AI playlists are all the rage right now, and as the algorithms and tech get more refined, they become even more brilliant.
AI has been around for a while in music. Many artists are incorporating AI into the music they create.
Leading music streaming platforms like TIDAL, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Spotify are at the forefront of innovation, constantly experimenting with AI to enhance the user experience.
This includes features like Smart Shuffle, which many Spotify subscription holders have eagerly embraced, adding a new dimension to their music discovery journey.
The Smart Shuffle feature adds songs into playlists that fit with the genre, the beat, or roughly 12 other song metrics. It doesn't always get it right, though.
Some people don't love the feature.
Before we look more into the Artificial Intelligence playlist feature, let's look at how to find and use the Smart Shuffle feature.
How to find and activate Smart Shuffle on the Spotify desktop app:
- Locate a playlist on the left-hand side and click it
- With the playlist in the main window, you should see the following options: Play, - Shuffle, Save or Remove from Library, Download, and then the three dots for more options.
- Hover over the Shuffle symbol; if it is grey, click it once, and it will activate normal Shuffle mode. Clicking it again will activate the Smart Shuffle. You'll notice that when Smart Shuffle is activated, a diamond appears on the icon. (like the image below.)
- To deactivate Smart Shuffle, click the icon again.
- When Smart Shuffle is activated, it will add songs to the queue. Note that this only works for playlists that you have created or saved.
How to create AI playlists in Spotify
The Spotify AI playlist feature is only available for Premium Spotify subscription holders. It was first released to Android users in Australia and the UK. So, if you don't have the feature yet, it's worth checking back or updating the app.
Playlist name trends are now more contextual than ever, so you can create interesting prompts for your AI playlist creation.
Try to think of slightly longer names or moods that you'd like to capture. We have a list of playlist names to get you started!
For those who aren't familiar with AI prompts, they can be a lot of fun and give you some unexpected results.
On Spotify's blog, they have a few of their own recommendations: "a playlist that makes me feel like the main character" or "an indie folk playlist to give my brain a big warm hug". With one of the leading personalization algorithms in the music streaming industry, it will then generate tracks that match the request.
The more detailed you are, the better the AI suggestions will be. If you've ever used AI tech for content creation or creating images, you'll know that every word counts.
Steps for creating an AI-generated playlist on Android:
- Open the Spotify app.
- Tap Your Library, and tap the + button.
- Select AI Playlist
- You'll have the choice of some presets, or you can type in your own suggestion.
- You will be offered a selection of songs that the software thinks match your input, and you have the option to refine the playlist with more commands. Think: "add more upbeat songs” , or "add more indie.
- Once you are done with the refinement, click Create.
Now, you have a super-cool AI-generated playlist. It is worth keeping in mind that it is currently in Beta and will be rolled out to more regions in the coming months.
Like with all AI, it isn't going to do well with current events and specific bands. This is why working on your AI prompts will give you better results.
How can you make an AI playlist without Spotify Premium?
For those on a different music streaming platform or who don't have a Premium Spotify subscription, there are a couple of other ways to generate playlists.
ChatGPT to the rescue with the addition of a plugin.
With the help of a plugin, you can leverage the capabilities of ChatGPT to curate personalized playlists based on your preferences.
Here's how you can make an AI playlist without Spotify Premium using ChatGPT (Free Option):
- Install the ChatGPT plugin: First, you'll need to install the ChatGPT plugin on your browser.
- Open the ChatGPT interface: Once the plugin is installed, you can access the ChatGPT interface.
- Prompt the AI with your music taste: In the ChatGPT interface, you can start a conversation with the AI model by typing a prompt. You'll need to aim for the same type of prompts that Spotify recommends "I'm looking for a playlist with upbeat pop songs." You can also tell ChatGPT bands you like to help it along.
- Refine the input: After providing the initial prompt, 'talk' to ChatGPT. You can ask it to add specific genres, exclude certain artists, or even ask for recommendations based on a specific mood or occasion. The AI will respond with suggestions that match your requests.
- Review and save your playlist: Once the AI generates a set of recommendations, you can review the suggested tracks and make any necessary adjustments.
You can pay to upgrade your ChatGPT to the premium version, and then you get access to premium features, including plugins.
After upgrading your ChatGPT, here is how to create Spotify playlists:
- Head to GPT-4, and look for Your Account, click it and look for BETA features.
- Slide the Plugins to green.
- Look for the ‘no plugin enabled’ in the chat view, and click it.
- In the Plugin store search for Spotify or PlaylistAI.
- Once you find it, click install.
- You’ll need to connect your Spotify account.
- Now you can give commands to ChatGPT to build a playlist for you, and the plugin will create the playlist in your Spotify account.
Try Amazon Music AI PLaylist Generator Maestro
Maestro is available to all Amazon Music tiers, and in the US for both iOS and Android in Beta.
Here is how to use it:
- Make sure you have an up to date app version, or update it.
- Customers who have Maestro will see it on the homescreen or when they tap the + sign for creating a playlist.
- All you’ll need to do is enter a prompt for your playlist ideas, once you have entered something, you simply click ‘Let’s Go!’.
- That’s it!
For those who are on iOS, you can use an app without ChatGPT.
Create and Playlist with PlaylistAi.
To create playlists for Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, and Spotify without ChatGPT here is what you need to do:
- Get the PlaylistAI mobile app on the App Store.
- You'll be promoted to Continue With apple to create an account
- Once you have signed in, you will connect to your music streaming service.
- The prompts are pretty quick, and before long you will have a playlist to match your tasks or mood.
- At the moment it doesn’t have TIDAL or YouTube Music integration. So if you use those services, once you have created your playlist, you can transfer it with FreeYourMusic to your preferred streaming platform.
For me, that is Tidal. And since the playlist was only 27 songs in length it only took a couple of seconds to move the AI playlist from Spotify to Tidal. Bigger playlists take more time.
Creating a custom playlist can be time consuming - although fun. For many people, creating AI playlists gives them the chance to quickly create 'base' playlists to build from.
AI Playlist Prompt Tips
- To get the most from any playlist ai generation, your prompt matters. Here are some tips for creating prompts that will get great results.
- Think about your favorite artist - how would you describe the feeling you get from listening to them? Use that descriptive word in the prompt.
- Avoid offensive prompts.
- Make the most of additional prompts - it can help you to tighten up the playlist ahead of putting it on your streaming service.
- Decide if you want a combination of genres, and if add that into the prompt 'from different genres' or 'from the same genre'.
- Try to niche it down, for example 'sad music' or 'happy music' is going to give you a lot of results, so try 'sad music that you can study mathematics to'
- Play with non-music-related prompts, use colors, feelings, actions and even animals or nature.
- Expect some wild suggestions, because while it is in Beta the software is being refined to be better for more users in the future.
Playlist management tools are becoming more popular, and AI Playlist tools are part and parcel of some of the highest performing curated playlists on music streaming platforms.
Being able to quicky create playlists, and then reproduce them across multiple music streaming platforms can streamline your process.
