If you’ve ever wanted to make a Spotify playlist but didn’t know how to start, you’ve found the right place. There are limitless good reasons to make a playlist — maybe you’re super into music, maybe you’re bored or maybe you just want to procrastinate studying for your Art and Society: Renaissance to Present midterm (not a personal example). Let’s go through a few different ways you can make a playlist!
1. FOR SOMEONE ELSE
Be cute and make a personalized music playlist for someone special! This would be especially great to do for someone who appreciates the “acts of service” love language. You can use songs that have romantic messages, have a special meaning to the two of you, or remind you of the other person. Also, if you’re taking it seriously, choose the songs you include carefully. Adding a song called “Unfaithful” in there could be the end of everything… be forewarned!
For the dedicated: Spell out a message with the first letter of each song in the playlist! This is perfect not only because you can say something personal, but it also shows that you put a lot of thought and time into making it.
Of course, this is not limited to romantic partners. You can always make a playlist for your bestie or family member too!
TIp: You can even make a playlist together! Turn on the “Collaborator Playlist” option to allow other users to add songs.
2. book/movie theme
Get inspiration from your favourite shows, movies or novels! This is a great idea for anyone who is an avid reader or has a love for film. Pick out something you wish could live beyond that last page or end credits and bring it to life! Base the playlist off a character, moment, setting, relationship between two characters, etc. For movies or shows, you can often start by adding songs from the official soundtrack album, and then add any songs you can think of that fit in with that list.
3. vibes
Why not make the perfect soundtrack to match your mood? Vibes are trendy and they can go in so many directions. Chill, powerful, hardcore studying mode… the list goes on. The good news is that there doesn’t have to be any rhyme nor reason to the songs you add, as long as they suit the feeling and atmosphere of what you’re going for. This kind of playlist is meant to appeal to the senses, not make sense!
You can also always base your vibe curation on a genre or era that gives off a certain feeling already. Think 70s glam rock, smooth jazz, or girlie 2000s pop hits that recently came back into style (the TikTok to 2000s resurgence pipeline is real). Or even the latest Clementi tracks, which I love to keep up to date on!
4. your favs
Also known as the masterlist playlist, this is meant to serve as a collection of your all-time favourite songs. You can start by going through your “Liked Songs” playlist, CDs, records, or even that old iTunes music gallery from your broken iPod 4. It’s okay if the songs are a mix of different styles; it should reflect your various tastes in music.
If you’re ever stuck on what music to play, you can just play this bad boy playlist because you already know you’re going to love everything on it!
5. oddly specific concept
This kind of playlist is uniquely entertaining. One could truly spend hours on the app scrolling through the most obscure conceptual playlists ever made. An excellent example:
The more bizarrely specific, the better it is.
The lesson here is that if you’re really creative, this might be the right opportunity for you. All you really need to do is think of a scenario that is either so random or personal that no one else would ever think of it. From there, add any songs you feel will support the concept. This kind of playlist is truly a form of modern art.
One final tip is to use the Spotify algorithm and pre-existing playlists to your advantage! If you’re looking for the top 90s hits, for example, look no further than the search bar! Spotify will also suggest similar songs to those already in your playlist, which can be super helpful!
Author’s note: Don’t blame me if you become crazed with power over your new playlist-making skills!