Spotify continues to evolve as a leader in personalised audio, introducing a range of Spotify’s User Control Features that put listeners in complete command of their experience. Recognising that every user’s musical journey is unique, the platform now offers tools that let you fine-tune your recommendations, organise your library, and interact with your music in innovative ways. With these updates, your listening experience is more flexible, interactive, and tailored than ever.
Ready to create your own music experience? Let’s dive in!
What Are Spotify’s User Control Features?
Spotify’s User Control Features are a collection of tools designed to give listeners more power over how they discover, organise, and enjoy their audio content. These include Smart Filters for sorting your library, options to hide or snooze tracks, customizable Discover Weekly playlists, enhanced queue management, and an interactive voice-powered DJ. Each feature enhances a different aspect of the Spotify experience—whether it’s improving discovery, maintaining playlist flow, or personalising playback. Together, they represent Spotify’s ongoing commitment to empowering users with deeper control and flexibility in their listening.
With that foundation in mind, let’s explore how these features transform your experience in detail.
Smart Filters: A Key Part of Spotify’s User Control Features
Managing your growing collection of saved songs, podcasts, and audiobooks has never been simpler. The Smart Filters tool, part of Spotify’s User Control Features, lets you instantly sort content by activity, mood, or genre. Whether you’re queuing up a high-energy playlist for your workout or a relaxing podcast for your evening routine, Smart Filters make it effortless. Just tap the filter icon in Your Library, select your desired mood or activity, and watch your library automatically adapt. Premium users in regions like Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US can start using this feature soon on mobile and tablet devices.
Curate Your Sound: Managing Hidden and Snoozed Tracks
Not every track fits every moment — and Spotify’s User Control Features give you smarter ways to manage that. You can now hide a song in a playlist by tapping the three dots in the Now Playing view and selecting “Hide in this playlist.” If you love a track but need a temporary break, the Snooze feature allows you to pause it in your recommendations for 30 days. This ensures your feed stays fresh without permanently removing your favourites.
Redefining Discovery: Customizable Discover Weekly
Discover Weekly has long been a staple for uncovering new music, and now it’s more dynamic than ever. You can take a more active role in shaping this personalised playlist by tapping new genre buttons, such as “Pop,” “Funk,” or “R&B,” located at the top of the playlist. This action instantly generates a fresh, 30-track mix based on your listening history but filtered through your chosen genre. This enhanced control empowers you to either explore different facets of your musical taste or dive deeper into a specific sound, ensuring your weekly discovery is always tailored to your current preferences.
Master Your Playback Queue: More Control with Spotify’s User Control Features
For Premium users, the Spotify queue has received a significant overhaul, putting robust playback controls right at your fingertips. The redesigned interface makes it effortless to manage your listening session with upgraded options for shuffle, the intelligent Smart Shuffle, and repeat functions. You can also integrate practical tools like a Sleep Timer directly into your queue. Once your current queue concludes, Spotify provides seamless recommendations; you have the choice to either keep them playing or skip them. For those who prefer absolute control, the ability to switch off Autoplay and Smart Shuffle in your settings offers complete command over your audio flow.
Talk to Your DJ: Voice-Powered Innovation in Spotify’s User Control Features
Elevate your listening experience with the interactive power of Spotify’s AI DJ feature, now available to Premium users with voice request capabilities. Simply tap and hold the DJ button, then speak your desired mood, genre, or vibe. The AI DJ will promptly update your session, seamlessly transitioning your music to match your verbal request. This innovative control transforms passive listening into an engaging, conversational journey, helping you discover fresh tracks or revisit old favourites in a truly dynamic way.
Conclusion
With Spotify’s latest User Control Features, your listening experience is truly in your hands. From smarter library management to voice-powered DJ sessions, these updates make Spotify more responsive, personal, and intuitive. You can fine-tune what you hear, organise your playlists effortlessly, and discover new music that perfectly fits your mood or moment. So, whether you’re relaxing after work, powering through a workout, or setting the tone for your morning routine, Spotify empowers you to make every moment sound exactly the way you want.
Explore the new tools today to create a soundtrack that evolves perfectly with your every mood and style.
FAQs
1. What are Spotify Smart Filters and how do they work?
Spotify Smart Filters are a new feature in Your Library that allows Premium users to quickly sort their saved music, podcasts, and audiobooks. You can filter content by categories like activity (e.g., “Workout”), mood (e.g., “Relax”), or genre (e.g., “Pop”). By tapping the filter icon and selecting an option, your library instantly reorganises to show only the relevant content, making it much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.
2. Can I prevent certain songs from appearing in my Spotify recommendations?
Yes, Spotify now offers a “Snooze” feature for Premium users. If there’s a song you generally like but want a temporary break from, you can snooze it for 30 days. This means it won’t appear in your recommendations or playlists during that period. Giving you a pause without permanently marking it as disliked in your listening preferences. For individual playlists, you can also “Hide” a song to prevent it from playing again in that specific list.
3. How can I customise my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify?
Discover Weekly has become more interactive. At the top of your Discover Weekly playlist, you’ll now find personalised genre buttons (like Pop, Funk, R&B, etc.). Tapping one of these buttons will instantly refresh the 30-track mix. Generate new recommendations specifically tailored to that chosen genre while still based on your overall listening history. This allows you to influence the type of new music Spotify suggests each week.
4. What new controls are available for managing my Spotify queue?
Premium users now have an enhanced queue experience with more robust controls. You can easily shuffle, use Smart Shuffle, repeat tracks, and even set a Sleep Timer directly from the queue interface. Additionally, after your queue finishes, you’ll see recommendations that you can either keep playing or skip. For ultimate control, you can also switch off Autoplay and Smart Shuffle settings to manage your listening flow precisely.