Tag: Xavier Jernigan

Spotify presenta AI DJ en español para los fans de la música en todo el mundo

July 17, 2024

Cuando lanzamos AI DJ en inglés el año pasado, ofrecimos a los usuarios una nueva forma de conectar y descubrir música en Spotify. DJ es una guía de IA personalizada que te conoce a ti y a tus gustos musicales tan bien que puede elegir qué reproducir para ti. Combina una selección curada de canciones con una voz impulsada por IA y complementa la experiencia con datos e información relevantes sobre las canciones y artistas que te recomienda. Todo esto se crea a través de la poderosa mezcla entre la tecnología de personalización de Spotify, la IA generativa en manos de nuestros editores expertos en música y una voz de IA real y cercana.

Y ahora es momento de llevar nuestro AI DJ, en versión beta, a los usuarios de Spotify Premium de habla hispana en todo el mundo.

Desde el debut de AI DJ, hemos aprendido la importancia de darle contexto a nuestros usuarios sobre lo que están escuchando. Cuando los oyentes reciben comentarios junto con sus recomendaciones musicales personalizadas, es más probable que escuchen una canción que de otro modo se habrían saltado. A los usuarios Premium les encanta DJ. El oyente medio de DJ pasa más tiempo escuchando DJ que los oyentes de cualquier otro set recomendado.

Ya sea que aprendas algo nuevo sobre tu artista favorito o recuerdes un buen momento mientras escuchas una canción nostálgica, AI DJ agrega momentos divertidos a tu experiencia auditiva que te harán volver por más. Los usuarios Premium que escuchan DJ, escuchan más Spotify. Observamos un aumento de las escuchas la semana siguiente a la primera vez que un usuario escucha DJ en comparación con la semana anterior.

Quizás conozcas a Xavier Jernigan (sus amigos lo llaman “X”) como el primer modelo de voz de DJ con IA, en inglés.

X es el Head of Cultural Partnerships de Spotify y ha sido host de numerosos podcasts en Spotify durante los últimos años. Su personalidad y voz resonaron entre nuestros oyentes, por lo que fue la opción elegida. X no irá a ninguna parte, pero los usuarios que conocen y aman la voz en inglés ahora tienen la opción de elegir escuchar DJ en español.

El impacto del español dentro de la cultura musical es innegable: desde la popularidad de los artistas latinos en nuestra plataforma hasta el poder de la música para romper las barreras del idioma. Tenemos millones de oyentes de habla hispana en Spotify, muchos de los cuales han utilizado las redes sociales para preguntar sobre AI DJ. De hecho, en los últimos meses, hemos visto un aumento de más del 215 % en las conversaciones en social media sobre AI DJ en español. Lanzar AI DJ en español fue el siguiente paso natural en la evolución del producto y estamos emocionados de que el mundo conozca a Livi, la voz de AI DJ en español.

Presentamos a DJ Livi

Para crear el modelo de voz para AI DJ en español, colaboramos con nuestra propia editora senior, Olivia “Livi” Quiroz Roa, quien está basada en la Ciudad de México y ha dedicado toda su carrera a esta industria.

En su día a día, Livi se encarga de la curaduría de playlists populares en la plataforma y ha desempeñado un papel fundamental en el lanzamiento de nuestro programa EQUAL en México.

Después de un extenso casting internacional, la voz de Livi fue la que más resonó entre los usuarios. Los usuarios que evaluaron realmente sintieron que era una voz cercana y era como escuchar recomendaciones de música de una amiga.

Cómo empezar a utilizar AI DJ en español

La voz en español estará disponible para los oyentes Premium en los países donde AI DJ está disponible actualmente. Además, la función ahora se está expandiendo a usuarios Premium en España y en países seleccionados de Latinoamérica, incluidos Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, República Dominicana, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay y Venezuela.

