Spotify may have made it easier than ever to create your own music playlists, but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from some organization. To help you get the most out of your Spotify account, we’ve compiled this list of 10 tips to help you master Spotify, so you can use it to its full potential. Happy listening! 10 Tips to Help You Master Spotify
1) Know your goal
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No matter what you’re looking for—better music selection, more accurate song recognition, etc.—there are a few ways you can ensure that you’re using it most effectively. First, check out how other people use their service of choice (be it Spotify or any other). Once you know how they go about things, try putting together your own playlists and experimenting with different styles. Remember: The point of streaming services is to make it easy to listen to whatever music you want whenever you want—it just takes a little effort and creativity on your part.
2) Choose Genres Wisely
Not all music streaming services are created equal. Different platforms suit different listeners. Users of Apple Music, for example, can build a playlist from any artist available on iTunes—from The Beatles to Prince to Taylor Swift. There’s no such luck with Spotify, though you can use it to listen specifically within certain genres and subgenres (think classic rock, French techno, comedy and so on). If you prefer more freedom in your listening choices and discovery, stick with a service like Apple Music; if you like being able to drill down into niche content, try Spotify or one of its competitors. Just make sure you choose wisely.
3) Know What to Play When
If you’re tired of your current music library, change it up by going to Your Music in your account settings and clicking on Saved Songs. This will help you remember songs that you enjoyed from a specific playlist or artist and could be great for creating themed playlists (like summer songs or beach music). Also, creating a playlist that suits your mood is much easier if you first search for similar playlists other people have created. It saves time and lets you get straight into things without too much stress. Plus, there are tons of artists who are also making their own playlists—so go ahead and click Follow Artists in your account settings menu.
4) Check out New Releases
No matter what you’re looking for, chances are there’s a way to browse music by genre. There’s also a New Releases tab that shows all new albums on Spotify so you can easily find recent releases from your favorite artists. Since new music is constantly being added to Spotify and many top artists release albums more frequently than they used to, it’s definitely worth checking out regularly! This can be done with one click through adding a playlist that has New Releases 2015′′ in its title.
5) Playlists and Curated Content
Do you want to get smarter about music? The first thing you should do is set up a few playlists. If you use Spotify, search for people that make high-quality playlists and follow them. This will feed fresh new content into your main playlist for easy access whenever you’re ready for it. As far as curating your own playlists go, focus on creating themed lists based on activities or moods. For example, if you like to listen to electronic dance music while working out in the morning, create a playlist with songs that fit that criteria. Or if you have an upbeat personality and enjoy listening to rock while driving around town with friends, create another list specifically for those occasions
Be creative! And remember: every time you find a song or artist you love (or even just like), add it to one of your playlists so it can be easily accessed later on when needed. It’s also important not to neglect older tracks; don’t just keep adding new songs all of the time!
6) Discover New Artists with Human-Curated Lists
Discovering new music is a huge part of what makes streaming services great. But sometimes our musical tastes are too specific, or we’re not in a mood for something heavy or jazzy. Luckily, many of these sites offer human-curated playlists that work to cover all your bases: if you’re looking for music for working out, road tripping, studying and so on. These playlists are tailored by real people with specific taste, meaning you won’t be presented with random songs from bands you’ve never heard of before. Instead, it’s likely you’ll find some new favorites from popular musicians and local DJs alike! If nothing else, it can help expand your horizons as a music listener—and who doesn’t love that?
7) Get Creative in the Search Bar
Although most people use their computers to listen to music on Spotify, you can also take your songs with you by installing apps on any mobile device. With options for iOS, Android and Windows devices, you’ll be able to access your playlists from any gadget that can run one of these apps. And if you have a smart TV or even an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 gaming console, it’s worth checking if they support Spotify. If so, those devices will let you play Spotify songs directly through them. Finally, more and more cars are beginning to integrate with connected services like these—if yours is already equipped with a streaming-music service like Pandora or Slacker Radio built in, then chances are there’s a good chance it also plays friendly with Spotify.
8) Create a Daily Playlist Dedicated to Your Activity
Whether you’re running, working out or even cooking dinner, making a daily playlist dedicated to your activity is an excellent way to keep things fresh. Listening to music with a purpose helps you enjoy it more and cuts down on how many times you skip tracks. (Conversely, creating separate playlists for every activity can make it harder for you to find new favorites.) It also makes putting in earbuds something worth looking forward to—rather than a distraction from work. By thinking of music as fuel for your daily activities, not only will you listen more often but you’ll also be more active.
9) Listen on Other Devices & Apps
Even if you do have a premium subscription, you’re still limited in your device selection. Premium subscribers can’t listen on their phone unless they use either Google Chromecast or AirPlay—and even then, only Apple devices are supported. Other than that, there’s no way to stream music from your phone directly to any other device. And if you want offline access, you’ll have to pony up for premium once again. Of course, these restrictions are for Apple Music and not necessarily for Spotify Premium; so if you’re an Android user it may be better suited for your needs.