While we’re all looking forward to the unveiling of Spotify Wrapped 2023, it seems like there might be a change in the works regarding how recommendations are dished out: Spotify seems to be testing an option to switch off personalized recommendations.
This tidbit comes from code discovered in a beta version of one of Spotify’s apps, as shared by a source at MacRumors. However, the specifics about this potential new feature and how it could function for users are a bit thin at the moment.
As we know, personalized recommendations are crafted based on your listening history and habits. Most folks probably want to keep them on to discover more music that suits their tastes. If you were to disable personalized recommendations, the suggestions would likely default to what’s trending, popular, or handpicked by Spotify staff.
It seems like this feature will be an optional extra for users, so personalized recommendations won’t be going away completely. It could also come in handy, especially if someone else (like your kids) is using your Spotify account—though the Taste Profile features already let you tweak your recommendation preferences to some extent.
By default, Spotify keeps tabs on everything you do in the app to make sure you always have something to listen to. This includes algorithm-driven recommendations for Spotify audiobooks and podcasts too. Some folks might not want to rely solely on algorithms and AI, or they might be uncomfortable with Spotify keeping track of every playlist they play—or maybe both. Until we get an official word on what this new setting might mean, we can only speculate about its potential implementation.
The built-in tracking is what powers features like Spotify Wrapped 2023, offering a deep dive into all the tracks you’ve played over the years and highlighting some listening trends you might not have noticed otherwise.
Rest assured, we’ll keep you in the loop if we hear anything else about what might be happening with Spotify and personalized recommendations. In the meantime, check out our Spotify tips and tricks guide to get more out of the music streaming service.
