How to Make a Spotify Playlist for Your Next Road Trip

1.  Start with a Theme

Settling on a vibe or theme for your playlist is the first step. Are you looking to get everyone amped up with high energy party anthems? Or do you want more of a relaxing, cruising soundtrack for your road trip?

Having a clear concept will make it easier for you to find and add tracks.

2.  Make a Master List

Before you start adding songs to your Spotify playlist, make a master list of potential tracks. No need to filter anything just yet; keep adding tracks as it comes to mind.

Then browse through your personal music library and Spotify recommendations, or ask friends for their contributions. Aim for a nice variety while still sticking to the overall vibe you’re going for.

3.  Search Spotify Playlists

Check out Spotify’s massive catalog of pre-made playlists and compare them with your master playlist. There are tons to browse through based on genres, moods, activities and more.

This is a great way to discover new artists and songs that fit your desired atmosphere. You might even get lucky and pull an entire themed playlist that contains all of the songs that you want.

4.  Organize for Ideal Flow

As you’re building out your playlist on Spotify, aim to create an ideal flow from start to finish. You’ll likely want to start out with some lower-key tracks to ease into things.

Then work your way up to the higher energy bangers towards the middle. And close things out with some mellower come-down songs. Unless you’re aiming for a more random, shuffle-style vibe, which can work too!

5.  Fine-Tune & Collaborate

Once you’ve got a solid first draft of your playlist, give it a test run to see how it’s shaping up. Make any desired tweaks, re-organize tracks, and add or remove songs as needed.

If you’re making a collaborative playlist for a group event, share it with others to allow their input. And voila! You’ve got the ultimate party playlist on your hands!