How To Create Your Summer Playlist

Summer is a-comin’!

So bring on the weekend getaways, rooftop barbecues and beachside runs. And to up the ante for more fun, make sure you’ve got an awesome playlist on deck. If you don’t yet have yours on repeat, here’s how to get that going.

The To-Dos To Get Your Summer Mix On

1. Grab one from Spotify or itunes or wherever you stream music.

Most music services have their archive of ready-to go-playlists complete with thematic titles to suit your situation. This morning for my run I chose Dance Workout.

Pros to this method:

• It takes 2 seconds to get. Just save the playlist to your device, or stream directly to your phone.
• There’s a 99.9% chance there will be at least 2 tracks from Beyoncé (and who doesn’t love to work out to her?!?!)
• You may surprise yourself and break out in spontaneous dance to something unexpected (this happened to me with Nelly’s Hot In Herre –> who knew?!?!)
• There’s a reason pop music is so popular, it strikes a chord of familiarity, and this is super encouraging on a sweaty workout. Katy Perry, Jessie J and Charli XCX sound way better when you’re timing them to the rhythm of your run.

Cons to this method:

• There’s a 99.9 chance the Beyoncé track will be followed up with something by Shakira. Or Demi Lovato. Or Pitbull —> though super popular and accessible, pop music can also be completely formulaic and lacking soul.
• You may have to stop and fast forward through a slew of songs. (This may not be a big deal if you are working with intervals.)

2. Curate from the already curated playlists.

Similar to method #1, this variation takes a bit more thought + time, but may yield excellent results.

From  spotify or itunes (or where ever you stream music), choose a genre that appeals, and grab only the stuff you like, and pop it in a new playlist created  in your music. You’ll want at least 10 tracks to create your base so plan on taking at least 10 minutes to do it well.

The key to this method is to keep adding to your playlist — make it an ongoing project. So when you are listening to music, and you hear something cool — find out the track title, then add it to the mix. I like to listen to KCRW at my desk. It’s a fantastic way to learn about new artists, and include them in my playlists, like Indie Haven.

3. Have a listening party.

This was how our Vermont playlist was made. For the 6 (or was it 8) hour trek up to just-below-the-Canadian-border, we listened to tracks compiled by everyone in our family. In preparation for this epic road trip, we spent a couple hours listening to music together, taking turns adding songs into the mix.

Pros to this method:

• Everyone gets to hear their music

Cons to this method:

• Everyone has to listen to everyone elses’ music.

How do you make your playlists?

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