Introduction to Taste Profile
Spotify is giving listeners a new tool to shape the recommendations it delivers to their app’s Home feed.
The streaming platform began rolling out a feature called Taste Profile to Premium subscribers in the U.S. that allows users to see, for the first time, how Spotify understands their taste across music and other audio. Users can request changes using natural language commands to fine-tune their recommendations, or make broader changes.
Powered by Spotify’s artificial intelligence, Taste Profile was unveiled in March at the SXSW conference in Austin by Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström. However, the feature was initially available in beta only to listeners based in New Zealand.
Now, the feature is arriving in Spotify’s largest market in terms of traffic and revenue, where it will be put to a larger test among listeners aged 18 and up.
Controlling the Algorithm
In some ways, Taste Profile essentially gives users direct control over Spotify’s recommendation engine. It dictates how the streaming platform chooses what music and podcasts to suggest, including in its Discover Weekly playlist, Made for You recommendations, and the annual Spotify Wrapped review.
Image Credits:Spotify
Though Spotify’s algorithmic understanding of listener habits is a core component of its platform, recommendations do not always reflect evolving tastes, often resulting in repetitive suggestions when users want to explore new music.
By editing their Taste Profile directly, Spotify users can request more variety or ask for specific adjustments regarding genre, artist, or overall vibe.
The feature can be used to remove recommendations based on audio that users stream regularly but do not wish to influence future suggestions, such as sleep sounds or content played by children on shared accounts.
Previously, Spotify offered limited options to remove specific tracks or playlists from a user's profile, alongside a toggle switch designed to prevent children's music from impacting parental recommendations.
Image Credits:Spotify
How It Works
To access Taste Profiles on the mobile app, users select their profile picture, scroll down, and choose Taste Profile to explore how Spotify categorizes their listening habits across music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Under the adjustment menu, users can enter specific instructions and submit them.
After a brief processing period, the app’s home page reflects the updated suggestions.
Spotify indicates the tool is useful for exploring new genres, altering musical vibes, or adjusting podcast and audiobook preferences to refine future automated curation.
The feature remains in beta testing, and the company has not announced a definitive timeline for a broader public release.
