Redefining the Latin American Music Experience With Spotify’s AI DJ

Reading this article just a few years ago, the title may not have made any sense. However, over the last 18 months, it feels like AI has dominated the global technology news. Given that companies like Amazon, Tesla, Apple, and Nvidia are investing so much money into developing this technology, it’s a good idea for investors to keep updated regarding its positives and negatives and how they will impact day-to-day life. 

Many people listen to music on a daily basis, and current figures show that Spotify has over half a billion users globally. Quite staggeringly, there are over 5,000 musical genres on Spotify, with Latin American music having hundreds of different subgenres within it. Now that the world of AI and music are becoming more interlinked, Spotify is experimenting with the technology, using it to compile playlists more accurately based on algorithms and music that their customers listen to. It has now brought in the AI DJ, but what does that entail?

The Impact of AI

Many people don’t quite grasp how revolutionary AI is and how it will begin to transform daily life. ChatGPT blew open the doors to these possibilities, but now that AI is moving into the world of entertainment, writing story scripts and putting together our Spotify playlists, there’s a lot more research going into the long-term impact of AI. 

Gambling sites and other forms of online gaming are strong indicators of how quickly AI could change the industry. It is another area set for seismic change, with a lot of it already underway. AI bots are aiming to replace live casino dealers and AI technology is seeking to digest the gambling patterns and behaviors of the customers who use their sites. Irrespective of the online gaming site, the changes influenced by AI in the gambling industry and greater society will be monumental. 

What is an AI DJ?

An AI DJ is simply an upgrade to the daily mix playlist that Spotify collates based on the artists and genres people listen to most. Daily mix playlists have a wide variety of songs, especially for those Spotify listeners who listen to dozens of different genres, and each playlist will usually be specific to a genre. This formula has been re-imagined, and a new dimension has been added. 

The AI DJ greets the user, discusses their favorite music with a brief snip of dialogue, and allows them to skip tracks or reshuffle the genre for the AI DJ to take another digital spin. By delving into the Spotify history of the user and browsing new releases in the genre, the music streaming company has used the AI DJ to channel Latin American music tastes. In the same way that it would collate a mix or playlist, it now uses the platform of an AI DJ to do so instead.

How Will it Redefine the Latin American Music Experience?

Whether it is salsa, reggaeton, bossa nova, ranchera, or tango music, the scope of Latin American music is broad. With millions of potential artists and songs to select from, finding music within this bracket and with the most direct appeal can be a serious challenge for listeners. Spotify has finetuned the algorithm and blends new and old tracks within these genres to better streamline the Latin American music that could most appeal to specific users.

Instead of having to manually browse music, whether via a search engine, taking a look at Spotify, or seeking out fresh tunes on YouTube, the whole purpose of Spotify’s AI DJ is to provide listeners with a personal radio station. With so many anthems and golden nuggets from Latin American history, it’s a fun way to experience new music and bring up songs that many may not have heard of or throwback to a blast from the past. 

Final Thoughts

While music and technology columnists are perennially negative about any such advances in the industry and will try their best to poke holes in it, we gave it a go and were pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Although it was AI, it felt personalized. We actually heard new Latin American music we hadn’t explored before. In terms of moving forward, Spotify is still investing time and money into embracing new technology, which isn’t something to be pessimistic about. 

There’s not unlimited scope out there though, and when it is funneled with an algorithm of a particular genre and then through the prism of the user’s personal taste, tracks can be repeated. However, it’s a fun tool for people to enjoy, and it’s an interesting way to get on board with AI for those who might be hesitant to see what this groundbreaking tech is all about. 

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