Cuando utilices Spotify Premium en un país donde AI DJ esté disponible, así es como puedes encontrarlo:

Ve a la pestaña Buscar en Spotify.
Busca “DJ”.
Ponle play y deja que tu DJ personalizado haga el resto.
Para cambiar de idioma, simplemente toca el menú de tres puntos dentro de AI DJ y elige entre inglés o español.

En esencia, AI DJ se trata del descubrimiento y la conexión. Al darte un contexto relevante sobre tus recomendaciones musicales, estamos creando conexiones aún más profundas entre los artistas y sus fans. Con Livi como la voz de AI DJ en español, ahora tenemos la oportunidad de llegar a millones de oyentes de habla hispana en nuestra plataforma y ofrecerles una forma completamente nueva de escuchar Spotify.

Spotify Brings AI DJ to Spanish-Speaking Music Fans Around the World

July 17, 2024

When we launched our AI DJ in English last year, it gave listeners a new way to connect with and discover music on Spotify. DJ is a personalized AI guide that knows you and your musical tastes so well it can choose what to play for you. It combines a curated lineup of songs with an AI-powered voice that provides commentary about those recommendations. This is all created through the powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI in the hands of our expert music editors, and a real and relatable AI voice.

Now it’s time to bring our AI DJ, in beta, to Spanish-speaking Spotify Premium users around the world.

Since the debut of the AI DJ, we’ve learned the importance of context for our users. When listeners hear commentary alongside personal music recommendations, they’re more likely to listen to a song they may have otherwise skipped. Premium users love DJ. The median DJ listener spends more time listening to DJ than listeners of any other recommended set.

Whether you learn something new about your favorite artist or evoke a fond memory while listening to a nostalgic track, DJ brings playful moments to your listening experience that keep you coming back for more. Premium Users who listen to DJ listen to more Spotify. We see an increase in listenership the week after a user first listens to the DJ compared to the week before.

You may know Xavier Jernigan (his friends call him “X”) as the very first AI voice model of DJ, in English.

X is Spotify’s Head of Cultural Partnerships and has hosted numerous podcasts on Spotify over the years. His personality and voice resonated with our listeners, so he was a natural first pick. X isn’t going anywhere, but listeners who know and love the voice now have the option to choose to hear another DJ voice in Spanish.

The impact of the Spanish language within music culture is undeniable—from the popularity of Latin artists on our platform to the power of music in breaking down language barriers. We have millions of Spanish-speaking listeners on Spotify, many of whom have been taking to social media to ask about DJ. In fact, over the last few months, we’ve seen an over 215% increase in social conversation around DJ in Spanish. Rolling out DJ in Spanish was a natural next step in the evolution of the product, and we’re excited for the world to meet Livi, the voice of DJ in Spanish.

Introducing DJ Livi

To create the voice model for the DJ in Spanish, we enlisted our own Senior Music Editor, Olivia “Livi” Quiroz Roa, a Spotify music editor based in Mexico City who has spent her entire career in the music industry.

In her day job, Livi curates popular playlists on platform and has played an instrumental role in the launch of our EQUAL program in Mexico.

After an extensive international casting call, Livi’s voice resonated the most with users. Testers really felt it was relatable and like they were hearing music recommendations from a friend.

How to get started with DJ in Spanish

The Spanish-speaking voice will be available for Premium listeners in markets where DJ is currently available. It is expanding to Premium users in Spain and across select markets in Latin America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

As long as you’re using Spotify Premium in a market where DJ is available, here’s how you can find it:

Head to the Search tab on Spotify.
Search “DJ.”
Press play and let your personalized DJ do the rest.
To switch languages, simply tap the three-dot menu within the DJ card and choose between English or Spanish.

At its core, DJ is about discovery and connection. By providing context around your music recommendations, we’re creating even deeper connections between artists and fans. With Livi as the voice of DJ in Spanish, we now have the opportunity to reach millions of Spanish listeners on our platform and bring them an entirely new way to listen to Spotify.

