Fresh starts don’t have to be complicated to be impactful. After using the same Spotify account for years, I decided to begin again with a clean slate, new music, new playlists, and a whole new approach to listening.
1 Escaping the Same Recycled Music Suggestions
We’ve all been there: Spotify suggests the same handful of artists or genres because it thinks it knows you too well. While this familiarity was great at first, it’s become a bit of a drag. Sure, I liked those songs at one point, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear them forever.
With this fresh start, I’m breaking free from those repetitive suggestions. I’ll be more intentional about exploring different genres and artists outside my usual rotation. And, when I do dive into something hyper-specific, I’ll make sure to balance it with more mainstream or experimental listening sessions to keep Spotify’s algorithm on its toes.
2 Fixing My Playlist Overload
My old account has more playlists than I can count—and barely any that I use. From workout mixes to themed songs, it’s gotten a little out of hand.
This time around, I’m fixing my playlist problem by taking a minimalist approach. Instead of creating a playlist for every possible mood or occasion, I’m focusing on broader, more versatile collections that I’ll actually listen to. I’ll avoid the temptation to make a new playlist whenever I hear a cool song and keep things simple. With fewer playlists, I’ll be able to put more thought into curating each one, making sure that every track I add enhances the vibe I’m going for.
3 Keeping My Ambient Music From Messing Up My Recommendations
I’ve gone through phases where I used Spotify for everything but actual music discovery. Whether it was endless lo-fi playlists to “stay focused” during work, white noise to fall asleep, or even nature sounds for some background zen, it all added up. After a while, Spotify started thinking I loved ambient noise, and my recommendations became full of instrumental tracks and brainwave beats.
This time, I’m being smarter. I’ll use Spotify’s private session feature when listening to something purely for background noise. That way, it won’t seep into my algorithm and confuse my recommendations. When I want to enjoy music, I want to see what Spotify thinks I’ll love—not what it believes will help me concentrate.
Starting fresh means giving Spotify new, accurate data about my current music preferences. Over time, my old account’s recommendations got stuck, reflecting music I used to love but not what I’m into now. Instead of endlessly tweaking the existing account, wiping the slate clean gives me a chance to be more thoughtful about what I follow, what I save, and how I use Spotify.
