Amazon Music Introduces Maestro: AI Playlist Generator Following Spotify’s Lead
Following in Spotify’s footsteps, Amazon Music announced on Tuesday its own venture into AI-generated playlists. Maestro, the AI playlist generator, is currently in testing phase, allowing U.S. customers on iOS and Android platforms to create playlists using voice or text prompts, including emojis.
Amazon suggests that users can input prompts related to activities, moods, or sounds, and even select from suggested prompts if unsure. Within seconds, an AI-generated playlist matching the inputted criteria should appear.
However, as Maestro is in beta, Amazon cautions that it may not always get it right initially. Similar to Spotify, Amazon has implemented safeguards to prevent offensive content and inappropriate prompts.
At present, Maestro’s availability is limited. It’s accessible to a subset of free Amazon Music users, Prime members, and Unlimited Amazon Music subscribers in the U.S. on iOS and Android.
Subscribers enjoy additional features such as instant playlist listening and saving options, whereas Prime members and ad-supported users can preview songs for 30 seconds before saving. This strategic move could encourage users to upgrade to premium subscriptions if they find the AI functionality appealing, aligning with the trend of offering premium AI experiences as part of paid services.
To access Maestro, users must have the latest Amazon Music mobile app version and select Maestro from the home screen or when creating a new playlist. They can then input their playlist idea via voice or text and start streaming. Playlists can be saved and shared with friends.
Some suggested playlists include emojis like “😭 and eating 🍝,” “Make my 👶 a genius,” “Myspace era hip-hop,” “🏜️🌵🤠,” “Music my grandparents made out to,” “🎤🚿🧼”, and “I tracked my friends and they’re all hanging out without me,” showcasing the playful nature of Maestro’s prompts.
Amazon has not specified a timeline for Maestro’s broader rollout but has indicated it will expand to more customers gradually.