Music is essential to my life. From the moment I was born, I was ingrained with the love of song that both my parents and my siblings had. I was very lucky that a variety of music styles were open to me and that they were just a click away on YouTube for my entertainment. In my twenty years, I have culminated a serious back catalog of music spanning a plethora of genres from anti-war folk to Broadway standards to electro-pop deep cuts I picked up from hours scrolling through TikTok.
With all of the music I have listened to, I have had plenty of practice building playlists and curating music experiences for people in all kinds of settings. My Spotify is chock full of song collections ranging from head-banging rock and roll to tear-inducing movie soundtracks. Of course, I am benevolent and would be honored to share some methods to my madness. To create the perfect playlist, all you need to remember are these two tips.
Know your audience
Here’s a vignette: I had my twentieth birthday back in Aug. where my immediate family, including my siblings’ significant others, were gathered around me. I was the birthday girl, so I got to choose the music. I considered the group I had with me: my parents, who grew up in the 60s and 70s, my sister who listened to the same music as I did growing up, my brother who liked classic rock, my sister’s husband who liked whatever my sister listened to and my brother’s girlfriend whose taste was extremely particular. Deciding to cater to all, I asked our Google Home to play 70s rock. That seemed to appease everybody as Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles rang out through the house.
Most playlists are very intimate. They are for you since you are the only one listening to them. But if you are preparing a playlist for a party or a long car trip, know who you are catering to with your music. Be prepared to add songs to your playlist that you’ve never listened to before or even songs that you don’t like, especially if they are songs that your friends like.
Plot Your Timeline
I love listening to music in the car. From my hometown of Lakeland to Tallahassee, if I want to avoid the highway, it will take five hours or so to drive. If I compile enough music together from my Spotify “Liked Songs” playlist, I’ll have enough music to last me the entire time.
The key to a good playlist is how long the music plays. One of the worst feelings is when you’re jamming out to your songs and then suddenly, you’re sitting in complete silence and so you have to fumble with your phone or laptop until you find new music to fill the silence. One of the best ways I utilize this tip is when I am studying or writing a paper. I’ll have a playlist in the background while I write—usually full of classical music or soundtracks from movies or video games—and I’ll try to make it the length of time I’ve set aside to work on whatever project I have on my plate, usually an hour or two.
Besides those two things, making a playlist is easy. Whatever vibe you’re going for is completely up to you and your music taste is also completely up to you. These tips and tricks will make sure you have the perfect experience when both making and listening to a playlist.
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