Spotify is testing more listener controls in Discover Weekly

Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist was one of the streaming service’s first forays into personalized music recommendations. Since its debut in 2015, the setup has changed little: every Monday, the platform presents 30 songs chosen based on each person’s listening habits. Now, Spotify is testing a more hands-on feature for listeners, with an option to mark songs in Discover Weekly that you like or dislike.

The markers are in a new column to the right of the album title. They also appear in the bottom left corner when a Discover Weekly track is playing. We were only able to see the new icons on the desktop app, but we expect that the feature will also be implemented on mobile if Spotify moves forward with a full rollout.

Based on the early tests, it seems that using the buttons would add some more direct control over what will appear in the following week’s selections. This could be useful for people who want to curate their recommendations to avoid any guilty pleasure listening, or who might have somebody else using their library.

Anna Washenko