If you're ever feeling guilty about leaving your beloved pet at home, don't fret. Spotify has added a new feature that will pacify your conscience: a tool that generates personalised playlists based on your pet's species and personality traits.
Introducing viral features like this is one of the ways Spotify has been able to stand out from competitors like Apple Music that have largely the same exact music offering.
Spotify playlists and podcasts curated for your pet
The music-streaming service announced the new feature on Wednesday, noting that 71 percent of pet owners play music for their pets, and 8 out of 10 people said they believe their pets like music. The new "Pet Playlists" tool allows users to play algorithmically generated playlists and podcasts for their pets tailor-made according to their species and personality traits.
For example, a playlist curated for an energetic, friendly and curious cat plays out 30 tracks including "It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day" from the animated flick, "The Secret Life of Pets 2" and Marshmello's "Happier."
Spotify teamed up with musicologist David Teie, a cellist with the National Symphony Orchestra who pioneered species-specific music and composed two albums of Music for Cats, to create the algorithm which plays upbeat tracks for an energetic pet while a shy dog or cat might get something with slower tempos.
Spotify has also released a podcast called "My Dog's Favorite Podcast" that's intended to soothe lonely pups that have been left on their own when their owners leave the house. The podcast runs in two five-hour episodes and features reassuring human voices ("Game of Thrones" actor Ralph Ineson and "Call the Midwife" actress Jessica Raine), relaxing music and ambient sounds, including rain.
How to create a playlist for your pet?
1. Go to Pet Playlists on the Spotify website.
2. Pick your pet: Choose from a dog, cat, iguana, hamster or bird.
3. Select the traits that best describe your pet's personality, such as relaxed, energetic, shy or friendly. Spotify will sync those choices with your own taste in music.
4. Add your pet's name and a photo for the playlist cover.
5. Listen and share your playlist, using #SpotifyPets if you want to.
