Power in the Playlist

Growing up I was always the one who would make mixtape cd’s for everyone I knew. I loved the idea of putting together a compilation of songs from different artists that all fit the same mood. I remember I made one called “Mellow Mix” for my dad. He loved it so much that he kept asking for new versions. Overtime we got up to “Mellow Mix 7.” The right combo of songs, with the right flow has a unique power to be the soundtrack for someone’s life.

I wanted to discuss this because this is exactly what playlists are. The big difference is that we don’t have to download a bunch of songs, save them to our computer, buy blank cd’s, burn them, and then hope they don’t get scratched or lost. Now, through streaming services we have unlimited access to all songs, all the time and it’s pretty amazing. We are able to custom curate literally any type of playlist we can think of and then, even better, we can share it for others to enjoy.

Why is play-listing a powerful tool for you on your music journey? If you are an artist, you can share your personal music tastes with your followers letting them into your life. If you are a songwriter, you can draw inspiration from certain vibes and artists. If you are a producer, you can build playlists using reference tracks you love and want to use in your demo’s/productions to learn and grow. No matter your lane, building playlists can be a great way to expand your reach with your potential followers.

One other massive benefit of creating your own playlist is the potential reach for your own music. We’ve all seen big playlists so we know the potential impact that can have. Just like figuring out a good strategy for getting your songs streamed, there is strategy behind getting your playlist followed and liked. But if your playlist can reach enough people it can be an extremely powerful tool to share your musical tastes with others, and also mix in your own music to get your songs heard as well.

This week I wanted to challenge you to build a playlist if you don’t have one already. If you do have one, share it in the comments so we can all support you and follow it. I recently did a poll and saw a majority of us are on Spotify, but Apple Music and YouTube also make it pretty easy to share playlists. Build a list of your top 15-20 songs in your favorite genre, name it, write a simple description and then share it in the comments!

Like with anything, this is a slow process but beneficial in the long run. My hope is that over time your list will grow and with it your reach and impact. As you mix in your original music that fits your list, your music will grow right along side your playlist.