Just as Moses wandered Mount Sinai with God`s commandments, here are my seven rules for any meaningful playlist. But yes, if I were to list my general guidelines for creating a playlist, the list would look like this: Still, it`s not enough to create a playlist of all your all-time favorite songs or ones that have a bunch of universal appeal. A certain approach must be taken when searching yesterday`s jukebox. If you go too far down the rabbit hole and fill it with old gems and toppers, you are clearly trying to win the listener`s favor. But unless you put a few of these beloved jams on the playlist, people will get lost without some sort of emotional panel. You may not agree with me here, but it`s just a personal rule that I like to have, and I found it to work well. There are only two exceptions to this rule: (1) the artist is the subject of the playlist, (2) you really couldn`t choose because these songs have special meaning for you and the recipient – a dilemma I often find myself in when I want to add Frank Ocean to a playlist. But in no case should they be placed directly next to each other. And if you can, choose from different albums.
That being said, I like vague general themes. It doesn`t give me pleasure to create or listen to a playlist called “2017 Bangerzz” that is filled with unrelated music and swings from mood to mood. But on the other hand, I`m not a fan of playlists filled with one genre of music and one mood. Which is actually quite funny, because I advocate such albums. When I look at this playlist and think about the choices I`ve made with it and why, I always use things to maintain a connection between the sound, as I would if I were trying to switch between them on a mixtape. But on the other hand, I separated the strongest and weirdest pieces from each other a bit. That`s because I didn`t want to point out the similarities of weird pieces to each other, but the similarities between weird and less bizarre. Now give the list a description that motivates you and tell yourself/others what the playlist is about. For more flair and creative inspiration, add an image to the list, they are easier to find than you think. Now that you`ve made the list your own, you have the first brilliant debut of your own music list! It depends on the playlist and what “theme” it is, some are in release period, some are based on genre, some geographical, etc., but I make sure I have enough so that every song I listen to has the potential to go into a playlist. That way, they`re for both categorization and listening, some of my playlists that I`ve never heard before and probably never will, which suits me, they still represent my tastes in some way and almost feel like a record of my listening habits. Now that you know your intentions, the first song should set the tone – musically, because the rest of the playlist will build on it, but also in terms of message.
Think of this as the first impression of your playlist. But make no mistake, the second song is actually the most difficult to choose because it has to follow the first. Creating great playlists for your radio events requires careful thought and attention to detail. Attractive playlists need to be both diverse and consistent, which is a difficult combination to find a balance. So, check out our 10 tips for creating perfect radio playlists! Although you can schedule a single event for up to 24 hours on the Live365 platform, the optimal length of a playlist is around 30-50 songs. In general, with this length, you can create an attractive playlist that caters to your theme and purpose, all the artists you want to include, and the best songs around your theme and purpose. If your playlist has too many songs, your theme and goal will probably be lost and it will be a large playlist rather than a playlist. On the other hand, if your playlist is too short, your theme and goal will not be transmitted.
Having more than one song from an artist depends too much on that particular color or tone. With a good playlist, you send a message to another person or group. Dropping two ballads of Meat Loaf limits the scope of this message and does not give much nuance or subtlety to the listener. It`s like saying, “Hey, this person said it amazingly, so I`m going to keep using their words.” Create a playlist as if you were writing a ransom note: the more magazines you have to cut, the bigger your vocabulary. In other words, just be your own little Bob Ross of playlist creation. The best playlists are the ones that won`t stop you from listening to them. I often find that when I see more than 20 songs on a playlist, I have a “maybe later” attitude. A playlist with about 15 songs or less can be more engaging and digestible. Congratulations! Your playlist is complete! Now you can listen and enjoy the fruits of your labor, and I hope everyone will enjoy it too if the list was for a party. Now get out and stream the music! Happy kids making lists! “If you go to another playlist and you have to pick a few things, there`s nothing wrong with that,” he says.
First of all, you need to know exactly why you are creating this playlist in question. Are you trying to have the perfect music for a party? Or maybe create an 80s playlist? Maybe a playlist to practice. A playlist is perfect if you want perfectly organized music and don`t want to leave things in the evil hands of the shuffle. I usually go with my instincts. I mostly make playlists for myself, so I don`t feel obligated to make them “meaningful” or add super popular or super obscure songs. This has led to strange combinations over the years. As a DJ, there must definitely be ups and downs in a playlist. You can`t put energy on a platter, put your gas on metal because it gets boring. If you want to reach a high altitude, you have to start from a lower place. Each mix is different, but generally you want to have a strong aperture (first 2-4 tracks), at least one, but probably slower sections, and a strong finish. Sometimes I even finish with the best song to get a person to start over.
I have very rough criteria that are usually applied, I try to make at least 50 songs, fairly equal quantities/distribution of certain artists and albums, listening most of the time on shuffle does not spoil the playlist, but it is also in a fairly reasonable order, so shuffle / non shuffle create different experiences, and very roughly the songs are rated “best” to “worse” or vice versa.