In the Playlists Frenzy Era
With social media, all industries have changed. And the music industry was undoubtedly among the most impacted. We now have infinite new angles regarding fans' engagement and how they can relate to their favorite music and artists. With the YouTube Music, Apple Music, TikTok, and Spotify era, pre-made playlists have become one of the best ways to stay in touch with the latest “thing” in a particular music niche.
Curated playlists, carefully crafted by music connoisseurs, have become quite trendy. They can hit specific moods and vibes and fit any type of emotion, context, and moment of the day. From boosting you up before a killer workout on a low-energy day to winding down before closing the day.
That’s how this new role of Spotify Playlist Creator or Spotify Playlist Curator was born in the last decade. And yes, many people even have revenue from doing it! In the amazingly put-together Playlist Curator workshop, hosted by our partnership with 1824 Universal Music Group, some crafted curators led the talk by example. It was the case of Sam Weisband (IG: @theweisestband | TikTok @theweisestband) and Laura (IG: @laurasplaylists | TikTok: @laurasplaylists)
What Is A Playlist Curator?
You could look at this new-era position as a cousin to the traditional Art Gallery Curator. An individual that just gets the whole picture, starting with a deep
Understanding every artist, what people want to hear in a specific niche, pairing different styles and vibes, and -this is what separates anyone from the best- can create or raise a certain mood in the listener by nailing the perfect combination of songs, length, vibe, and order as well.
Something that at first hand may sound very straightforward and easy has become a science! And some playlist curators get millions of monthly listeners.
The Playlist Curator Process
Luckily, for everyone interested in this exciting and so-much-needed niche, 1824 gifted us with the fantastic Playlist Curation Workshop topped with the top-tier curators’ processes, insights, and magic. Although, whether you do have the Playlist Curator muse within you, there is certainly a process to follow. The workshop was precisely structured to take anyone from 0% to 100% and master the art of Playlist Curation; the topics covered were:● Choosing a Theme
● Curation Process
● Submissions (Community)
● Artwork & Visuals
● Marketing & Growth
● Maintenance
Now, hoping that makes sense, we’ll cover the basics of every step of the way and explain why those fundamentals must be there if you want to make it into the Playlist Curation world.
Theme Choosing
This is the first decisive factor: selecting your overall theme and vibe. To stay true to yourself, you should do some deep searching and find something that truly inspires you. Whether it’s an emotion, a vibe, or a style. Something that feels more like a hobby for you and not a chore.
Curation
Once you have your theme chosen, which would be like the big box container, you have to start refining what will make it into the box. That’s what we call curation. The most common variables are how many songs, how long the playlist should last, the songs’ order, and most importantly, what songs you will include without failing your theme.
Submissions
A successful playlist is not your dream playlist but the playlist that gets listened to by people. It’s a community thing, so opening the doors for them to submit song proposals to you is critical. From Instagram DM’s up to tailored Google Forms, creativity is king. The golden rule, have some sort of channel for people to feel heard.
How will people land on my playlist?
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Artwork & Visuals
You may get lucky with the algorithm; never rule that out. But getting killer visuals and cover for your playlist is paramount. You can use design tools that significantly simplify the process, like Canva. Other than that, ensure the visuals are coherent with your theme and vibe. It may make the difference between someone clicking in or clicking out of it.
- Marketing & Growth
Social Media could not be more important for this part of the process. This is how, like any business or startup, you must push your playlist out there. Not necessarily by paying Ads, but you have to maximize any option of organic growth. TikTok seems to be a great way to do this. If you nailed all the previous steps, any new listener you have would stay with you till the end of time. - Maintenance
People became wary, perhaps not of having the same songs, but small details like
the order, throwing a new fresh single here or there, and giving your playlist that
sense of care if critical. People notice it. Show some love to the playlist frequently, and
people will keep showing up.
This article is an excellent brief about all the shades this role has. But if you want to learn more, take notes of all this information.