Three Ways to Use a Streaming Playlist for Learning

Playlists in music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are powerful tools for curating the music you listen to. They can also be of great use in creating passive and active learning. Here are three ways to advise students to more effectively use the playlists you create. (For example, I’ve been advising these strategies for a student studying jazz voice, using a playlist made up of 12 classic albums from 12 different jazz solo singers.)

  1. Rabbit Hole. Respond to a particular artist on the playlist? Go to that artist and listen to more.
  2. Radio. You can create a custom “radio station” based on a playlist as well as by an artist. This will give you more new listening related to the artists in the playlist.
  3. Background. So much of musicality development comes from exposure time; put these playlists on in the background when you’re driving, cooking, studying – they will help you learn!

How else do you use streaming playlists as educational tools?