Gadget of the Week: Now playing – your comfort zone, on repeat

What if your music app starts talking to you? Not in the Siri or Alexa sense, but like a radio host who’s been quietly stalking your playlists for years and has thoughts on your teenage heartbreak anthems?

That’s the premise behind Spotify’s new DJ: an AI-generated voice that curates and introduces songs. Just for you.

What is it?
Spotify DJ is an AI-powered voice feature for Premium users that curates and narrates music sets based on their listening history, combining Spotify’s algorithms with a synthetic voice trained on a real human.

It’s supposed to feel like the future of radio. But most of the time, it sounds like your comfort zone, on repeat.

The idea of personalised music isn’t new. Spotify’s Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes and Wrapped have long turned data into dopamine. Addiction, but without the withdrawal. It seems that Spotify is looking for those elusive withdrawal symptoms, by introducing a voice.

Specifically, it uses the synthesised tones of Xavier “X” Jernigan, a former Spotify podcast host, to generate a DJ on the fly. He queues up tracks and then introduces them. His breezy tones include lines like: “Hey Arthur, looks like you’ve been diving into old-school indie music. Let’s keep that going.”

It’s smooth. It’s friendly. After a while, it’s repetitive.

DJ leans heavily on one’s existing listening patterns, especially the most liked tracks and playlists. Which means that unless you’ve recently gone exploring in the far corners of your musical universe, you’re likely to get more of the same. And again. And again.

Look, when I want music that sounds like Arctic Monkeys, I obviously want music that is not Arctic Monkeys. Xavier thinks I should listen to Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino yet again.

As the song has it:

“Technological advances/ Really bloody get me in the mood.”

The promise here is of a smart, reactive curator. In reality, it’s a polished script laid over a recommendation engine that still hasn’t learned how to surprise. Yes, the voice adds novelty, and the occasional nugget of context. However, the music stays stubbornly familiar.

Spotify says DJ is powered by OpenAI’s language models, combined with its in-house recommendation algorithms and editorial curation. It analyses what you’ve been listening to, what you’ve skipped, and what you’ve looped, and tries to assemble a stream that feels fresh. On paper, it’s a marvel of machine learning. In practice, it often feels like someone reading your own playlist back to you, with commentary.

To its credit, DJ doesn’t talk too much. “It” introduces a theme, then gets out of the way for a few tracks. If you skip a song, it may respond by shifting direction or switching sets entirely. But that feedback loop tends to reinforce what you already like, rather than opening new doors.

And this is where Spotify misses a trick. A DJ, whether in a club, on the radio, or at a wedding, earns their stripes by reading the room and playing a little left of expectations. Great DJs create a journey. Spotify DJ, for now, seems more like a voiceover artist for a playlist in the bus station.

And there’s only one voice. No option to switch to a different tone, gender, accent or language. Spotify has hinted that future voices will be added, but the lack of choice undercuts the idea of personalisation. A custom experience that sounds the same for everyone isn’t as bespoke as it thinks it is.

Still, there’s potential. DJ is a smooth addition to the app, requiring no new setup or interface. Tap “DJ” and it starts playing. No menus, no searching. That alone would appeal to users overwhelmed by the paradox of choice in music streaming. For casual listeners who like familiar vibes, DJ may well be what they want.

But for anyone hoping to be musically challenged or expanded beyond their algorithmic comfort zone, not so much.

Spotify DJ wants to be your personal radio station. But for now, it’s mostly just narrating your algorithm.

What does it cost?

Included in the Spotify Premium subscription, currently R69.99 per month in South Africa.

Why does it matter?

DJ marks a shift in how streaming services present content; from silent suggestions to narrated recommendations. It’s Spotify’s bid to turn your music app into a voiced companion. If they get it right, this could change how we discover music. If not, it risks becoming an annoying radio announcer who won’t stop reminding you what you already like… or used to like.

What are the biggest negatives?

• Repeats music you already overplay, limiting discovery
• No choice of voice, tone, or language
• Lacks the spark and unpredictability of a real DJ or radio host

What are the biggest positives?

• Simple, seamless integration: no learning curve
• Adds personality and context to the listening experience
• Provides a glimpse into how AI might shape future media interfaces

* Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za and author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI”.