Spotify Mixes mix your already-liked songs with new tracks the algorithm thinks youll like.
These are just more targeted versions of Spotifys Daily Mix and may help folks discover new music.
But can algorithms ever even hope to compete with personally picked playlists and human-curated mixtapes?
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“Will AI music curation ever be as good as human-made playlists?”
musician andrecording artistthe Rav asked Lifewire via email.
“I honestly think that one will force the other to focus on its core competencies.
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Personalized playlists
Personalized playlists arent new.
Back in 2008, iTunesintroduced Genius, a feature to auto-generate playlists from your own library.
Apple in 2014purchased Beats, which became the Apple Music streaming service.
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One of Beats features washuman-curated playlists.
Apple Music now offers several weekly updated personalized playlists.
Spotify Mixes add an artist mix, genre mix, and decade mix to the existing Daily Mix.
Then they add songs that the algorithms think youll like.
The list updates often, keeping things fresh.
Discovery
One of the best uses of automatic playlists is discovery.
Eye doctor andmusic fan Rahil Chaudharyagrees.
Human playlists are what force you to introduce yourself to new artists outside your comfort zone.
Lacking That Personal Touch
The downside of an auto mix is that it cannot know you.
Its down to your mood.
Algorithmic mixes are also designed to serve up music they think you will like.
“Human playlists are what force you to introduce yourself to new artists outside your comfort zone, saystheRave.
Just Like Radio
In the end, we like playlists for different reasons.
Sometimes were just too lazy to pick something to listen to.
Other times we want to find something new.
Today, Spotify Mixes are the comfortable, easy option.
But there are alternatives.
One is right there on Spotify or Apple Music.
Regular folks can create and share playlists, although finding them isnt always easy.
Spotify Mixes look great, but a little extra effort in looking for music can really pay off.
And Bandcamp is well worth a look.
