a playlist for a party you want to leave

a playlist for when you're in physical pain

songs that cure sensory overload

a playlist that catches up with an old friend for you

a playlist to listen to in headphones next to someone listening to the same playlist in headphones

a playlist which satisfies your endless hunger for more playlists

a playlist which pays the humans who made the songs a living wage

a playlist of songs about a month or a time (November)

a playlist for your alter ego

music that won't wake a sleeping person

music for art teachers to play while students work

songs that make you feel a different age than you are

a playlist for a long air flight

a playlist for a party celebrating you and only you, attended by everyone you love

a playlist that feels nostalgic in a collective way

10 songs that represent the last 5 years of your life, chosen in 10 minutes

songs that are better with your eyes closed

a 24 hour playlist to listen to in a single day

Songs to Dissociate to

a playlist for pre-stalgia: the feeling that you will develop nostalgia around these songs, knowing these songs will soon mean so much -- but not quite yet

music that brings you back to moments when you felt a certain feeling that you don't ever want to forget is possible to feel

a distracting playlist

theme songs for a cartoon about you

a playlist for a full day in the studio

music to write to

a playlist that feels like it has a secret

a playlist to listen to on the way to a social activity that you're nervous about

a playlist with a single song you can play on repeat forever

a song for each thing you accomplished today

songs that conjure grief and joy at the same time

a playlist that indulges your angst

a playlist for someone you still love but isn’t in your life anymore

a playlist where each song correlates to a life changing moment or feeling to build your sonic autobiography

a playlist that is a poem

songs that make you dance

music that slows time

A playlist for when you accidentally find more time in the morning sun

songs that aren't even a little bit about love

cooking playlist

a playlist of songs with lyrics that can be remixed easily in conversation to make jokes and memes out of

a playlist for the afterlife

songs to listen to while waiting for the dentist

replace the soundtrack to a movie that already exists

music that is based on math

"safe" music to play if you're given the aux among people you don't know

playlist where title of each song is something your therapist (could)(should) say to you

songs that bloom

songs to help you learn an instrument

a playlist in which an unexpected song (say something by U2, Green Day or any MTV hit from the mid 2000s) feels surprising but highly comforting

music for dancing at your desk

a playlist that revolves around a single song

melancholy dance music

songs under 2 minutes

songs about capitalism

a collection of novel use of language in track/album/artist naming

a playlist that is a gift to your future self

music to listen to while wandering a museum

music that reminds you of being in a specific room

musically uplifting songs with very sad lyrics

a playlist that meets someone else halfway

coding playlist

a playlist for playing dress-up

a playlist saying what you won’t text

songs can only be Names or Locations

music for reading in transit

electronic music with noteworthy flute parts

a song for each of your chrome tabs

a playlist that gives you permission to do whatever you want to do

songs to play for your kids so they think you were cool

songs added one at a time by free association

music that softens your gaze

a playlist for when you woke up with sore eyes from crying too much the day before

music that no one listened to before you (forgotify.com)

opening tracks

songs you like to sing along to

songs that make a whole room dance

a playlist that feels like 100 degrees

songs that would make your 16 year old self feel like you had experienced way more in life than you actually had

soundtracks to individual friendships

a playlist for your crush to convince them you're cool

a song for each of your instagram posts

sounds from under the earth

songs that surprised you

a playlist that feels like a change of season

a playlist that feels nostalgic in the lonely way

music that makes cheap wine taste like champagne

music that makes the morning coffee taste better

songs you often share with other people

a playlist of songs from bands that start with The

a playlist that feels like riding a bike

a playlist for two people to listen at the same time while separated, instead of talking on the phone. Nobody else can ever listen to that playlist.

songs with vivid narratives

the soundtrack to a movie in which you're the protagonist

songs that will most definitely make you cry so maybe keep them all in one place so you know where to find them

spooky music (that's not Halloween music)

underwater music

a playlist of songs your parents played when you were growing up

music you like to lipsync to in the mirror

a gift for someone based on what you've heard them play on the aux

a long continuous story

about

Playlist Prompts is a collection of very specific playlist ideas started by Shea in 2020 and contributed to by many. So far it has taken form as:

[ongoing]
An open channel on Are.na
[2020]
A participatory newsletter (RIP TinyLetter)
[2021]
A poem published in the Are.na Annual, with an accompanying channel and playlist
[2022]
This website

Submissions and responses are welcomed on Are.na.

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