Spotify Excludes Tracks From Taste Profile - Better Recommendations

Spotify Enhances Recommendation Control for Users

Spotify announced a new feature on Wednesday designed to give users greater command over their music recommendations. The update introduces the ability to specifically exclude individual tracks from impacting a user’s taste profile.

This taste profile represents Spotify’s understanding of a listener’s musical preferences and interests. It is the driving force behind personalized recommendations, including curated playlists like Discovery Weekly, selections on the Home page, the annual Wrapped experience, and collaborative Blend playlists.

Addressing Previous Limitations

Previously, Spotify allowed users to exclude entire playlists from influencing their taste profile. However, this method proved insufficient in preventing unwanted music from affecting recommendations. The playlist exclusion feature was more effectively used for scenarios like preventing sleep music from triggering suggestions for new age or white noise genres.

The new functionality allows users to refine their taste profile at a more granular level. Now, listeners can indicate to Spotify that certain recently played songs do not reflect their actual musical preferences.

How to Utilize the New Feature

Both free and premium Spotify users can access this feature by tapping the three dots located in the top-right corner of the screen while a song is selected. This action presents the option to either exclude the song from their taste profile or to re-include a song that was previously excluded.

The Importance of Personalization

Spotify’s strength lies in its hyperpersonalization capabilities, a key factor in attracting and retaining users. However, the automatic inclusion of all listened-to music into algorithms isn't always ideal.

Common scenarios where this can be problematic include families with young children, shared Spotify accounts in vehicles, and households utilizing smart speakers where one account serves as the default for multiple users.

Future Improvements

While manually excluding tracks offers a practical solution, it isn’t the most efficient. A more streamlined approach would involve the ability to easily switch between user profiles, potentially through voice commands while driving.

Alternatively, the app could allow users to associate an entire listening session with a specific family member, eliminating the need to exclude songs individually.

Ultimately, this new feature provides a valuable tool for users seeking to maintain the accuracy and relevance of their Spotify Wrapped and other personalized experiences, preventing unwanted influences from children’s music or shared listening habits.