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One of the best things about using Spotify is the Discover Weekly playlist — a custom playlist that’s tailor-made to your music taste. Available to all Spotify users (you have to use it for at least two weeks before one generates), Discover Weekly playlists (found under the Browse tab) are based on similar users’ music taste, as well as your listening history and listening habits.
The weekly 2-hour roundup of recommendations is so popular that Spotify recently launched similar playlists: Release Radar, a weekly that exclusively shares new music you might like, and Daily Mix, one (or more) daily playlists full of music Spotify knows you love.
Other streaming music services offer personalized music recommendations, too, but I think Spotify’s advanced algorithms are pretty great — and I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a killer differentiating feature. Here are three tips to ensure that you get the best Discover Weekly playlist possible.
Save music to your library and make playlists
The easiest way to make sure Spotify knows what you like is to add it to your library. If you don’t already do this, you should make it a habit. What you add to your library influences what recommendations you’ll see in the future. See the little plus sign next to a song? That saves it to your library. Want to add an entire album to your library? Simply click the save button underneath the title. Now that’s not so bad, is it?
And though there’s nothing wrong with listening to the playlists your friends send you, Spotify learns a lot from the playlists you yourself assemble. If you like to listen to a different variety of music, your playlists help Spotify recognize what you like to pair together. Does your energetic running playlist pay equal mind to Metallica and Lady Gaga? Knowing the nuances and intricacies of your music taste helps Spotify understand what you like to listen to, even if it’s not as easy as one genre per playlist.
The Discover Weekly playlist is one of my favorite Spotify features.
Screenshot/Xiomara Blanco
Do some discovering for yourself
If you show curiosity about a particular artists that was on your Discover Weekly playlist, that tells Spotify that it’s doing something right. Checking out the artist’s profiles and browsing through their biography or discography on the app signals that Spotify found something you’re interested in. The more digging you do, the more Spotify will take note.
Don’t share your account (or get a family plan)
Since Spotify doesn’t allow you to listen to music in different locations at the same time using one account, it’s doubtful that you’re sharing a Spotify account. However, if you are, your chances of a fine tuned Discover Weekly playlist are getting muddled.
Spotify’s algorithms are smart enough to disregard an unusual trend in your listening habits (for when you inexplicably can’t stop listening to the new Bruno Mars song), but if you’re consistently sharing your account with other people, their taste will influence what Spotify puts on your Discover playlist. An alternative is to opt for a Spotify Premium family plan instead.
