How To Be On Aux

As someone who has relatively average taste in music and a deep desire to be thought of as cool by my friends, being on aux can be daunting. Taking over the music at an event or on a road trip can be stressful, embarrassing, and just not fun. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Being on aux can be exciting and affirming. 

Here are my tips for how to be on aux:

Consider the Vibe

This tip is essential. Different playlists are appropriate for different occasions, just like clothes or shoes. If you are in a Feti or hosting a pregame/party the vibe is going to be hype, happy, loud, energetic, pop/rap. Whereas, if you’re on a road trip or hosting a craft night the vibe might be more lowkey, cozy, quiet, relaxing, alternative/indie. Every situation is different, though, so there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all. Therefore it is extremely important to think about what the vibe is in the situation in which you find yourself on aux. Is everyone excited and getting ready to go out? Or is everyone chilling while they crochet? The vibe of the situation will give you a huge hint as to what type of music would be most enjoyable for you and your friends. There are some types of songs that transcend vibes, of course. Nostalgic songs (Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus, You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift, etc) are appropriate for chill and hype vibes. Considering the vibe is a great way to start trying to determine what song to play. Keep the vibe in mind when you’re queuing your next song and you’ll be that much closer to a successful turn on aux. 

Don’t Overthink It 

Full disclosure: I know this is a hard one. I’m a professional overthinker so I totally get the struggle of preemptively judging yourself and worrying about what others might think of your music. A lot of the time though, trusting your first choice is the way to go. When controlling the music for an event or a drive, don’t second-guess yourself. You know what you would like to listen to at that moment, and chances are your friends would also enjoy that kind of song. If you’re pregaming or hosting a party, keeping things upbeat and throwing in some songs that you can dance to is a simple way to slay your time on aux. Trust yourself and go for it! The worst that could happen is you skip a song. 

Know Your Audience 

I can’t stress the importance of this one enough.

Know. Your. Audience.

This is easily the best tip I’ve got. Considering the vibe of a situation is not always foolproof, sometimes you misread the vibe (which happens to us all). And trying to not overthink things can sometimes literally feel impossible. But knowing your audience is a tried and true way to slay being on aux. I recognize, though, that it is not always possible to fully know your audience. However, when you hang out with your friends you should definitely try to know your audience. By “know your audience” I don’t simply mean know their names or who they are, I mean you need to know their music tastes, what songs they know, and why they like the songs they like. Do they like singing along to songs? Or are they more into the melody of the instruments? Are they into rap or pop music? These are all the kinds of questions you should try to answer so you can know your audience. Knowing your audience really comes from being an attentive friend and an active listener. For most of the people you hang out with, I’m sure you could make these determinations after a simple conversation (or by listening more closely when they are on aux). You got this! 

If you keep these tips in mind, being on aux will become truly enjoyable. There’s nothing that compares to someone jamming out to a playlist you put together. I feel very proud of myself when people enjoy my music. My hope is that y’all will feel empowered and excited to be on aux after reading my tips and tricks! Be yourself and have fun- that’s what it’s all about. 

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