Spotify's AI DJ now takes text requests

Spotify just made its AI DJ a lot less awkward to use in public.

On Wednesday, the streaming giant rolled out an upgrade for Premium subscribers, adding text messaging capabilities to its AI DJ feature so you no longer have to speak out loud to change the vibe.

Texting your personal DJ

Earlier this year, Spotify upgraded the AI DJ to take spoken requests instead of just serving up algorithmic guesses. The catch was that you had to physically talk to your phone, and it was only available in English.

Now, users can simply type out what they want to hear. The new update also expands to Spanish, enabling the Spanish-language DJ, known as DJ Livi, to accept user requests for the first time.

To use it, subscribers just search DJ in the app and hit play. Tapping the DJ button in the bottom-right corner now lets you choose between voice or text.

You can combine genres, moods, artists, or specific activities, like typing in upbeat electronic music for working out. If you are stuck staring at a blank prompt box, the feature also serves up personalized suggestions to get you started.

The text input feature is currently live in English and Spanish across more than 60 markets worldwide.

Why it matters

Let’s be honest: almost nobody wants to talk out loud to their phone on a crowded train, at the gym, or in a quiet office. While voice controls sound futuristic in marketing demos, text remains the undisputed king of discreet mobile input.

By adding text chat, Spotify is meeting users where they already are. Thanks to ChatGPT and modern mobile assistants, chatting with an AI via text is second nature. Spotify is smart to adopt that habit instead of forcing people into awkward voice interactions.

For Spotify, this keeps Premium subscribers hooked with tangible personalization perks that free tiers do not get. The challenge now is execution. Once you open up natural language text input, users will ask for highly specific, nuanced vibes. If the AI DJ fails to interpret those prompts accurately and falls back to generic pop playlists, the novelty could wear off fast. But for now, it makes one of Spotify’s flagship AI features finally usable in everyday life.