What you need to know
- Spotify is debuting a new type of playlist this week, one that's based on your pet.
- The playlist uses the magic of artificial intelligence and some user-provided information to meld your tastes with your pet's.
- The streaming giant says it was inspired by a survey suggesting 71% of pet owners play music for their pet, while 80% believe their pet likes music.
"Have I got a pawfect playlist for ya!" No, that's not a typo. And, yes, that really is Spotify's pitch for its latest — and perhaps weirdest — personalized playlist idea. It's already got you hooked on its all-you-can-eat music buffet so why not bring your cat, your dog, and your iguana into the mix as well, muse the hot-shot marketing maestros at Spotify's executive branch.
So, they dug their paws in — again, their words, not mine — and the end result is a playlist that's made for both you and Mr. Muffles.
The company's even got a bunch of 'furry' facts to justify the whole endeavor from a survey it conducted. 71% of pet owners play music for their animal companion, they say, while 8 in 10 believe their pet likes music. You can check out the infographic they made — because, of course, they did — in its full glory here.
A 'pawfect playlist,' then, was the obvious the next step in the streaming giant's cutting-edge machine learning adventures.
Yes, the pet playlist is curated by an algorithm. Who else would do it? Mr. Muffles obviously can't talk, much to CEO Daniel Ek's chagrin. Feed the meowchine overlord (sorry, this time it was me) some information about your pet, such as whether it's a dog, a cat, or a tiger (What? Saudi princes also listen to music, you know!) and your pet's personality (regal, in the tiger's case), and you're good to go.
Even better, you can make the playlist your very own by stamping your pet's name and face — or fangs — on the playlist. Because there just aren't enough cat pictures on the internet, are there? If you're sold already, and why wouldn't you be, head on to Spotify's website to create your very own sonnet for your very own salamander.
If it's as 'furtastic' (sorry, me again!) as I know it will be, Spotify recommends you share it with the #SpotifyPets hashtag. Because, again, the internet isn't filled with cat paraphernalia already.
