Spotify has partnered with ChatGPT to provide users with personalised music and podcast recommendations.
With the debate surrounding AI’s involvement in music and art still raging, the streaming platform has announced that Spotify Premium and Free users will now be able to link their accounts to OpenAI’s large language model ChatGPT.
This will allow the AI chatbot to assist listeners in finding new artists, playlists and podcasts, with a press release suggesting examples such as, ‘Make a playlist with some Latim artists that are on my heavy rotation’ and ‘Are there any podcasts you’d recommend if I want to go deeper into science and innovation?’
Spotify have stressed that no audio or video content will be shared with OpenAI for training purposes, and users will have to opt in to access the function.
The streamer has also said it is “continuing to invest in personalisation technology” and will still make use of “the expertise and insights of our human editors”.
Sten Garmark, global head of consumer experience at Spotify, has said: “Spotify’s vision has always been to be everywhere you are. By bringing Spotify into ChatGPT, we’re creating a powerful new way for fans to connect with the artists and creators they love conversationally, whenever inspiration strikes.”
Last month, Spotify announced that it was cracking down on AI, removing 75million tracks from its platform in an attempt to take a stand against music intended to “confuse or deceive listeners, push ‘slop’ into the ecosystem and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers”.
Since then, the Cardiff rock group Holding Absence have drawn attention to the fact that an AI ‘band’ that uses their music as ‘inspiration’ has overtaken their own streaming figures on Spotify. Frontman Lucas Woodland described the development as “shocking”, “disheartening”, “insulting” and “a wake-up call”, urging music fans to “oppose AI music, or bands like us stop existing”.
That followed a report that AI-generated songs were being uploaded to dead musicians’ profiles on Spotify, including that of the late country singer Blaze Foley.
Spotify has also come under attack in recent months from some artists, including King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who removed all of their music from the platform due to its then-CEO Daniel Ek “investing millions in AI military drone technology”. They have since uploaded all of their albums to Bandcamp. Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof are among the other artists to withdraw from Spotify.
Ek has since announced he is stepping down as Spotify CEO, as of January 1, 2026. He claimed the move is to allow him to focus on other businesses, and he will be replaced by chief business officer Alex Norström and VP of the product and technology unit, Gustav Söderström.
Dutch actor and comedian Eline Van der Velden recently debuted an AI actor named Tilly Norwood at the Zurich Film Festival, sparking outrage among actors including Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne. The Screen Actors Guild has also condemned the move, urging talent agencies not to partake in the support of AI.