By Layla Meléndez | November 7, 2022
Playlists: as useful as they are, creating them can be incredibly daunting. How do you compile your whole music library into curated lists without being overwhelmed? How do you decide which songs go where and who goes with who? Bestie, I see you. You see me. We see each other. So, let’s figure out how to make the perfect playlist together!
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Find Your Vibe
Every good playlist has a theme. From ideas like sad girl hours :-( or songs to scream sing in the shower, picking the vibe of your playlist helps it to come together quite fast. For my playlist, the vibe I’m feeling is “pov: dancing alone in my room.”
Photo Credit: Layla Meléndez
Inspiration From Your Favorite Artists
If you’re listening to artists constantly, they will likely have material to be added to any of your playlists. You just have to choose which of their songs fit the vibe you’re going for. Some of my personal favorite artists include Bad Bunny, Drake, Mac Miller, and Frank Ocean. While Mac Miller and Frank Ocean do not exactly fit the dancing in my room vibe (most of their songs being slow and sad), Bad Bunny and Drake certainly do, giving me a good place to start. Don’t forget to add your all time favorites as well!
Photo Credit: Layla Meléndez
Search for Similar Playlists
Nine times out of ten, someone out there has a similar playlist to you. This is great! Somebody or even multiple somebodies have done most of the legwork for you. Though others might not have the same taste as you, looking through them is always a shot. Plus, you might find new music across the way.
Photo Credit: Layla Meléndez
Looking For New Music
A word of advice: Don’t be afraid to branch out. A good playlist is a mix of old favorites and new ones, reflecting your always evolving music taste. Streaming platforms do a wonderful job of curating different artists, mixes, and songs based on what you have been listening to. Spotify, in particular, creates daily mixes for its users reflecting all their favorite artists and songs, then categorizing them based on genre and similarity. Additionally, Spotify also creates playlists for you such as Discover Weekly, a weekly mixtape of new music similar to what you’re already listening to. These tools prove very useful when trying to discover new artists and songs that fit the vibe of your playlist.
Photo Credit: Layla Meléndez
Add A Photo To Represent Your Playlist
An optional step, but a highly suggested one, is to add a picture to your playlist cover. Not only is a corresponding photo aesthetically pleasing, it simply brings the whole vibe of the playlist together. A simple Google search or some scrolling on Pinterest will leave you with many options! Here’s what I chose:
Photo Credit: Layla Meléndez
You can check out my playlist here!
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