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DJ X is an artificial intelligence disc jockey developed by Spotify and launched in February 2023 as part of its Premium subscription service. The feature combines personalization algorithms, generative AI, and synthetic voice technology to deliver playlists accompanied by commentary. The English-language voice of DJ X is modeled on Spotify’s head of cultural partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan. In July 2024, Spotify introduced a Spanish-speaking counterpart, DJ Livi, voiced by Olivia Quiroz Roa.

Development and features

Spotify acquired the AI voice platform Sonantic in 2022 and integrated its text-to-speech technology with generative AI from OpenAI to build DJ X.[1][2] Jernigan’s voice was trained using nearly 300 episodes of his podcast The Get Up, alongside curated recordings to capture his speech patterns, pitch, pacing, and inflections. Spotify’s editorial team contributed scripts and phrases to ensure the AI could reproduce his vocabulary and conversational style.[2] Weekly updates are coordinated by Jernigan and a global team of writers, music experts, and data curators.[2]

DJ X plays sets of songs based on user listening history, including liked tracks, recent plays, and recommendations.[3][4] The AI provides commentary between tracks, introducing themes, genres, or contextual notes.[1][5] At launch, DJ X was non-interactive, with users limited to skipping songs or reshuffling playlists.[3] In May 2025, Spotify added voice request functionality, allowing Premium users in over 60 markets to request songs by genre, mood, artist, or activity.[6][7] In October 2025, text-based requests were introduced, expanding interactivity to both English and Spanish DJs.[8] The feature also offers personalized prompt suggestions.[8]

Expansion

DJ X launched in the United States and Canada on February 22, 2023.[2][1] It expanded globally in August 2023 and by 2024 was available in 68 markets, including Australia, New Zealand, and regions across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.[2] In July 2024, Spotify introduced DJ Livi, a Spanish-speaking AI DJ voiced by Olivia Quiroz Roa, available in multiple Latin American countries.[9] Spotify reported that DJ usage increased by more than 200% year-over-year and that social conversations about DJ in Spanish rose by 215%.[9]

Reception

Rachel Kane of CNET described DJ X as a tool that helps listeners identify musical preferences, noting its reliance on personalization algorithms and generative AI.[3] Kane emphasized that DJ X’s voice is modeled on Xavier Jernigan and highlighted its commentary on genre shifts and artist introductions.[3] Cheyenne DeVon of CNBC reported that Jernigan’s voice was digitized to provide storytelling and context, and noted his weekly team meetings ensured the AI remained current with cultural trends.[2]

Chloe Veltman of NPR stated that DJ X builds on Spotify’s personalization history and uses commentary to encourage longer listening sessions.[10] Ziad Sultan, Spotify’s vice president of personalization, described DJ X as “your personalized DJ just for you”.[10] Veltman reported that Spotify’s internal data suggested contextual commentary reduced skipping, though critics such as Joe Inzerillo of SiriusXM questioned the necessity of the feature.[10] Kelefa Sanneh of The New Yorker found some commentary distracting, while DJ Umami praised its shuffle and discovery functions.[10]

Elena Cavender of Mashable noted that DJ X cycles through themed collections of songs balancing familiar and new music, with commentary curated by Spotify’s editorial team.[4] Cavender criticized the commentary as simplistic and noted its resurfacing of past songs.[4] Boone Ashworth of WIRED described DJ X’s voice as realistic but lacking warmth, calling the experience “eerily lonely” and raising concerns about Spotify’s data collection.[1]

Vee Fidati of Trill reviewed DJ X as a skeptic and former DJ, praising its variety, song blocks, and fade transitions, but criticizing shallow commentary and reliance on “On Repeat” selections.[5] Fidati noted that DJ X cannot replicate human anecdotes or preferences and expressed skepticism about Spotify’s broader AI direction, citing artist protests over CEO Daniel Ek‘s investments in AI military technology.[5] Allison Johnson of The Verge argued that Spotify’s AI DJ is “no match for a real DJ”, comparing it unfavorably to radio DJs at KEXP who provide deeper cultural context.[11]

See also

References

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