Spotify Playlists for Library Programs

A New Way to Engage Teens Online

Written by Julia Giantomasi

Published on July 9, 2025

Marketing tools for your library are not just limited to social media, print, or email. Sometimes it’s more effective to think outside of the box and try working with a new medium, like Spotify! Creating themed playlists on Spotify could be a fun and free way for your library to promote upcoming programs, spark conversation, and stay relevant with younger audiences. Keep reading to learn how to build a Spotify playlist tied to your library’s events, without using any marketing budget.

How to Use Spotify

Spotify is globally the most used audio streaming service, and is especially popular among teens and young adults. It’s free to use and easy to download to a listening device. If your library doesn’t have an account yet, visit this page to get started. The platform is user-friendly, so creating playlists won’t require any extra expertise. Check out this tutorial for a step-by-step process on how to create one. Before you build your playlist, have a theme in mind based on your event or program. To make sure this theme is clear, you’ll want to add a title, cover image, and short description that represent it. You can either take a photo, use royalty free stock photos or create your own design on Canva.

Playlist Ideas

Stuck on ideas for how to incorporate a playlist into your programming? We’ve got a few simple concepts to get the creative juices flowing:

• Summer Reading Soundtrack
  Build a playlist inspired by the theme, genres, or moods of your summer reading program. For example: beachy tunes, adventure-themed songs, or tracks tied to featured books.
• Spooky Story Hour Vibes
  Create an eerie, atmospheric mix for Halloween or mystery month. Think instrumental horror movie themes or suspenseful soundscapes.
• Study Break Beats
  Share a lo-fi, classical, or instrumental playlist to support students during finals or midterms. Promote it alongside a study room reservation or late-night opening.
• Voices of Change
  Highlight songs tied to social justice movements for Black History Month, LGBTQ+ Pride, or Women’s History Month. Add a short description linking music and literacy.
• Books to Broadway
  Build a playlist featuring songs from musicals inspired by books or popular adaptations—great for drama clubs or literature tie-ins.

Tips for Playlist Content

If you’ve never created a public playlist before, here’s a few tips to make it a success. Keep the playlist short, preferably under an hour. As we’ve said many times, attention spans are waning, especially in teens! Choose a mix of popular and lesser-known tracks, and get the teens involved by asking them for popular song suggestions. Always use clean versions of songs or clearly label content. And try to refresh your playlists seasonally to keep things timely.

How to Market Your Playlist

Once you have your playlist, you’ll want to make sure it gets out to your patrons so they can start listening and sharing! You can create an Instagram story to promote it by choosing one of the songs from your playlist to play in the background of the story while linking out to the playlist using the link sticker. Generate a QR code for the playlist and add it to bookmarks or flyers. Embed it on your website or drop the link in your newsletters. It’s easiest to share it digitally and adds an extra layer of engagement with patrons.

Spotify playlists are more than just fun, they’re a clever way to extend your library’s voice into everyday spaces. Creating a soundtrack can connect digital outreach with in-person events! With no cost and little setup time, they make it easy to connect with teens, highlight your programs, and stand out on social media.