Proposal for Enhanced Spotify Experience: Introducing the Virtual DJ Feature

[Denis31]

Dear Spotify Developers Community,

I hope this message finds you well. As a devoted user of Spotify, I've been brainstorming ways to enhance the listening experience for all users, and I believe I've stumbled upon an idea that could revolutionize how we engage with music: the Virtual DJ feature.

Many of us grew up listening to traditional radio stations, where DJs would not only curate playlists but also engage with listeners, sharing anecdotes, cracking jokes, and even taking requests. While Spotify offers an incredible library of music, sometimes it can feel a bit solitary without that human touch.

That's where the Virtual DJ comes in. Imagine having a digital companion who introduces songs, shares interesting tidbits about artists, and even interacts with listeners. This Virtual DJ could inject a sense of warmth and personality into the listening experience, making it feel more like a radio show tailored just for you.

But the potential doesn't stop there. With the advancements in AI technology, it's entirely feasible to incorporate user input to personalize the experience even further. Users could input details about their current situation, such as "driving with my friend Mikel to downtown," and the Virtual DJ would seamlessly integrate this information into its commentary, creating a more immersive and relatable experience.

While I understand that current AI technology may lack the emotional depth required for truly lifelike interactions, I believe this is only a matter of time. By preparing for the future now, Spotify could position itself as a pioneer in bringing a human touch to digital music consumption.

I truly believe that the Virtual DJ feature has the potential to revolutionize the way we experience music on Spotify, and I'm excited to see the possibilities it could unlock. Thank you for considering this proposal, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on how we can make this idea a reality.

[Ximzend]

Do you mean: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-02-22/spotify-debuts-a-new-ai-dj-right-in-your-pocket/

[Denis31]

Yes, it looks like what I described. But not quite there yet.
The idea was not to make it like some kind of "European Hit Radio" version (if you know that station) where an automated voice just introduces the next song, but to make it like a real radio show with a DJ. First, it should stick to one genre and not mix it so dramatically. It should sound with a lot of energy, it should have mood changes according to the genre of the song, it should crack a joke, it should simulate some kind of small chat with a listener, something like "Someone is calling our radio, lets see who it is...". It should be more personalized to you at that particular moment and to achieve that there should be an input field where the user could provide some text. For example, "Now I am driving in my car with my friend Mike to meet Joe downtown" and DJ should use this information sometime during radio show simulation. And all of this should be done in a way that it does not feel like an AI simulation, the idea was to have this as a real radio show, but without advertisements. The music is not everything, you need this DJ to beat the loneliness and have some fun...

Current solution feels like "we did something, since AI is now the THING, but we have no idea what for we did this"