Spotify has launched Taste Profile in the US, a new tool that lets Premium subscribers edit the data Spotify uses to generate their Home feed recommendations.
The feature arrived on Wednesday for US users. It replaces the previous system where listeners could only exclude specific tracks or playlists. Now, users can request changes using natural language commands to fine-tune suggestions across music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Gustav Söderström, Spotify co-CEO, first showed the tool in March at SXSW in Austin. It was initially a beta test for listeners in New Zealand.
Spotify is now bringing the feature to its largest market by traffic and revenue. The rollout targets listeners aged 18 and up for a wider test.
How the tool works
Taste Profile gives users direct access to the logic behind Spotify’s suggestions. This applies to the Discover Weekly playlist, Made for You recommendations, and the annual Spotify Wrapped review.
The platform’s algorithmic understanding of listener habits is a major reason for its success. However, recommendations do not always match evolving tastes. The system often suggests too-similar music when a user wants to branch out.
Users can now ask for more variety or request more or less of a specific genre, artist, or overall vibe. The tool can also remove recommendations for content that a user streams regularly but does not want to see more of.
For example, a user might want to stop seeing sleep sounds played at night. Similarly, a parent can ensure a teenager’s car playlist does not impact their own recommendations.
Spotify previously added a toggle to prevent kids’ music from affecting a parent’s profile. Taste Profile expands on this by allowing broader adjustments to the underlying taste data.
To access the feature on the mobile app, tap your profile picture, scroll down, and select Taste Profile. You will see how Spotify currently understands your taste across different audio types.
Under the Tell us more section, enter your desired adjustments and send the message. Your Home Page will reflect a different set of suggestions after a few hours.
Spotify says the tool helps when you want to explore a new genre or era but are unsure where to start. You can also adjust the vibe of the music or shape podcast and audiobook recommendations.
The feature remains in beta. Spotify did not provide a timeline for when it would reach a wider audience.
What it means
Listeners can now correct the algorithm directly rather than waiting for it to guess their preferences. This should reduce the number of repetitive suggestions and allow users to steer the system toward new genres or specific moods without needing to manually hide tracks.
