Have you ever been enjoying a playlist on Spotify and out of the blue, a song comes on you’ve never heard before? You might be wondering why Spotify would play a song not on your playlist. The answer lies in Spotify’s algorithm and their discovery tools, which help you find new music and personalize your listening experience. In this article, I’ll explain the inner workings of Spotify’s algorithm and how to use their discovery tools to find new music.

Why Does Spotify Play Songs Not On My Playlist?

What Is Spotify?

Spotify is a music streaming service that has become a popular way to listen to music. It allows you to access millions of songs, create playlists, and listen to radio stations. Spotify also has a variety of discovery tools to help you find new music.

The Spotify Algorithm

Spotify’s algorithm is at the heart of the service. It’s the brains behind the scenes that curates the music you hear. The algorithm takes into account your listening habits and preferences to personalize your experience. It’s constantly learning and adapting to your behavior.

What The Algorithm Looks For

The algorithm looks for patterns in your listening habits. It takes into account things like the type of music you listen to, the artists you follow, and the playlists you create. It also looks at your listening history, to see which songs you’ve skipped and which ones you’ve repeated.

The algorithm then uses this data to create a personalized experience. It will suggest songs and artists that it thinks you might like, based on the music you’ve been listening to. It will also create playlists based on your preferences.

How To Personalize Your Listening Experience

The best way to personalize your listening experience is to use the “My Music” tab. This tab allows you to create playlists and add music to them. You can also follow artists, which will populate your homepage with new music from them.

The more you use Spotify, the better the algorithm will get at understanding your preferences. It’s important to give feedback on the songs it suggests to you, so it can learn more about your taste.

Spotify’s Discovery Tools

Spotify has a variety of discovery tools that can help you find new music. These tools include things like the “Discover Weekly” and “Release Radar” playlists, which are curated playlists based on your listening habits.

The “Browse” tab is also a great way to find new music. Here you can find pre-made playlists based on genres, moods, and activities. You can also check out the “New Music” tab, which shows you the latest releases.

There are a few reasons why Spotify might play songs not on your playlist.

  • Autoplay: Spotify has a feature called Autoplay that will automatically play similar songs after the current song ends. This feature can be turned on or off in the Spotify settings.
  • Queue: If you have songs in your queue, Spotify will play those songs in order, even if they are not on your playlist. You can clear the queue by clicking the "Clear Queue" button.
  • Spotify Radio: Spotify Radio is a feature that will create a personalized playlist based on the songs you listen to. If you listen to a song that is not on your playlist, it might be added to your Spotify Radio playlist.
  • Spotify Discover Weekly: Spotify Discover Weekly is a weekly playlist of new songs that Spotify thinks you will like. If you listen to a song that is not on your playlist, it might be added to your Discover Weekly playlist.

If you are not happy with the songs that Spotify is playing, you can try the following:

  • Turn off Autoplay.
  • Clear the queue.
  • Create your own playlists and add the songs you want to listen to.
  • Use Spotify Radio or Discover Weekly to find new music.

You can also contact Spotify support for help.

How To Use The Discovery Tools

To get the most out of Spotify’s discovery tools, it’s important to give feedback on the songs it suggests. When you hear a song you like, make sure to hit the “like” button. This will tell the algorithm that you enjoyed the song and it will start to suggest more like it.

You can also use the “follow” feature to keep up with artists and playlists. This will ensure that you get notifications when new music is released, and you’ll be able to easily add it to your playlists.

Other Ways To Find New Music

Apart from Spotify’s discovery tools, there are other ways to find new music. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are great places to discover new artists and music. You can also check out music blogs, which feature new music and reviews from artists.

If you’re looking for something specific, you can use music streaming services like SoundCloud and Bandcamp. These platforms have a wide variety of songs and genres, so you’re sure to find something you like.

Conclusion

Spotify’s algorithm is the key to its success. It uses your listening habits and preferences to personalize your experience. It also has a variety of discovery tools that can help you find new music.

By using the “My Music” tab and giving feedback to the algorithm, you can personalize your listening experience and find new music. You can also use social media and music blogs to discover new artists. With so many options, you’re sure to find something to listen to on Spotify.