Spotify’s addition of its AI DJ feature, which introduces personalized song selections to users, was the company’s first step into an AI future. Now, Spotify is developing an alternative version of this DJ that will speak Spanish.
References to the new DJ AI were spotted in the app’s code by a tech veteran and reverse engineer Chris Messina. It found indications that users could change the AI DJ’s language from English to Spanish, as well as references to the new DJ’s name, ‘DJ Livi’. The code also suggests that this DJ AI will be available in Mexico.
Assuming it goes live, DJ Livi would represent the first language expansion for the feature, as the existing DJ AI — DJ X — launched globally last year, but only in English.
Reached for comment, Spotify did not dispute the findings.
“At Spotify, we regularly run a series of tests aimed at letting users express themselves through the music they love,” a company spokesperson said. “Some of them end up paving the way for our broader user experience, and others just serve as important lessons. We have no further news to share about future plans at this time,” they added.
In other words, Spotify isn’t yet ready to confirm definitive release plans for a Spanish-speaking DJ AI, as the feature is currently only considered an experiment. However, it would make sense for Spotify to focus on this demographic, given it popularity of the Spanish language worldwide, where it ranks behind English, Mandarin and Hindi. Additionally, Spanish is widely spoken in the US, a key market for Spotify, where they exist over 42 million people who speak the language at home. Presumably, anyone could set their AI DJ to Spanish if the feature launched.
An AI DJ isn’t the only way Spotify is testing new AI technologies. The company has also experimented with using AI to create host reading ads for podcasts and personalized AI playlists that you can create using prompts. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has also teased plans to use artificial intelligence across his business in areas such as personalization, advertising and podcast summaries.
We’re launching an AI newsletter! Sign up here to start receiving it in your inbox on June 5th.