That’s a Wrap on Cannes Lions 2024! Inside the Awards, Spotify Beach Action, and More

June 21, 2024

This week, Spotify returned to the South of France for the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which recognizes excellence in the world of marketing and advertising. This annual gathering of the biggest brands, coolest creators, and most famous faces is an exciting opportunity to showcase how our platform inspires creativity, connection, and innovation.

This year, we’re thrilled to share that Spotify Advertising took home nine awards for Spreadbeats, our latest B2B marketing campaign that features a first-of-its-kind music video made and distributed entirely in a media plan spreadsheet. The campaign earned one Grand Prix Lion, two Gold Lions, three Silver Lions, and three Bronze Lions across several categories, including Digital Craft, Creative B2B, Creative Data, and more. It was the most shortlisted of all Cannes Lions submissions. Additionally, Spotify won a Bronze Lion in the Creative Effectiveness category for our 2023 Wrapped On-Platform experience, our biggest Wrapped yet.

These wins cap off a jam-packed week for Spotify at Cannes. With it being our 10th year at the festival, we wanted to make sure the Spotify experience was more alive than ever. As Cannes Lions lit up the Croisette, Spotify Beach was at the center of the action, home to inspiring conversations during the day and unmissable musical performances at night. Relive all the festivities and see photos from each day below.

Monday, June 17

We kicked things off with some fascinating conversations with singer-songwriter Shaboozey and PepsiCo International Beverages Chief Marketing Officer Mark Kirkham, who touched on brand partnership and creative content, with a special focus on the relationship between music, sports, and culture.

From there, comedian, content creator, and Therapuss host Jake Shane sat down with Brad Ross, VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing & Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company, to discuss building a community on Spotify and defining your brand. We capped the conversation off with the exciting announcement that Spotify is bringing daylist—our ever-changing playlist feature—to even more fans in more languages around the world in the coming months. “I love using Spotify to document my life—I add songs kind of like a diary. With daylist, it’s really fun getting playlists that capture what I’m feeling on a random Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday morning,” said Jake. “It’s like a musical diary entry made for me.”

Last but not least, we gathered some of the week’s hottest stars at a scenic villa in the hills for our annual Spotify Soirée. The evening featured an acoustic performance from John Legend, as well as DJ sets from Tinea Taylor and Pearl Thusi. Guests included Jessica Alba, Joe Burrow, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York, Alix Earle, and Sophia Bush, among others.

Spotify’s AI DJ Brings a Personalized Listening Experience to Fans in the UK and Ireland

May 16, 2023

In February we unveiled DJ, a personalized AI guide that understands you and your music taste so well that it does the choosing for you. Now we’re excited to start rolling out DJ in beta to Premium users across the U.K. and Ireland.

At its core, DJ is all about connection and discovery. And thanks to DJ’s powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI through the use of OpenAI technology in the hands of our music experts, and a dynamic AI voice, listening has never felt so personal.

When we were deciding where to offer DJ next, the U.K. and Ireland just made sense. We have a team of local music experts on the ground in the region, and it’s where some of DJ’s fundamental technology has been developed.

We also know there’s demand: While we’ve seen fans across the globe asking for DJ, it was most commonly requested by users on social media in the U.K. and Ireland.* But don’t just take it from us . . .

When users in the U.K. and Ireland tune in they will be greeted by a stunningly realistic AI voice, modeled after Spotify’s own Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan. Plus, they’ll be served songs and context geared towards them. For example, users who tune in right around launch may hear about how Arlo Parks is releasing her newest album, My Soft Machine, at the end of May alongside her collab, “Phoenix,” with friend and longtime role model Phoebe Bridgers. And when it comes to an engaging listening experience, these moments of relevant context are winning DJ users over.

We’ve found that when DJ listeners hear commentary alongside personal music recommendations, they’re more willing to try something new (or listen to a song they may have otherwise skipped). On days when users tune in, fans spend 25% of their listening time with DJ—and they keep coming back. More than half of first-time listeners come back to listen to DJ the very next day.**

And DJ has especially resonated with Gen Z and Millennials, who make up 87% of DJ users.***

But this is just the beginning. DJ is still in beta, and we’ll continue to iterate and innovate to evolve the experience over time.

