Deezer Unveils ‘Flow Tuner,’ Promises Users Greater Control Over the Algorithm

France headquartered streaming platform Deezer has made a tweak to its Flow feature, promising that the newly launched Flow Tuner gives “unprecedented control over the recommendation algorithm.”

How it works:

• Flow was first introduced in 2014 as “an infinite personalized soundtrack.”

• Essentially, the more users listen on Deezer, the more Flow refines its suggestions to recommend an increasingly relevant mix of songs.

• Flow Tuner allows users to activate or deactivate musical genres or subgenres, and add new genres to broaden musical horizons.

• Deezer says the function “has taken personalization to the next level.”

Growing trend:

• Giving users more control over the algorithm is an increasing trend among streaming companies.

• In December Spotify trialed a beta version of its ‘Prompted Playlist’ tool in New Zealand, before rolling it out in the US and Canada in January.

• The feature uses speech recognition technology to let users describe (in English) what they want to hear on a playlist, with the streamer claiming it puts “meaningful control of the algorithm directly in your hands.”

What they said:

• Marin Lorant, Head of Product at Deezer: “Flow Tuner is based on a simple idea: recommendations should not be a black box. Our users want to find the right music for the right moment, and have the control to impact how this happens. By allowing them to activate, remove or explore genres with a single gesture, the algorithm becomes a tool that they can shape themselves. It’s more accurate, more personal, and it opens the door to more discovery.”