Learn how to apply for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 in New York. Full eligibility, salary, application link, responsibilities, and deadline (5 February 2026). Open to PhD students in AI, ML, economics, and related fields.
Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026: Full Application Guide and Requirements
The Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 is an exceptional opportunity for PhD students passionate about artificial intelligence, machine learning, foundational modeling, and large-scale recommendation systems. Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, offers a highly competitive paid internship in New York City for students eager to work on cutting-edge research and real-world applied problems that impact more than 600 million users.
This article provides the full guide to apply for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026, including eligibility, salary, responsibilities, application deadlines, and direct links.
What Is the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026?
The Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 is designed for PhD students in technical and quantitative fields who want hands-on experience working on applied AI and machine learning challenges. Interns collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve search, recommendations, personalization, LLMs, speech processing, and Spotify’s core foundational AI systems.
This 10–12 week internship begins mid-June 2026 and takes place in Spotify’s New York City office.
What You Will Do During the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026
As a Research Scientist Intern at Spotify, you will:
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Work with interdisciplinary teams to enhance personalization and discovery
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Conduct research in AI, ML, NLP, search, recommendation, economics, and speech
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Apply scientific knowledge to real-world application problems
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Collaborate with engineers, PMs, designers, user researchers, and analysts
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Develop new ways for users to search, explore, and discover music, podcasts, and audiobooks
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Contribute to publications in top-tier research venues
Eligibility Requirements for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026
You may be a strong candidate for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 if:
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You are pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Information Science, Economics, Statistics, or a related computational field
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Your expected graduation year is 2026 or 2027
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You have valid work authorization for the U.S. from June–September 2026
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You are available for a 10–12 week internship starting June 15, 2026
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You have publications in venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, ACL, SIGIR, RecSys, KDD (preferred)
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You enjoy solving complex problems and analyzing real-world data
Location and Internship Format
The Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 is based in:
New York City, USA
Interns are required to attend the office 3 days per week to fully participate in program activities, networking events, social gatherings, and team sessions.
Salary and Benefits for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026
Spotify offers highly competitive compensation and a strong benefits package for interns.
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Hourly rate: $55 USD + overtime eligibility
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Paid public holidays
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Learning & development training
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Office events, talks, networking sessions
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Official Spotify swag and in-office activities
More details on Spotify benefits:
https://www.lifeatspotify.com/being-here
How to Apply for the Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026
Applications must be submitted through Spotify’s official careers portal.
Official Application Link:
https://www.lifeatspotify.com/jobs
Deadline: 5 February 2026 at 12 PM ET
Due to the competitiveness of the program, early submission is strongly recommended.
Spotify encourages applicants from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive hiring process.
Internal and External Links (SEO-Friendly)
Internal links (replace with your own site URLs):
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Explore more AI & Machine Learning internships in our Tech Careers section
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Discover additional PhD-level opportunities in our Research Fellowships Hub
External links:
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Spotify Careers: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/jobs
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Spotify Students Page: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/students
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Spotify New York Office Info: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/locations/new-york
These links improve SEO and help users navigate related opportunities.
Conclusion
The Spotify Research Scientist Internship 2026 offers an unparalleled opportunity for PhD students to work on world-class AI research and contribute to technologies shaping the future of music and audio discovery. With interdisciplinary collaboration, impactful research projects, and competitive compensation, this internship is ideal for anyone seeking to merge advanced research with practical industry applications.
Deadline: 5 February 2026
Apply here: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/jobs
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