Ready to give DJ a try? Just head to your Music Feed on Home in mobile.

*Results based on tweets between February 22, 2023 – May 11, 2023 from users with a publicly identifiable location.

**Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from February 22, 2023 to March 1, 2023.

***Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from April 28, 2023 to May 4, 2023.

Spotify Debuts a New AI DJ, Right in Your Pocket

February 22, 2023

Personalization is at the heart of what we do at Spotify—just think of fan-favorite playlists like Discover Weekly, or our annual Wrapped campaign. The beauty of these experiences is our ability to deliver the right piece of music for that exact moment in time, and maybe even connect you with your next favorite artist in the process. We’re building on that innovation by harnessing the power of AI in an entirely new way. And today, we’re excited to share that we’re taking our personalization to a whole new level with DJ.

Ready for a brand-new way to listen on Spotify and connect even more deeply with the artists you love? The DJ is a personalized AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you. This feature, first rolling out in beta, will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice.

It will sort through the latest music and look back at some of your old favorites—maybe even resurfacing that song you haven’t listened to for years. It will then review what you might enjoy and deliver a stream of songs picked just for you. And what’s more, it constantly refreshes the lineup based on your feedback.

If you’re not feeling the vibe, just tap the DJ button and it will switch it up. The more you listen and tell the DJ what you like (and don’t like!), the better its recommendations get. Think of it as the very best of Spotify’s personalization—but as an AI DJ in your pocket.

How our AI DJ works

To create the DJ we reimagined the way users listen on Spotify. The DJ knows you and your music taste so well that it will scan the latest releases we know you’ll like, or take you back to that nostalgic playlist you had on repeat last year. Never before has listening felt so completely personal to each and every user, thanks to the powerful combination of:

Spotify’s personalization technology, which gives you a lineup of music recommendations based on what we know you like.

Generative AI through the use of OpenAI technology. We put this in the hands of our music editors to provide you with insightful facts about the music, artists, or genres you’re listening to. The expertise of our editors is something that’s really important to our philosophy at Spotify.

We have experts in genres who know music and culture inside and out. And no one knows the music scene better than they do. With this generative AI tooling, our editors are able to scale their innate knowledge in ways never before possible.

A dynamic AI voice platform from our Sonantic acquisition that brings to life stunningly realistic voices from text.

To create the voice model for the DJ, we partnered with our own Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan. Previously, X served as one of the hosts on Spotify’s first (and personalized) morning show, The Get Up. His personality and voice resonated with our listeners and resulted in a loyal following for the podcast. His voice is the first model for the DJ, and we’ll continue to iterate and innovate, as we do with all our products.

Where to find the DJ

Ready to have the DJ soundtrack your day? It’s rolling out in English starting today for Spotify Premium users in the U.S. and Canada.

Head to your Music Feed on Home in the Spotify mobile app on your iOS or Android device.
Tap Play on the DJ card.
Let Spotify do the rest! The DJ will serve a lineup of music alongside short commentary on the songs and artists, picked just for you.
Not feeling the vibe? Just hit the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen to be taken to a different genre, artist, or mood.

At Spotify we’re uniquely positioned to transform audio. We’re always looking for innovative new ways to improve our users’ listening experiences to meet their needs—so stay tuned for more.

*Update May 16, 2023: DJ is now rolling out in the UK and Ireland

*Update August 8, 2023: DJ is now rolling out in 46 more markets around the world

VidCon 2022: Spotify and SZA Give Gen Z Fans and Creators an Unforgettable Experience

June 27, 2022

Last week, more than 75,000 people came together for VidCon 2022, one of the largest creator and consumer conferences in the U.S. Over the span of four days, Gen Z stars, industry leaders, and fans enjoyed talks, meet and greets, games, and live music performances. As an official sponsor, Spotify was there to make sure fans had an incredible experience.

