Spotify just announced a new Party feature in its iOS and Android apps. Currently made of 12 predefined playlists, a Spotify Party playlist mixes tracks in and out automatically. You can even select the next song without finishing the one currently playing, and it’ll blend it in after a “phrase” ends. There are three different settings per playlist, called “moods”, that have varying energy levels.
While it does a decent job of blending songs that go well together (eg dance music that’s exactly the same tempo, structure, etc), this is far from being the “DJ killer” that some are making it out to be – playing Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody in the middle of Pras’ Ghetto Superstar, for example, yields an awkward bit of silence before the familiar riff comes in. If a human DJ were on there, she/he would either drop it at the point where the track sounds fuller, or maybe blend it in more smoothly by throwing a drum break in the middle of the two tracks.
In fact, Spotify Party works better when the list has been programmed by an actual DJ (or someone with DJ sensibilities): The Diplo & Friends exclusive playlist has smarter starting points (no silence at intros, some tracks go straight to the vocal, etc) and this really does feel more like a DJ’s crate of tunes instead of just another drop in an ocean of playlists.
Still, it’s a lot of good fun for house parties and get-togethers, unless of course you just decide to DJ yourself (which you could, of course!)
• Spotify Party can be found in the Party playlist in the Genres & Moods section of the Spotify app. Check the Spotify website for more details
What do you think about this feature? How will future versions of this make life easier for DJs? Or do you think the time will come that this stuff actually becomes a better option than a human DJ? Let us know below.
Joey Santos
