Spotify’s Pet Playlist feature, based on questionnaire answers and your music taste, produces some mixed results.
This past Monday I was greeted with a notification from Spotify that I could hop on the app and make a playlist for my pets! I was thrilled, thinking that this was a brand new feature for me to capitalize on, especially after adopting my first cat, Pan, just two months ago. I discovered a few days later that this feature has actually been around since 2020, and was just being highlighted for National Pet Day. Nonetheless, I was excited to discover it, and thought it worth discussing.
How does the Pet Playlist work?
By visiting here, you are redirected to the Spotify app, where you fill out a short questionnaire about your pet, including what kind of pet they are and what some of their characteristics are. You’re able to upload a photo of them, and include their name, both of which are displayed on the graphic for your playlist once it’s made.
Are the playlists any good?
The music is chosen based on the questionnaire, as well as your own listening habits. My pet playlist had an interesting mix of cat-related songs and upbeat pop music like “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat and “Adore You” by Harry Styles. Although it was kind of a weird mix of music, I thought the playlist was pretty decent for what it was. I don’t know if I’d jam to it in the car or put it on in exchange for one of my own playlists, but I was satisfied with the result.
Do the pets enjoy them?
That remains to be seen. Pan seemed to like his playlist, but in all honestly nearly anything will get him excited and riled up. No way to know if he was really feeling the music or had been struck by just the regular old zoomies. I spoke to a friend of mine who had made a playlist for her dog Cleo, and she didn’t seem to think that the music really fit Cleo’s vibe. She told me, “Cleo doesn’t even like this kind of music. She likes opera, she likes jazz…she likes trap music.” C’mon Spotify, why didn’t you fill Cleo’s playlist with a healthy mix of those three genres?
Rating other pet playlists!
After making a playlist for my own kitten Pan, I enlisted my sister to make one for each of our cats back home: Princess, Sugar, and Socks.
Princess’s seems alright. I felt she should have had more upbeat music, because she’s a pretty sassy cat. But the inclusion of “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers seemed to make up for it, as the melancholy tune fits Princess’s dramatic attitude perfectly.
Sugar’s playlist fit her pretty well. Slow, calm music from The Lumineers and The Japanese House really captured her quiet personality. I thought the addition of the song “Hungry Eyes” was a nice touch as well, because she’s always the one begging for food.
Socks’ playlist was a bit of a flop. Socks is a feisty, energetic cat, and the songs Spotify chose for her were much too calm. She is much more wild than our other two cats, and she may have been given the tamest playlist of them all!
Although the quality and accuracy of the Pet Playlists may be questionable, I had a lot of fun making my own and seeing how they turned out for the other pets in my life. Whether you’ve got a host of cats like me that need their own playlist or a variety of other pets, Spotify’s got you covered.
