Spotify is introducing a new feature that gives listeners more direct control over how the platform recommends music and other audio content. The company revealed that users will soon be able to review and edit their “Taste Profile,” the internal system Spotify uses to understand listening habits and generate personalized recommendations.
The feature is launching in beta and will first become available to Spotify Premium subscribers in New Zealand. Once enabled, users will be able to access a dedicated section in the app that displays the data shaping their recommendations. From there, they can adjust the profile and influence what the platform suggests in the future.
Spotify’s Taste Profile sits at the center of the service’s recommendation engine. It analyzes listening patterns across music, podcasts, and audiobooks to determine what users are likely to enjoy next. The data feeds into several well-known Spotify features, including Discover Weekly playlists, Made For You recommendations, and the company’s annual listening summary known as Spotify Wrapped.
Until now, users had limited visibility into how that profile worked. Spotify offered tools that allowed certain songs or playlists to be excluded from recommendation data, but those options were relatively narrow. Users could remove specific items from influencing their profile, yet the broader listening model remained largely hidden.
The new system aims to make that process more transparent. In the updated app interface, users will be able to view their Taste Profile in one place. Accessing it involves tapping the profile icon and scrolling down to the relevant section. Once there, users can adjust the model using natural language prompts. For example, they might ask the system to recommend more of a certain style or reduce suggestions tied to a particular genre or listening context.
Spotify says that once adjustments are made, the changes will directly affect what appears on the app’s home screen. Personalized recommendations, playlists, and suggested listening categories should begin reflecting the updated preferences.
The feature addresses a common complaint among Spotify users: recommendations that do not accurately reflect personal taste. Over time, a listening profile can become cluttered with content that users only played temporarily or for specific situations.
Shared accounts are one reason for this problem. Many households access a single Spotify account through devices such as smart speakers, televisions, or connected car systems. In those cases, multiple people may contribute to the listening history, which can distort the algorithm’s understanding of the primary user’s preferences.
Another issue involves situational listening. Many users play sleep sounds, background audio, children’s music, or temporary playlists that don’t represent their actual musical interests. Even occasional listening sessions can influence the recommendation system and alter the types of tracks Spotify suggests later.
These factors have also affected the accuracy of Spotify Wrapped, the company’s widely shared year-end recap that summarizes listening habits. For users whose accounts are frequently shared with family members, the annual summary can sometimes highlight artists or genres that do not reflect their own preferences.
By allowing users to review and modify the Taste Profile directly, Spotify is attempting to address these long-standing frustrations while giving listeners more influence over the platform’s recommendation system.
For now, the feature remains in beta and is limited to Premium users in New Zealand. Spotify says it plans to expand availability to other markets after the initial testing phase. The rollout will likely happen gradually as the company evaluates how users interact with the new controls and how those adjustments affect recommendation accuracy.
