music to write to

songs that make you dance

a playlist for a full day in the studio

music for art teachers to play while students work

a playlist that catches up with an old friend for you

a playlist for a party you want to leave

a playlist that is a gift to your future self

spooky music (that's not Halloween music)

songs to listen to while waiting for the dentist

songs that bloom

music that is based on math

a playlist that feels like it has a secret

electronic music with noteworthy flute parts

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

songs you often share with other people

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

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

music that won't wake a sleeping person

music that makes the morning coffee taste better

opening tracks

music that makes cheap wine taste like champagne

songs that surprised you

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

songs that make you feel a different age than you are

music to listen to while wandering a museum

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

a distracting playlist

soundtracks to individual friendships

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

music for dancing at your desk

a playlist that is a poem

coding playlist

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

a playlist that feels like riding a bike

music that reminds you of being in a specific room

music you like to lipsync to in the mirror

songs can only be Names or Locations

a playlist saying what you won’t text

a song for each of your chrome tabs

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

Songs to Dissociate to

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

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

sounds from under the earth

a 24 hour playlist to listen to in a single day

musically uplifting songs with very sad lyrics

a song for each thing you accomplished today

songs that conjure grief and joy at the same time

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

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

a playlist that revolves around a single song

songs about capitalism

songs that are better with your eyes closed

a playlist that feels like a change of season

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

a playlist for your alter ego

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

songs that make a whole room dance

songs you like to sing along to

a playlist for playing dress-up

a playlist that indulges your angst

a playlist that feels nostalgic in the lonely way

replace the soundtrack to a movie that already exists

a playlist which satisfies your endless hunger for more playlists

songs that aren't even a little bit about love

a long continuous story

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

songs under 2 minutes

theme songs for a cartoon about you

a song for each of your instagram posts

a playlist that feels nostalgic in a collective way

cooking playlist

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.

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

songs added one at a time by free association

songs that cure sensory overload

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

a playlist that meets someone else halfway

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

songs to help you learn an instrument

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

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

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

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

music for reading in transit

songs with vivid narratives

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

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

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

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

a playlist of songs from bands that start with The

music that softens your gaze

melancholy dance music

a playlist that feels like 100 degrees

a playlist for when you're in physical pain

a playlist for a long air flight

underwater music

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

a playlist for the afterlife

music that slows time

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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