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The way I listen to music is functional.
Daylist is a dynamic, personalized playlist that updates throughout the day based on your listening habits.
It curates tracks that match past choices, adjusting to different times and, in theory, moods.
But is that a good thing?
At first, I loved it.
But over time, it shifted from something I enjoyed to something I heavily relied on without realizing.
Is Spotifys recommendation algorithm making me predictable and, dare I say it, boring?
How do recommendations work?
Personalized content is a huge part of Spotifys success, and Daylist is just one of many recommendation-driven features.
Seasonal playlists, like Spotify Wrapped, also keep things fresh.
Some playlists are curated by actual humans at Spotify, but most rely on recommendation algorithms.
One key method is collaborative filtering, which analyzes users with similar habits to recommend music you might like.
These techniques work together to keep recommendations fresh but still personal.
The filter bubble
Theres a downside to all this personalization.
And its not just Spotify.
Convenience is baked in, making it harder to break free.
The fixes are simple almost embarrassingly so but I needed the reminder.
Lately, Ive been making an effort to seek out new music.
Im listening to more music podcasts, radio stations, and asking friends for recommendations.
Even just recognizing that I might be stuck is a step forward.
This morning, instead of opening Daylist, I played a new music playlist.
Not a huge step, but a small one.
These platforms arent designed to help us discover hidden gems or support emerging artists they champion whats already trending.
Keeping us engaged and making money.
And yet, theres something magical about human curation, randomness, and chance discoveries.
But that kind of exploration takes effort, patience, and a willingness to get it wrong sometimes.
Can we ever code that into an algorithm?
It feels too messy, too human but maybe one day.
Then again, maybe Ive got it all wrong.
Maybe these recommendation engines do understand something deeply human just not the part we like to admit.
We say we love discovery, that we crave newness.
But when it comes to entertainment movies, TV, music maybe were not that adventurous.
Maybe we just like things to feel familiar.
Maybe its not Spotify making me boring.
Maybe Im just boring.
