Dear reader, I f*cked up.
I’m nursing a nasty yoga dehydration hangover as I write this. I went to a hot yoga class last night, which was wonderful. One of my favorite moments of the class was when they played Landslide and guided us through half-pigeon, a yoga pose that is wonderful for opening your hips up.
The Landslide addition to a playlist that was mostly Top 40 chill songs was surprising, and throughout my practice I thought about what I wanted to write about the next morning.
I landed on a creative framework I reference a lot called the “Spotify Playlist” method.
I’ve always really loved music, and making playlists for people is an extension of that. In elementary school, I’d burn CDs of the one song a week I’d get to buy on iTunes for my friends and we’d swap. In middle school, I would playlist on a now defunct website called “8tracks.” And then…Spotify came around. Streaming global music was an incredible change from my limited choice of one $1.99 song a week, and the variety it introduced was amazing.
Today, I have 7073 liked songs, and 180 playlists. I may not be an expert, but I am experienced.
There are a few elements I think about when making a playlist, but the two most important are:
- the name
- the right mix
The Name
A few examples of names of my playlists include “absolutely feral for these songs,” “a nap on the beach,” “autumnal equinox,” “cherry blossom mise en place.” My naming is representative of many other playlist curators on Spotify, so one of my secret ways to discover new music is by naming a vibe and following that.
For example, I’m headed to Sea Ranch this weekend for a girls trip & looking up “cedar and flannel,” “coastal grandma fall,” “roasting pies” to build a playlist for our drive.
Priya Parker in her book the Art of Gathering talks about the importance of boundaries, and I think a great name can help you make better decisions on which songs to exclude in a playlist. Also – if you’re a naming geek I’d highly recommend reading Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind.
A name draws a circle around your intention.
The Right Mix
The best Spotify playlist you make for someone will have a handful of songs they love, a handful of songs by artists they recognize, and then some wildcards you think they might like.
When I play music in my house for a gathering, my measure of success of a playlist is usually around someone saying ooo what is this song I love it, or actually Shazamming it. Side note, Shazam is my favorite music app. I did a senior project for a CS class on how it works in case you’re curious.
Familiarity makes people pay attention, but discovery is magic.
Applying the Spotify Playlist Method
Content: I use this approach when brainstorming writing ideas. Like what elements can I use here that people will recognize and love, and how can I incorporate surprise in new applications or directions? Specifically in surprising metaphors!
Playlisting: see above
Travel Recommendations: I loveee using this method when giving travel recommendations. I recommend some things I think would be familiar / help ground someone in an unfamiliar place and also some wild cards
Investing: I use this approach when a fund investor asks me about co-investors. From a fund investor perspective, they want some that logos that they will recognize, and you can sprinkle in some they don’t. Same way as they evaluate networks – you should have enough people they know, and many they don’t but want to know.
There’s more applications of this framework, and I’d love to hear if you’ve thought about this as well. Happy Friday!
Dejavu. I was thinking about this exact idea like a week ago while having to explain to a friend that there can be a logic to playlist making. My understanding of the method – as you mention it and I try to relate – isn’t quite unlike a good recipe, but you get to throw in some new flavours.
oooo yes exactly! a good foundation & some exciting new things to experiment with!
Good info. Thank you very much. It is indeed a useful method.
It’s not often you get a breakdown on the science of playlisting. For that, you earn a newsletter sub, haha.
One thing that irks me is losing coherence in a playlist due to fiddling down the line, often due to a very general name changing its meaning within the context of my life. It seems you may have given me a solution; get more detailed. Though I’m not sure how I’d feel scrolling 180 playlists…
thanks Seamus! i agree on the scrolling – i think i don’t often scroll unless I’m revisting a certain vibe & try to create new ones ~monthly. i really like specific naming!