The Importance of Music Playlists in the Listening Experience
Recently, a very interesting stat about user playlists was revealed by Spotify's founder Daniel Ek. This statement underscores the importance of playlists in the listening experience and general music discovery.
July 19, 2024 / by Becks
We know what you’re probably thinking – are playlists still worth musicians’ time when marketing their music?
Matter a fact, they still are: Spotify’s CEO, Daniel EK, recently took to LinkedIn to reveal that there are 8B user-created playlists on Spotify, 725M of which were created in 2024.
Playlists in 2024
We already know that playlists are a powerful tool for music streaming. While Spotify’s editorial playlists often get the spotlight, this recent data shows that user playlists are equally important and drive discovery and promotion for artists.
To recap, there are three types of playlists on Spotify:
Editorial Playlists: Selected by Spotify’s in-house team of curators.
Algorithmic Playlists: Powered by Spotify’s machine learning algorithms.
User-Generated Playlists: Curated by regular users, artists and record labels, these playlists are flexible and dynamic - the type of playlist referred to in Daniel Ek’s statement.
It is important to note that this user-generated playlist can be public or private, which will dictate the whole dynamic of the playlist. User-generated private playlists are closed or only shared with specific individuals, these playlists can not be found on the service of the search bar, only the creator or individuals granted the rights can share them with others. User-generated public playlists can be seen in the profiles of users and also be found over search. Usually these playlists are used by artists, brands and labels to showcase the brand, trade with others and amass a following on the service. These playlists are the ones found on playlist and marketing platforms like DailyPlaylists, Submithub or Groover.
User-created private playlists are a key cornerstone of the Spotify experience. They serve as a first point of retention: when you like a song, you save it to your private playlist. They are an entry point for artists to get streamed, gain popularity with those users, and be noticed by Spotify's algorithm. To get onto user playlists, helps artists to improve their metrics, beyond just streams.
Daniel Ek's statement underscores their importance. The sheer volume of user-curated playlists - private and public - being made suggests this practice will continue for a long time, which is great news for artists.
Julie Knibbe, founder and CEO of Music Tomorrow, agrees with this - she highlights how these numbers emphasise the importance of personalisation in the listening experience. Each user-generated playlist tells a story, reflecting journeys, moods, themes, or personal tastes.
Mrs. Knibbe believes this massive amount of data provides a golden opportunity to analyse user playlists on a large scale. It can reveal emerging trends and user preferences, offering artists insights to inform their marketing strategies.
Discoverability is everything. The constant influx of user-generated playlists means continuous opportunities for artists - especially on the public ones. No niche or genre is too underground for playlisting to be valuable, potentially for the first time. Here is an example of large-scale user-generated public playlist analysis in action.
The trend line
In April 2024, Spotify announced the implementation of AI into their playlist ecosystem. The tool allows subscribers to use text prompts to automatically generate new playlists. For example, you can enter “relaxing music to listen to by the ocean” and Spotify will suggest tracks that fit that mood.
This could be an attractive tool for those who have never created a playlist before. If creating playlists has felt time-consuming in the past, the tool helps to ease that concern.
Although AI might generate the initial playlists, users can edit and also decide if it is private or public. This will potentially increase the scale and the relevance of playlists driving discovery. Currently, the tool is in Beta and will start in the UK and Australia on iOS and Android.
Leveraging the technology
As an artist, ignoring user-generated public playlists in your marketing strategy can limit your potential reach. These public playlists are not just a fun feature for users; they are a powerful tool for increasing your visibility and attracting new listeners over the fans and followers of the user profile, who created the playlists. Some users have a massive following, like Juan Magan (artist) or Purple Crunch Records (record label) or David Zanellati (producer).
DailyPlaylists is a platform that connects your music to thousands of playlists and curators. Our platform hosts playlists created by both regular listeners and music professionals such as artists, producers, and record labels. This diversity ensures that your music can reach a wide audience, from casual listeners to industry influencers.
Playlists curated by professionals are typically more impactful for artists because playlist curation and upkeep are crucial for their relevance. These curators have a deep understanding of musical trends and audience preferences, allowing them to create playlists that resonate with listeners and drive engagement.
DailyPlaylists provides a suite of tools designed to support and enhance your music marketing campaigns which you can find out about here.
The goal at DailyPlaylists is to empower artists with the resources and connections they need to succeed in the ever-evolving music industry. By leveraging our platform, you can ensure that your music reaches the right ears and stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Conclusions
In 2024 people are creating more playlists than ever: and public user-generated playlists remain a crucial element of music promotion this year. With billions of playlists created and new AI tools enhancing the playlisting experience, there will be more opportunities for artists to increase their visibility and reach.
By leveraging platforms like DailyPlaylists, artists can tap into this dynamic aspect of music streaming, ensuring their tracks find their way to more listeners. As personalisation and discoverability drive user engagement, integrating user-curated playlists into your marketing strategy is more important than ever.
