Spotify is giving users unprecedented control over one of its most popular features, introducing genre filters to its Discover Weekly playlist that allow subscribers to steer the algorithm toward specific musical styles.
The Swedish streaming giant announced the changes Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of Discover Weekly, a personalized playlist that updates every Monday and has generated more than 100 billion streams since its 2015 launch. Premium subscribers can now select from up to five genre options at the top of their playlist, with the algorithm adapting the 30-track selection based on their choices.
The update responds to mounting user complaints about repetitive recommendations and poor genre classification that have plagued the feature in recent months1. Many subscribers reported that their weekly playlists kept recycling the same songs rather than delivering fresh discoveries1.
"Whether you're in the mood for something familiar or want to switch things up, your playlist will instantly adapt to match your mood," Spotify said in announcing the changes2.
The company had already begun addressing these issues in May by updating its genre recognition system and recommendation algorithms1. The new genre controls represent a more direct solution, allowing users to guide the algorithm rather than passively accept its suggestions3.
The Discover Weekly changes are part of Spotify's recent push to give users more influence over its algorithmic recommendations. In May, the company introduced a "snooze" button that temporarily removes tracks from recommendations for 30 days, along with enhanced queue controls that show upcoming algorithmic picks12.
"For a long time, users could only like or skip tracks and hope the algorithm adjusted. Now, they can intervene more directly," according to a report by Tech Economy3.
Discover Weekly has become a crucial discovery mechanism for emerging artists, with 77% of the playlist's streams coming from lesser-known musicians12. The feature helps subscribers discover more than 56 million new artists weekly1.
The genre controls are currently rolling out to Premium subscribers on mobile devices, with plans to expand access to more users soon34. Users can access the updated feature through Spotify's "Made for You" hub, provided they have the latest app version installed25.
The playlist is also receiving a visual refresh with updated graphics that will change weekly alongside the music selections16.
