Apps

5 steps to making the perfect Spotify playlist

Published

August 13, 2017

Alven Villavicencio

I’m a believer that one thing we all have in common is love for music. We may not all listen to the same songs, but I think we can all agree that music is a big part of our lives.

For me, I loved music so much that I wanted to make a career out of it. Because of that, I became a Radio DJ so I could share my playlists with the world.

If you’re like me, you listen to music that matches whatever mood you’re in. And while there are a million great playlists out there, sometimes you can’t help but think that you can make a better one yourself.

So, let’s do this: Let’s make a playlist!

There are several steps to consider when it comes to putting together a fire playlist, and the key to making sure that it’s worth the listen is that you ask yourself who this playlist is for every step of the way.

Step 1: Decide on a theme

What kind of playlist are you putting together? Is it based on a mood? Is it for a specific occasion? Did you look out the window, see it was raining and think, I’m going to make a rainy day playlist! Whatever inspiration brought you to take out your phone and open up your Spotify app, deciding on the theme of your playlist is always step one.

Step 2: Choose the first two songs

The first two songs can make or break a playlist; this is where people decide if they’ll stay and listen, or if they’ll look for something better. It’s also important to consider who you’re making this playlist for. If it’s for yourself, then it really doesn’t matter what you choose — you’ll listen anyway. But if you’re making this for other people to listen to, it’s important to pick some crowd-pleasers, so they’ll want to stick around.

Step 3: Keep it consistent

You are essentially telling a story through your song choices, and the people listening to your playlist are on it because they relate to its theme or mood. If your playlist is titled “Good Vibes” and out of nowhere Adele’s “Someone Like You” starts playing, that’s an automatic buzzkill. If it were me listening to your playlist, I’d switch to another one immediately.

Step 4: Sandwich the “unknown” songs between two popular songs

One of the best feelings ever is introducing new music to someone and seeing them love it, especially when it’s a song that no one’s heard of and you just want to gift it to them. The thing is, if you play too many songs that people don’t know, they’ll lose interest in the playlist and want to listen to something else. It’s always good to put an “unknown” song that everyone knows and loves in between two hit songs so that they don’t lose interest.

Step 5: Enjoy yourself and share it with friends

Listening to music is meant to be fun, so don’t stress yourself out too much when it comes to making your playlist. Share it with your friends and ask them what they think. Don’t be afraid to check out their playlists as well to get some ideas of songs you might want to add to yours. Remember, this is meant to be a fun experience to share with other people. No matter how good you might think your playlist might be, you won’t be able to please everyone.

And, that’s it: My tips on putting together a good Spotify playlist. What do you think? If you think you have a great playlist, leave a link in the comments and I’ll give it a listen!

[irp posts=”2332″ name=”You can now ‘Netflix and chill’ and have control over your data usage”]

Apps

Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.

Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.

Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.

According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.

Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.

Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.

Apps

Google Maps is finally getting a 3D mode

The app will also have a Gemini chatbot baked inside.

Published

March 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.

In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.

In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.

Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.

Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.

Apps

Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience

Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music

Published

March 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?

For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.

That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.

With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.

Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.

From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.

The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.

Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.

Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.

Listening Party also launched

The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.

To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.

It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.