The art of the Spotify playlist
Curated by Megan Collins, Cultural Anthropologist, Generational Expert and contributor to the MTD blog
Spotify wrapped season is right around the corner. In celebration we’re going to analyze the art of a Spotify playlist!
As a brand Spotify has done two strategically fortuitous things to connect with music lovers, specifically music lovers who love to search and discover new things. The first, is leaning heavily into curation. In addition to allowing users to easily create their own playlists, Spotify is constantly serving up new playlists to its users. From the incredibly custom and constantly updating algorithmically generated playlists like “Daylist” to genre-specific hand-curated ones like “Rap Caviar,” Spotify not only gives you access to most music, but as a brand leans into discoverability. Specifically, it’s ability as a curator to intuit what you the listener might like.
The second really strategic thing that Spotify is doing well we’re going to call “labeling the vibes.” In addition to putting together cohesive and expertly curated playlists, the platform excels at captivating copy. Specifically, they understand the importance of getting their consumer-facing language to be tonally-correct, on trend, and fun. It goes beyond the “top 50” playlists of radio days past to give fresh names and fun phrases that feel immediately relevant.
In short. Spotify the brand “gets” the “vibes” and leverages this vibe fluency to help users connect with the music and artists they love and discover new ones.
Increasingly, “vibes” (see also: aesthetics) are becoming important to consumers (and therefore advertisers) in decision-making. Music is one of the most accessible ways to communicate “a vibe” and Spotify is a tool for people to do their own vibe capturing. Actor Paul Mescal famously uses the platform to create playlists for each of the characters he plays to help with his process.
Whether they’re getting into character or DJing the everyday, the best playlists & playlist makers on Spotify do 4 things effectively:
Lead with a niche IRL use case: The best way to create a cohesive Spotify playlist is by identifying the real life use case for the playlist: the more specific the better. Don’t just make a “workout” playlist, make a “12-3-30-ing at Equinox” playlist to really capture a vibe.
Add an aesthetic cover photo: A picture truly is worth a thousand words so there’s no more impactful way to communicate your playlists vibe and pique interest than with a captivating (but relevant) cover photo. Not only does replacing the Spotify-auto generated cover communicate a vibe, it signals to users in search of playlists that you’ve put care into the construction and denotes higher curatorial quality.
Create a hook-worthy title: Realistically UGC-playlist discovery is something that’s happening off-platform. I’ve personally found that sharing my playlists with their IRL use case on TikTok is the most effective way of getting them seen. Therefore, your title is less about discover-ability and more like a marketing hook. Instead of purely descriptive playlist titles lean into fun copy, IYKYK jokes, and cultural references.
Share it constantly: As mentioned, there is not yet a huge culture of UGC-playlist discovery happening on the platform. That said, the practice of making / sharing playlists is increasingly common especially among fandoms. So in addition to sharing your playlist to your own network, in order for it to truly be seen you also must do some grassroots marketing and find relevant pockets of the internet (Reddit, TikTok, Twitter (aka X)) and share it there as well.
When done authentically, music is a fantastic way to show off your curatorial skills as a person or a brand. A playlist is one of the digital age’s internet calling cards that can communicate so much about who you are and what you’re about. In the intangible language of vibes and aesthetics, Spotify is one of the few brands effectively leveraging this modern marketing style and empowering its users to do the same. So make a highly niche playlist and see who it connects you to!