PRL 376
Content Optimization for PR Writing
Fall 2025
How Spotify Can Cure Your Boredom and Not Evoke It
A Blog Series
ENTRY 1: The Importance of a Fall Playlist
The past few years, fall has been all the rage. Everyone all of a sudden has an obsession with pumpkin-flavored everything, crisp air, and of course, the classic movies and TV shows that are associated with the changing of the seasons. I am not the exception. However, I think another way we can embrace the transition from summer into fall is with a perfect, cozy fall playlist.
Two years ago, I was a freshman at Syracuse University and created quite possibly my most iconic Spotify playlist, appropriately titled “Fall in Upstate NY.” I had no idea what was to come out of making this playlist, nor did I realize how popular it would become amongst other listeners (it has a whopping eight saves). Two years later, I now view this playlist as a college time capsule and a way for me to see how my music taste has changed and what songs still remain in my current rotation.
Unfortunately, I am not a certified music producer or artist, although I did write songs to perform in front of my family when I was five. However, I can confidently say that my friends always listen to my Spotify playlists which is why I believe I have the authority to teach you the recipe for making a perfect fall playlist.
The first step in the curation process has nothing to do with music. Instead, you need to take a moment for introspection. What types of sounds and songs make you think of fall? For me, indie artists like Noah Kahan (featured above) and Mt. Joy create very fall-like music. I think acoustic guitar is very comforting and a lot of their songs feature the instrument which creates a cozy atmosphere.
However, I have also included numerous classic rock songs in this playlist. I believe the season of fall evokes a lot of nostalgia because all of my favorite holidays as a kid, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, happen in the fall. I listened to a lot of classic rock as a kid because my parents played it often. Names like Billy Joel and James Taylor show up frequently in this playlist because I grew up listening to their songs and I always feel a sense of comfort while listening to their music.
At least for me, warmth is important in times when the weather starts to get colder, and it’s amazing how music can provide this warmth despite a single song consisting of an organized set of soundwaves.
To create your perfect fall playlist, it can also be helpful to think of individual songs that make you think of autumn. If you don’t know where to start, think of your favorite fall TV show or movie. For me, the show Gilmore Girls (pictured above) always makes me think of fall. In the pilot episode, the song “There She Goes” by The La’s is the opening song where the protagonists are introduced. The song is played alongside a beautiful montage of multicolored trees and therefore, I always associate this song with that scene whenever I hear it.
I’ve made a realization that the reason why I love specific songs is because I associate them with my own memories and experiences. One of my favorite songs is “Beautiful Day” by U2 because it reminds me of when my dad would always play it the car with the windows down when my brother and I were younger. Especially since being in college, having things that remind you of home is super important and I believe that listening to music is one of the best ways you can have a portable piece of your past.
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It’s crazy how a specific set of songs has such an impact on me. It has kept me company on my walks to class and helps me focus in times of stressful studies. It has kept me close to my hometown friends who don’t even go to college in Upstate New York but also feel nostalgic while listening to these songs. If you haven’t been convinced yet, now is your chance to make that fall playlist while it is still September.
Maybe it will also become your own time capsule and safety blanket for colder times.
ENTRY 2:
Cover Art, Captions and Catchy Titles: How to Brand Your Playlist
The majority of you reading this sentence would not consider yourself an entrepreneur.
However, you probably know what makes a good brand. Effective branding is relevant to a product, shares a genuine message, and doesn’t make you want to fall asleep.
You probably didn’t even realize you could brand a Spotify playlist.
By adding a cover image, punchy title, and a unique caption, you can turn your playlist from sporadically picked songs that have zero purpose, to an organized, custom listening experience that just makes sense for an oddly specific moment in your life.
The Cover Art
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Arguably the easiest part of branding your playlist is adding a cover image. If you’re anything like me, listening to a certain genre of songs can make you think of a specific place or atmosphere.
For instance, I selected a picture of a disco ball that I took for the cover image of a house and electronic music playlist. It can be as simple as that.
I prefer using images that I took as my cover art for my playlists because it feels more personalized. It is also another way to showcase my passion for taking photos wherever I go.
You can make it even more individualized by making the cover image a picture of yourself. The cover image of my country music playlist is a photo of my friend and I eating Jersey Mikes at a Sam Hunt concert tailgate.
Why let photos sit it your camera roll when they can be emblems of your soundtracks?
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Click the images and see what playlists they connect to...
The Catchy Title
Another great way to make your playlists less boring and more personal is to title it in an unexpected, yet catchy way.
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You can title it by:
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1. Using a lyric of a song included in the playlist​
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I made a Chris Stapleton playlist and titled it “Sun on your skin” as it was a lyric from one of my favorite songs of his, “You Should Probably Leave”
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2. Describing where you will be or what you will be doing when the music is played
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“Coffee and chilly calm mornings” is my playlist meant for those crisp walks to class with a coffee in hand.
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3. Writing literally the most random thing you can think of but it still makes sense ​
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Yes, my playlist for rap and hip hop music is titled “Ahhhhhhhh!” The cadence of the onomatopoeia is up for interpretation
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Even though it seems efficient to title a beach playlist “Summer,” using your five senses to come up with a unique title that describes what you feel at the beach will make your listening experiences infinitely better.
The Caption
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Many people don’t even realize you can add a caption to a playlist, yet it is one of my favorite things to do. Captions are for those playlists where writing a title just simply didn’t do the collection of music justice so you have to add more words.
I mostly like the captions because they are little receipts that I can look back on later.
In January 2023, I wanted to start making monthly playlists. I titled the playlist “Jan Jams” and then rhetorically asked in the caption, “Should I start doing monthly playlists?”
Unfortunately, “Jan Jams” is the only monthly playlist I made and I had to humbly inform my 22 Spotify followers that “Update: this did not happen.”
That’s just an example of how stupid your captions are allowed to be. Stupid is better than boring, right?
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Your Turn
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It’s time for you to now put your new learnings into practice. Take some songs that are your current hyperfixations, add them to a playlist, and then close your eyes and feel the emotions and lyrics of the songs. That will lead you to pick the best cover art, titles, and captions.
Sometimes, I feel like there isn’t enough time today to be creative. We’re always in a rush to find an end result to something, even if it isn’t right. We stop doing something because we’ve found a solution. Curating a playlist doesn't need to have an end, and there is no limit to the creativity you can have when trying to find the best images, titles and captions.
Once you make your playlists your brand, everything will just all of a sudden make sense.
*All external images are hyperlinked to their respective sources*
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*All other images are credited to my Spotify account or Wix*