Spotify had something for everyone: Creators gained wisdom from Spotify leaders like Jessica Angeles, Senior Partner Manager at Anchor, and Tracy Rivas, Creator Partner Manager, who explained why they should be including Spotify in their video content strategy. Fans, meanwhile, could receive an audio tarot reading based on their mood and music tastes, have their audio aura captured in a photo (which correlated with collaborative, aura-specific playlists), and collect exclusive Spotify swag.

The Handmaid’s Tale, The O.C., and 7 Other Shows That Have Formed Our Music Tastes

April 25, 2018

If you ugly cry during This Is Us, it could be that The Cinematic Orchestra’s heartbreaking song is tugging at you just as much as Rebecca and Jack. And if Phantom Planet or Snow Patrol have shown up in your Spotify playlists, chances are it’s because you’re feeling nostalgic for The O.C. or Grey’s Anatomy. TV shows of a newer era are known not only for evoking an urge to binge watch, but for uncovering new artists and influencing the music we listen to.

When shows began writing music into the key moments in their scripts as opposed to doing it after the fact—shows of the early 2000s like The Sopranos and The O.C. get much of the credit for jumpstarting the approach—audiences became even more addicted and artists had a new platform for their music to reach the masses.

“There’s a difference between finding music just to bridge scenes and be a part of the background, and using the music to help move the narrative along. Music has actually become a character in itself,” says Xavier Jernigan, Spotify’s head of North America for shows and editorial and host of Showstopper, Spotify’s podcast that takes listeners inside the playlists of favorite TV shows. (Bonus: Every episode of Showstopper has an accompanying playlist so you can really dive into the music.)

Jernigan names The Sopranos season finale—that unforgettable diner scene featuring Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”—as a turning point. “It marked such a seminal moment in a TV series and gave that song a whole new life—it jumped up the charts,” he notes. Maggie Phillips, music supervisor for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, agrees: “TV has grown and changed since then. There is so much great content now and thus the soundtracks are better and more elevated,” she says.

For example, season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, which premieres April 25, features a mix of indie and older but perhaps forgotten female artists. “Primarily, songs are used as a tool to illustrate what’s going on in June’s head. They act in the same way as the voiceovers do. June as a handmaid can’t speak up, or talk about her life, but we connect with her by hearing what’s going on in her head through voiceover or song,” Phillips says.

To further showcase the synergy between show narrative and soundtrack, Spotify and Hulu recently expanded their partnership through a new all-you-can-stream subscription plan, Spotify Premium, now with Hulu.

“Hulu is doing the storytelling, and Spotify can help extend that story with the music and delving into the playlists. It extends the life of these shows,” Jernigan says. Below, he shares what TV-music marriages are on his must-see, must-listen lists.

Insecure: “Sometimes a particular song by a particular artist can be a statement the show is making. It’s exactly what encouraged them to have Kendrick Lamar’s song right as the first song. It was like, ‘We are here.’ When you’re in the world of Insecure that’s a different LA then say, NCIS: Los Angeles. This is L.A., but it’s not Hollywood.”

Dawson’s Creek: “In the ‘90s, shows like Dawson’s Creek used contemporary music like the Paula Cole theme song to tap into the sound of the moment.”

The O.C.: “They took what Dawson’s Creek was doing because it’s the same kind of show, updated it, and took it to another level.”

Glee: “That one was dope because it introduced people to the world of a capella. It used the common thread of music to help aid in acceptance.”

How to Get Away with Murder: “Music added a cool factor. How to Get Away with Murder brought out a different layer of emotion that people really identify with.”

This is Us: “The soundtrack is hopeful. It’s grounded in the journeys that this family is going through, collectively and individually.”

Big Little Lies: “They use some current songs that just have that older sound; they use a lot of Leon Bridges, for example. It makes the show feel a little more timeless.”

Atlanta: “They’re using music to highlight that city in a way that hasn’t been done before. It’s an insider view, and it’s the kind of music people who actually live in Atlanta listen to.”

Craving more music and TV insights? Watch the above shows and more onHulu, and relive your favorite soundtracks on Showstopper.