Crafting music playlists was never a difficult task. In fact, it's the most natural way to connect with a feeling or a part of my life. I don't know if subscribing to Spotify Premium is unnecessary, but since I did a couple of years ago, I couldn't see myself without it now. In the last quarter of 2025, I crafted playlists for thematic listening sessions according to my perfume collection. I haven't talked about perfume and fragrances, and I'll sort it out right after this one. But perfume has been my current hype since last year. I sniff and sniff and sniff and sniff. So I built these playlists for my current scents corporating, editing, mixing, and sectioning them.
Here's what I used to do when I craft a playlist
Really feel it
I should be really infused in the emotion before I craft any playlist. Like I said, it's natural. I do it as a part of being in the emotion. Probably as a sense of validating feelings and pages of living life. But in order to be completely invested, I have to indulge myself in so many forms of that emotion. That one emotion could get me through a lot of thought processes and anything in between. So be vulnerable.
Rationalize it
This could actually contradict the first step but whatever. I sit with whatever emotion that's currently happening until it clicks to me words after words to construct it in a selection of serenades. Because I like to listen to songs with words. Lyrics, titles, vibes, and just trying to put it into words. Sometimes this doesn't work, but this is what the first step actually does! I just sit with it until I find the way to put it into words. Maybe borrowing words and sentences from articles and other accidentally relevant sources. Put it in a note.
Do the digging!
Okay, you've finished being sensitive and vulnerable, so how do you actually assemble the playlist? Well honey, that's why you need a whole cycle of the musical ecosystem. I know it's hard to actually do this if you don't have the natural instinct to listen to countless songs from the nichest artist. I don't actually listen to niche music. Most of them are popular. I don't think your worth is measured by your music taste, especially the niche one. No offense if you do, that just means you explored and spare your time appreciating arts, even the least popular ones. The actual intention is probably different than the surface, but whatever, you do you. And popular musics are popular for reasons, right? There's no shame in liking them. Speaking for myself, rather than niche musics, I prefer old popular ones to see how they achieved the notorious reputation. Listen to a new artist because it's just so suitable for my age. It sounded familiar, and my brain's just wired to that.
You could do whatever to explore, but I rarely do it on purpose. That's why I said you need the natural exposure and interest. I watched films, found great tunes, Shazam'd it, and collected it. I scrolled on TikTok, saw people sharing their most recent On Repeat, then I listened to bits of it, collected some if I liked it. Only sometimes, like when I'm bored with my repeated songs, I explore on purpose. Usually at night, I just scroll on Spotify and find similar songs with my current vibe.
Section it
This is where your creativity is involved. Think about prologue, chapters, climax, and epilogue. I usually did it according to that. For my perfume playlists, I section it to the duration of each perfume. The opening, the current, and the drydown. From the first sniff, first spray, next 1 hour, and how it smells after everything evaporates. Personally, I DON'T SHUFFLE.
Section it the way you want, nothing could go wrong. You're the creator.
Title? Description?
Couldn't say much, just get creative or get simple. Same as get deep or get surface level. Get mysterious or be like an open book. Get humorous or get empathetic, idk. The answer's actually just between those twos and other twos.
Redone or?
I normally edited each playlist again and again. They only evolve when I do. I could add more, or even subtract every track in it, and just archive the playlist.
To wrap this up, I just want to say that whether you make a playlist or not, it doesn't matter. I do this as a part of my process. I find joy in creating every one of them. It allows me to be fragile and secure at the same time. I like to make a few about dancing and embracing, where I put lyrically bittersweet songs. That is basically the middle of this topic. Find the sweetness in every bitter and jittery situation. Or even rejoice in the smile-worthy session.
This is basically something general, and I don't think I need to write about this. This is soooooooooooo nothing but unimportant. But the thing is, I like making playlists. I love listening to music and find meaning in it. See another way of living from people. I moved long past the 'seeking validation and relevant advice'. It now feels like rekindling with life, even if nothing was recognized in the first place. Other life that's truly different and totally unexplored. Not relatable, and completely unfamiliar.
All I could say is that it is fun.
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