card and Open the menu (the three dots, on iOS or Android). Then, tap DJ language and select between DJ X o Spanish (Mexico): DJ Livi. The voice and tone change to suit your choice.

In English, timbre corresponds to Xavier Jernigan, Head of Cultural Partnerships at Spotify. In Spanish, the voice is by Olivia "Livi" Quiroz Roa, a music editor and chart creator in Mexico, whose sound has especially connected with the audience by transmitting closeness and naturalness.

Key features, voice control, and new features

The AI ​​DJ is based on three pillars: advanced recommendation algorithms, the work of hundreds of musical experts that curate the knowledge base and a generative voice that contextualizes what's playing. This translates into announcer-style pauses, short stories, and transitions that encourage you to skip songs casually.

Spotify is also testing improvements aimed at natural control. Specifically, there's an update that allows you to ask him by voice to change the style, put something more appropriate for the moment or even something that fucking songs from a specific artistTo activate these commands, open DJ, long press the DJ button, and speak.

At the moment, these voice commands are available in English and deployed in More than 60 countries, with plans to expand the regions. As indicated, Spain does not yet appear in that batch, but his arrival is expected as the release evolves.

The experience integrates with Your Library through the DJ card, and you can transfer playback to other devices directly from the DJ button. As a side note, at various stages of the product, voiceover has been an integral part of the experience, without the option to disable it; the goal is to maintain the spirit of a personalized radio.

• Dynamic Personalization: Recover favorites, explore what's new, and adjust your session based on your feedback.
• Brief comments: small capsules that provide information about artists, genres or songs.
• Contextual control: Change mood or decades with one tap, and expanding voice commands (English).
• Spotify Connect: Output to your desktop or compatible speakers without losing the thread.

Tips for discovering music (with and without a DJ)

To fine-tune your AI DJ's aim, don't be shy: use your heart in the songs you likeThis action feeds the algorithm and improves what it offers you next time. Skipping things that don't suit you also helps clear the path.

Beyond DJing, there are several great ways to expand your horizons. Follow your favorite artists To find out about new releases, explore artist playlists and sections like Fans also like it to discover similar proposals.

My list Discover weekly It's still a gold mine for discovering new products tailored to your needs. And if you're into collaboration, create shared lists with friends: that crossover of tastes can uncover gems that your algorithm hadn't yet mapped.

Want to turn any track into an endless session? Try it. Spotify radio about a song, album, playlist, or artist: it will generate a related chain that moves through similar styles. And if you like going to concerts, check out live events from Spotify to take the pulse of the scene.

Extra tip: If you have playlists on other services, tools like Free Your Music can migrate them to Spotify. This provides historical data to your account and helps the recommendations are even more accurateAnd since we're talking about tricks, you might be interested in learning how to put songs in random order when not using the DJ.

Troubleshooting: What to do if it doesn't appear or fails

If you can't find the DJ card, start with the basics: make sure you have Spotify Premium and the updated app. Sometimes the rollout to accounts is gradual, so it may take a little longer for your user to receive the feature.

Go to your account settings within the app and check if the AI ​​DJ option is activeIf everything looks correct but you still don't see it, try sign out and sign in again to refresh your profile on the device.

Still having problems? Go to Settings > Storage y clear Spotify cache, then restart the phone. Another alternative is force close the app and reopen it. These steps often resolve temporary inconsistencies.

If none of the above works, the ideal thing is to contact the Spotify supportWith a little patience, you should be able to enjoy the DJ again without any problems.

Subscription plans and requirements

AI DJ is available exclusively for Premium subscribers. Spotify has a free version with ads and certain limitations, while in Premium you can download songs to listen offline, improve audio quality and access advanced features like the DJ himself.

Remember that, for now, the DJ himself does not offer an independent offline modeThere has been speculation that it might be possible to enjoy it offline in the future, but for now, playback and commentary require connectivity.