Spotify unveils tool letting users edit their Taste Profile

Spotify Launches Taste Profile Editor, Giving Users Direct Control Over Recommendations

Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström used a keynote appearance at SXSW in Austin on Friday to unveil a beta feature that, for the first time, will let listeners view and edit the algorithmic Taste Profile that drives their personalized recommendations. The tool, initially rolling out to Premium subscribers in New Zealand in the coming weeks, represents the streaming giant’s most direct response yet to longstanding complaints about recommendations that miss the mark.nationaltoday

How It Works

Under the new feature, Premium users will be able to see all of their listening data — spanning music, podcasts, and audiobooks — consolidated in one place within the app by tapping on their profile picture and scrolling down. From there, they can use natural language prompts to request more or less of certain genres, artists, or “vibes,” directly shaping what surfaces on their Home page, Discover Weekly, and other personalized playlists, as well as their annual Wrapped recap.yahoo

Previously, Spotify offered only limited defensive tools: users could exclude specific tracks or playlists from influencing their Taste Profile, a feature first introduced for playlists in 2023 and expanded to individual songs in October 2025. But those options amounted to telling the algorithm what you did not want — never what you did. The new editor flips that dynamic, letting listeners actively steer recommendations rather than merely pruning them.yahoo

A Familiar Problem, a New Fix

The announcement arrives as the broader tech industry moves toward giving users more say over algorithmic feeds. Instagram launched its “Your Algorithm” controls for Reels late last year, and TikTok has long offered a feed-reset option. Spotify’s approach goes further by tying natural language input directly to its core recommendation engine across multiple content types.hypebeast

The feature had been anticipated after Android Authority reported finding code for a “Notes” system in an unreleased Spotify build last month, hinting at text-based feedback tied to the Taste Profile. Friday’s announcement confirmed those findings and put a timeline on the rollout.yahoo

The timing also coincides with Spotify’s 20th anniversary celebration at SXSW, which includes a concert at Stubb’s Amphitheater on Saturday headlined by Alanis Morissette, Ella Langley, and a DJ set from St. Vincent. Söderström’s panel alongside country star Lainey Wilson and podcast host David Friedberg explored the future of the platform two decades after co-founder Daniel Ek first introduced it to industry insiders at the same festival.theearlyregistration

Spotify said it plans to expand the Taste Profile editor to additional markets after gauging results from the New Zealand beta.nationaltoday