Spotify’s Release Radar gets new customisation filters for listeners

3 min readJul 11, 2026 03:01 PM IST

Spotify has introduced customisation tools for Release Radar, allowing users to personalise their weekly music recommendations.(image: Spotify)

Spotify is allowing users to customise one of its most sought-after personalised playlists. The music streaming platform has introduced customisation options to the Release Radar Playlist that enable the listener to customise their playlist based on their preferences.

This playlist is updated every Friday, and its aim is to help users stay updated about recently released music by artists they follow or are interested in. With this latest addition, the company is trying to make the playlist interactive.

The new customisation feature enables the user to filter their Release Radar Playlist based on their preferences, which could include listening to specific genres, finding new artists to listen to, or browsing editor picks.

According to the official statement from Spotify, the user will be able to customise from up to five different options available, some of which could be ‘Discover new artists’, ‘Editor picks’ and genre-specific options like ‘Pop’. The company says the new controls are rolling out globally across its mobile and desktop applications and will appear at the top of the Release Radar playlist once available.

Alongside the new filters, Spotify says it has also refined the recommendation algorithm powering Release Radar. The new system aims to provide more personal recommendations by learning listeners’ preferences and recommending music accordingly.

The company has also decided to add a visual update to the playlist, featuring cover art and redesigned headers.

These changes come at a time when Spotify is trying to improve its music discovery tool. Within the past year, Spotify has implemented a number of changes to balance automated recommendations and manual processes.

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This year, Spotify introduced release recommendations chosen by the company’s editorial team. Many people interpret this change as a reaction to criticism of the increased role of algorithms in determining users’ entertainment experience. Spotify seems to acknowledge that some listeners need not only personalised algorithmic but also editor-chosen recommendations.

A music discovery tool is one of the main advantages of Spotify in the competitive streaming industry. Features such as Discover Weekly, Daily Mix playlists and Release Radar have become central to how millions of users find new music and stay updated on their favourite artists.

The latest Release Radar update appears to combine the best of both approaches. Besides using algorithms only for recommendations, Spotify has started giving users greater control over the items that appear in their playlists, along with editorial recommendations.

If the listener wants to listen to emerging artists, they can choose the “Discover new artists” option, which will help them get more value from Release Radar. Genre-based filters will be helpful for those who want to focus on specific genres or moods and don’t need any irrelevant recommendations.

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In this way, Spotify has given users the ability to control their recommendations more personally through new filters and algorithm changes.