YouTube Music begins testing AI-powered personalized radio stations to challenge Spotify

Spotify's recommendation algorithms might be the king of music recommendations, however, YouTube Music is currently experimenting with an AI recommender that could be a strong challenger.

The streaming app is currently testing a new feature called "Ask for music any way you like" that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized radio stations similar to Spotify's AI DJ. But, taking a step further from the competition, this feature lets you describe your preference using text prompts or voice commands.

By tapping on "Ask for music any way you like", which will appear in your Home feed, you can go ahead to enter a prompt via voice to curate your personalized recommendations.

Images shared by 9to5Google reveal the prompt-generated radio feature in action, with users entering phrases such as "Queer hip-hop beats" to generate custom playlists. In response, YouTube Music crafted a playlist labelled "rhymes and flows from the heart, a celebration of queer pride in hip hop's art."

The feature also provides suggested prompts like "catchy pop choruses," "epic soundtracks," "upbeat pop anthems," and "surprise me," to curate your recommendations.

However, the accuracy of the AI's selections is still a work in progress and YouTube Music has acknowledged that this is an experimental feature and not yet a full release.

Once available, its over 100 million users, according to YouTube, will find a new card in their Home feed titled "Ask for music any way you like."

This development comes on the heels of the recently launched "you sing it, we'll play it" audio recognition feature that helps you identify songs by singing or humming.

The foray into AI-driven personalization signals YouTube Music’s ambition to rival Spotify's prowess in this area. By focusing on user experience and leveraging cutting-edge technology, YouTube Music is positioning itself at the forefront of the music streaming industry’s next evolution.