Studio by Spotify Labs is a standalone desktop app that uses your Spotify listening history and your instructions to recommend audio, control playback, build playlists, and create personalized podcasts. With permission, it can also use information from services such as your calendar, inbox, notes, and saved Maps lists.
Spotify began a gradual research-preview rollout on July 20, 2026. Access is limited to selected Spotify Premium users aged 18 or older in supported markets, so the download option may not appear for every eligible account immediately.
Quick answer
Studio is Spotify’s experimental personal audio agent. You can ask it for a playlist, a short podcast about a topic, a daily audio briefing, or recurring recommendations based on your taste. Audio it creates can be saved to your Spotify library and played across your usual Spotify devices.
It is not a replacement for the main Spotify app. The desktop app performs the research, generation, and scheduled work, while Spotify remains the place where you listen. You can send Studio messages from the Spotify mobile app after connecting it, but the computer running Studio must remain on for responses, scheduled tasks, and audio creation.
Availability at a glance
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Status | Research preview with a gradual rollout |
| Eligible plan | Spotify Premium |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Initial desktop platform | macOS |
| Markets | Selected markets; Spotify says the preview covers more than 20 markets |
| Mobile access | Messages can be sent from Spotify on a phone or tablet after setup |
| Free Spotify accounts | Not supported during the current preview |
| Usage | Limits apply |
Spotify can expand or change access during the preview. The download option shown in your own Spotify account is the most reliable availability check.
What Studio can do
Studio combines familiar Spotify controls with generative and task-based features. Spotify currently describes these uses:
- Build or update playlists from a conversational request.
- Recommend music, podcasts, and audiobooks using your listening history.
- Create a Personal Podcast about a topic or your upcoming day.
- Turn calendar events, bookings, notes, or inbox information into an audio briefing when you grant access.
- Research a topic and produce a short audio deep dive.
- Run recurring requests, such as a weekly release playlist or morning briefing.
- Control playback and start audio on connected Spotify devices.
A practical example is a morning podcast that summarizes your calendar, highlights new releases from artists you follow, and includes stories related to your interests. Another is a travel guide based on bookings and saved places. The quality depends on the information available and the clarity of the request.
How to get access
Spotify’s support instructions use this setup:
- Update Spotify to the latest version on a Mac.
- Look for the Studio download option in Spotify.
- Install the separate Studio app and sign in with your Spotify account.
- Enter a request for the personal agent, initially called Kit.
If you have Premium and are over 18 but cannot see Studio, the rollout may not have reached your account or market. Updating Spotify is worth checking, but reinstalling repeatedly will not bypass an account-level rollout.
After desktop setup, you can connect mobile messaging by opening your profile picture in Spotify and looking for Studio under Messages. The Mac still needs to be on and running Studio for it to respond and complete scheduled work.
Do you have to connect email or a calendar?
No. Spotify says email, calendar, notes, and similar services are optional. Studio can still work from your Spotify account, listening history, and direct prompts without those connections.
Connecting other services gives the agent more personal context. For example, calendar access can help it build a briefing around today’s schedule, while inbox access can provide travel bookings or information for a personal podcast. Only connect a service when its information is genuinely useful for the request.
Before connecting an account, review the requested permissions and consider whether the same result could be achieved with a narrower prompt. Our app safety checklist explains how to assess permissions, developer identity, and connected-account access.
Privacy and data controls
Spotify states that Studio messages are processed by an AI provider acting as a service partner and that the data is not used to train that provider’s models. It also says Studio’s memory, preferences, and conversation history are stored locally on your device, where they can be inspected or deleted.
You can ask Studio to forget specific information. Your Spotify account information remains available to Studio because that account is the foundation of the service, and Spotify-hosted playlists or other content remain in Spotify until you remove them there.
These controls do not make every connected-data request risk-free. Avoid giving any assistant passwords, payment information, private authentication codes, or information that is unnecessary for the task. Review generated briefings before acting on dates, reservations, directions, or other details that could be wrong.
How scheduled tasks work
Studio can repeat a request on a schedule, such as creating a Friday playlist or a daily briefing. Spotify says the computer running Studio must be on for scheduled tasks to run. It is therefore closer to a desktop agent than a cloud service that always works when your laptop is closed.
Usage limits also apply. Spotify does not present the research preview as unlimited, so frequent audio generation or monitoring may eventually reach the allowance shown for your account.
Studio compared with regular Spotify
The regular Spotify app is primarily where you search, manage your library, and listen. Studio adds a conversational agent that can create audio and carry out multi-step requests using your taste and optional personal context.
Studio only changes playlists when you ask it to, according to Spotify. It can create a new playlist or update an existing one, but it does not automatically rewrite your library simply because the app is installed.
This also differs from receiving a standard podcast produced for a broad audience. A Personal Podcast is generated for a specific user and request, potentially using that user’s connected information.
What to check before relying on it
Studio is an early research preview, and Spotify warns that it can make mistakes or act unexpectedly. Before using its output:
- Verify dates, bookings, addresses, and claims taken from the web.
- Review a playlist before using it for an event or shared account.
- Check which external services are connected and remove unused access.
- Inspect or clear local memory when a topic should no longer be retained.
- Keep the desktop app updated and close it when scheduled work is not needed.
If you are comparing Studio with another agent, focus on the task you need, permission scope, output quality, and account requirements rather than the product label. Our guide to comparing AI tools provides a practical checklist.
Official sources
Spotify’s Studio product page describes its capabilities, connected services, local memory, mobile messaging, and research-preview access. The Spotify support page provides the installation steps and confirms Premium, age, platform, and usage requirements. The Spotify Newsroom announcement records the July 20 rollout update.
FAQ
Is Studio by Spotify Labs an official Spotify app?
Yes. Spotify operates the product through Spotify Labs and provides official download and support information.
Is Studio by Spotify Labs free?
The current research preview requires Spotify Premium. Spotify’s support page says it is not available on the free service, and usage limits apply.
Does Studio work on Windows?
Spotify currently directs selected users to download Studio from the latest version of Spotify on macOS. An official Windows release is not listed on the current product page.
Can Studio read my email and calendar?
Only if you choose to connect those services and grant permission. They are optional and are not required for basic Spotify-based use.
Can I use Studio from my phone?
You can message Studio through the Spotify mobile app after connecting it, but your computer must be on and running Studio for replies, scheduled tasks, and audio creation.
Can I delete Studio’s memory?
Spotify says you can inspect or delete locally stored memory, preferences, and conversation history, or ask Studio to forget specific information. Content saved to Spotify must be removed separately from Spotify.