That Spotify Daylist That Really ‘Gets’ You? It Was Written by A.I.
The music-streaming platform’s new “daylist” feature serves users three personalized playlists a day, with titles ranging from quirky to bewildering.
A.I. Generates Quirky and Personalized Playlist Titles
Spotify's new "daylist" feature offers users three algorithmically generated playlists each day, with titles that range from the quirky to the bewildering. These often bizarre titles have caught the attention of social media, making the feature popular. Users find amusement in the titles' ability to reflect their own experiences. However, they may be surprised to learn that these peculiar titles are created by artificial intelligence (A.I.). Spotify's machine learning algorithms compile thousands of descriptors to create unique daylist playlist names.
The team behind these playlists consists of data scientists and music experts who use genre, mood, and theme to identify appropriate musical descriptors. They then associate these descriptors with specific tracks using methods such as music expert annotation, sonic similarity, and trends. According to Molly Holder, a senior product director at Spotify, the playlist titles are hyper-personalized, dynamic, and playful, allowing users to express their unique audio identity.
User Reactions to the Daylist Titles
Users have generally taken the daylist titles with a grain of salt. Although some find the titles amusing and enjoy the surprise of a new playlist each day, others are bemused by seemingly made-up musical genres. Chelsy McInnis, an avid Spotify user, uses the daylist feature daily and finds it fun to see what title is generated for each part of her day. The daylist feature builds on the success of Spotify Wrapped, a year-end review of personalized listening history. The daylists reflect Spotify's strategy of offering hyper-specific personalization to its users, who overwhelmingly appreciate the platform's personalized offerings.
However, Spotify's playful brand voice can also be risky, as corporations need to be careful not to offend consumers or be perceived as insensitive. Some users have found the daylist titles strange or odd, with titles like "Fun Purim Thursday Morning" or "Witchy Ethereal Tuesday" seeming out of place and confusing. Despite this, users still share their daylists on social media and enjoy the opportunity to showcase their music tastes.
Social Media Popularity and User Engagement
The daylist feature has gained popularity on social media platforms, with users sharing their playlists regularly. Kyle Stanley, a Spotify user, credits the daylist's popularity on social media to its ability to provide a deeper understanding of an individual through their music. By generating multiple playlists each day with funny titles, the daylist feature draws people in and makes them feel connected to the community.
Mauricio Godoy, another user, enjoys the daylist titles and compares them to mixtapes with quirky titles that caught attention in the past. This nostalgia and the fun of discovering new titles each day adds to the appeal of the daylist feature. Overall, users find the daylists entertaining and appreciate the opportunity to showcase their personality through music.
