Spotify adds playlist and AI tools

Spotify has spent the past week adding new playlist controls, expanding AI playlist prompts and pushing new AI audio products across music and podcasts. On May 28, the company said it was rolling out mobile playlist folders, bulk editing tools, updated queue controls and background downloads on iOS. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify also published its 2026 Songs of Summer predictions on May 29, naming 30 tracks and adding a voting button inside the playlist. Separately, Spotify has been widening its AI push through Prompted Playlist, a natural-language playlist tool, and new podcast features it outlined at Investor Day in May. (newsroom.spotify.com) Here’s the thread. 1/ Spotify’s latest product update is not one feature but a bundle. On May 28, Spotify said it was rolling out four user-facing changes: playlist folders on mobile, bulk actions inside playlists, refreshed queue controls and background downloads on iOS for Premium users. (newsroom.spotify.com) 2/ The playlist folders feature is aimed at organization. Spotify said users can group playlists by mood, activity or genre, while bulk actions let people edit or reorganize multiple songs, audiobooks or podcast episodes at once. (newsroom.spotify.com) 3/ The queue update is partly a Premium play. Spotify said Premium listeners are getting easier reshuffling of play queues, while background downloads on iOS are meant to make offline listening more dependable. (newsroom.spotify.com) 4/ The AI piece starts with playlists. Spotify’s Prompted Playlist feature lets Premium users create playlists using everyday language rather than artist names or genre filters. Spotify said in January the beta was expanding in the United States and Canada after an earlier test in New Zealand. (newsroom.spotify.com) 5/ Spotify widened that same tool to podcasts on April 7. The company said Prompted Playlist could now build mixes that include podcast episodes, using listening history and real-time signals on the platform. (betanews.com) 6/ The broader AI push now reaches beyond playlisting. At Investor Day on May 21, Spotify said it was adding more interactive and personalized podcast features, and outside coverage this week described AI-generated summaries and podcast-style audio products as part of that push. (newsroom.spotify.com) 7/ Spotify also used the moment to lean into editorial programming. On May 29, the company published its 2026 Songs of Summer predictions, a 30-track list selected by Spotify’s editorial team. (newsroom.spotify.com) 8/ The voting feature is new. Spotify said listeners can tap “Vote” at the top of the Songs of Summer playlist and share their pick on social media or through Spotify Messages. Music In Africa reported the list was framed around tracks Spotify believes could shape Northern Hemisphere listening trends this summer. (newsroom.spotify.com) 9/ The artist mix shows how broad the list is. Yahoo’s coverage said the 30-song lineup included artists such as Zara Larsson, Drake and Ella Langley, while other reports highlighted Dave and Tems among the selections. (newsroom.spotify.com) 10/ The near-term next step is already inside the app. Spotify said the playlist-management tools are rolling out now, the Songs of Summer vote is live on the playlist, and Prompted Playlist remains in beta for Premium users in the United States and Canada. (newsroom.spotify.com) (yahoo.com) (newsroom.spotify.com)