Spotify introduces its AI DJ feature in 18 African countries

Spotify has announced the roll out of its AI feature 'DJ' to its premium subscribers in 18 African countries including Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana, six months after launching the feature in North America.
News By
2 minute read
Spotify introduces its AI DJ feature in 18 African countries
Photo: Spotify AI DJ in Africa

The feature is designed for music discovery and plays curated music with AI powered commentary in English language. “Personalization is at the heart of what we do at Spotify. The beauty of these experiences is our ability to deliver the right piece of music for that exact moment in time, and maybe even connect you with your next favourite artist in the process,” Spotify said in a statement seen by Bendada.com.

Spotify’s AI DJ is a customised AI guide specifically tailored to your music taste. The feature, which is still in its beta stage, will provide a curated lineup of music alongside commentary on the tracks and artists you listen to in a realistic voice.

Never before has listening felt so completely personal to each and every user, thanks to the powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI and a dynamic, expressive voice. — Spotify

The commentary includes fun and lighthearted banter as well as contextual information relating to specific songs and artists the user has listened to previously. And listeners will be hearing the voice of Spotify’s Head of Cultural Partnerships Xavier “X” Jernivan, who’s the first voice model for the DJ feature.

Available through the music feed section on the mobile app, DJ automatically plays tracks, but users can tap on the DJ button to change genres or moods. And just like other AI- enabled tech, the feature learns more about your choices as you listen more and fine tunes its selections accordingly.

The feature was originally announced by Spotify in February during its Stream On event and launched in the US and Canada first, followed by the UK and Ireland three months later. While DJ still remains in its beta stage, it will now be available to premium subscribers in 50 countries around the world. And the feature will only be offered in English.

The countries where the feature has rolled out in Africa are Nigeria, South Africa, Gambia, Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Rwanda, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Namibia, Malawi, Eswatini, Uganda, all countries with English as a major language