“Inside the Playlist Factory”

Unlike a random personality quiz, Buzzfeed’s site features “Inside the Playlist Factory” written by Reggie Ugwu in 2016. This essay dives deeper into the unseen work done at streaming service headquarters. Streaming services have taken the music industry by storm and have allowed so many people to access music more freely. The most popular component of these services is the plethora of playlists they offer. You can find a playlist for practically anything, similar to random greeting cards. However, people do not realize it takes a special type of person to curate playlists that appeal to the millions of users. They analyze listening patterns, activity, time of day, or really anything to better understand what playlists people will enjoy listening to and discover more music. The topic of this essay is what makes it interesting in itself. Not many people take into consideration the mechanics of the music they’re listening to, especially when it’s available at the touch of a button. This essay is unique in how it tells numerous creators personal stories, all tying back to the main theme. The author also makes numerous references to songs, artists, and main stream topics to keep the readers engaged in the content. In addition, he has links to outside sources by imbedding them within his writing, taking the reader into discovering the topic further. The content of this essay is so relevant because who doesn’t love music, especially in this digital age. The ending of the essay really stuck with me. The final quote, “Instead of reacting to what’s happening, I have a hand in shaping what’s happening.”, really speaks to the society we live in. We are constantly being shaped and influenced by our media and sometimes it’s subconsciously…just like the people behind playlists.