The Power of a Perfect Playlist
I’m quite sure we’ve all shuffled our music only to skip past every song. Many of us that use streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music carry hundreds of tracks from all genres. With all of the different downloaded songs, it can be difficult to find the right groove for whatever mood you’re in. This is where the power of a perfect playlist arises. Playlists create structure in your music library. It allows you to break up your music by genres, artists, or just overall sound. It creates the freedom to just press play without the panic of what may play next. Playlists are key for setting and maintaining an atmosphere. Creating a collection of songs isn’t only a fit for a certain environment, but it can also be a form of expression. Got feelings for someone, but you don't have the right words to say? Send them a playlist of your favorite love songs and let the lyrics do the talking.
As Rob, from High Fidelity says, “A playlist is a delicate art…you get to say what you want to say without actually saying it.”
As someone who creates playlists frequently, I thought I would give my tips for creating the perfect playlist for any occasion!
Find a theme, any theme!
Everything we do and every space we enter has a certain climate that most people can notice. The first step to creating a meaningful playlist is to figure out what type of energy you want the playlist to give off. This energy will give you the theme of your playlist, which will most likely be the title of your playlist.
Pay close attention to the music that you listen to
If you are known for shuffling your music or listening to playlists from other curators, pay close attention to how each track resonates with you. What feelings are aroused? Maybe you realize that a specific song makes you feel a certain way. This feeling could potentially be a theme to a worthwhile playlist that captures every song that gives you that feeling.
Look at your playlist the same way you’d look at an album
This is probably one of the biggest tools that I use when forming my own playlists. Most albums contain at least 10 songs, an intro, an outro, maybe even a few interludes too. Essentially, an album is a collection of songs, similar to a playlist. Look at how some of your favorite albums are created and try to base your playlist around that. For me, I like albums that are cohesive so I try to mimic that with my own playlists. I make sure I add and rearrange songs so each song can flow together. I focus on finding a good introduction song to set the tone for the playlist, and I also try not to get repetitive by adding the same artist twice. This gives my playlist variety while still allowing me to stay within the subject matter.
Have fun and experience life!
The more you go out and experience new things, the more ideas you’ll have for playlists. Try keeping your ears open when going to different events. What music is playing and how are people reacting? This is a great tip for people that want to make playlists for group settings. Pay attention to your surroundings and how the music shifts the energy in the room!