Spotify uses an artificial intelligence system called BaRT (Bandits for Recommendations as Treatments) to power its music recommendations and playlist generation. BaRT analyzes songs using natural language processing of lyrics and audio, collaborative filtering by comparing a user's music tastes to others, and patterns in how a user listens. By studying these factors, BaRT can suggest familiar music while introducing new songs a user might like. This information powers Spotify's personalized playlists, artist spotlights, and features like Release Radar and Daily Mix.

1. Previous Spotify’s
Algorithm:
Explained
Brian Berner

2. Introduction
● Do you ever feel like Spotify knows your music preferences and
moods better than you do?
● Has Spotify introduced you to your new favorite artist?
● Has it customized your go-to playlist that you listen to on every
vacation you take?
● This isn’t by coincidence.

3. What is BaRT?
● Our platform uses an artificial intelligence system called Bandits for
Recommendations as Treatments (BaRT)
● BaRT helps with this by suggesting and playing music that it knows will
be familiar to a listener, while also sprinkling in new songs they’ve never
heard before but might like.
● This AI software is responsible for your home screen, where you can see
artist spotlights and custom-generated playlists, in addition to helping us
generate the Release Radar, Daily Mix, and Discover Weekly features for
every one of our users.

4. BaRT’s Three Main Functions
● Natural Language Processing: BaRT analyzes the language, lyrics, and
contents of a song to see if it would be a good match.
● Raw Audio Analyzation: BaRT can detect the so-called ‘vibe’ or ‘mood’ of
a song and then place it into a category (upbeat, chill, instrumental, heavy,
etc.) before uploading it to a personalized playlist for someone.
● Collaborative Filtering: BaRT can compare new songs to a listener’s
existing music preferences to decide what artists and songs will best
compliment their tastes.

5. How You Listen Matters
● Our algorithm can even look for patterns in how someone listens to music.
○ How long do you play a certain song or artist?
○ What songs do you typically skip?
○ What kinds of playlists have you put together yourself?
● This information is more insightful than you might think, as it helps
determine the suggestions that are given to you and you alone.
● Additionally, the algorithm also studies other users around the globe; if
Spotify finds a user who is similar to you, that information can be used
when putting together your custom-generated playlists.

6. Conclusion
● Spotify is renowned for its ability to make spot-on recommendations.
● The impact that AI has on personalization is extraordinary, and we’re glad
we can use it for the benefit of our listeners.