Step One – What is Your Theme or Vibe
Do you have a theme to your party? 80’s? Black & White? You have to determine your vibe. For example, say you’re hosting a casino themed birthday party for a 30 year old man. This party vibe is going to be fun and energetic – like Vegas Rat Pack. There will be drinks, fake gambling, and dancing. So, some rat pack songs mixed with a little Katy Perry, “Waking up in Vegas”. Don’t be afraid to mix and match songs of different styles. It creates a dynamic party playlist.
If you don’t have a theme, then determining the vibe is even more important. Say you are having a wine tasting party with no particular theme. Then you have to decide what type of emotion you want to evoke in your party. Sounds of folk/indie rock to bring out a winery vibe? Classical to create an upscale feel? Pick a vibe and stick to it!
Step Two – Who’s Coming to the Party?
Who is attending your event? This is important for your music. If you’re wondering why you need to profile your guests, just imagine you forget to listen to your songs all the way through then your poor grandma listens to a profanity laden song full of inappropriate innuendos. Know your audience. Listen to your playlist songs all the way through. Really. Don’t put the playlist on and tune in out. Actually listen. It will save you some heartache and stress come party day.
Step 3 – How Long is Your Party?
How long will your event last? Let me tell you a story about a party I went to. So, I sat up with my friend the night before the party and helped her make a playlist for her party. (Side note: Don’t procrastinate. Seriously.) The playlist ended up being an hour long. All the songs she liked were included and she stopped it there. Well the next day, we are at the party, and it lasted 4 hours. If you did that math just now, you are right. We all heard that playlist FOUR times. Needless to say, no one needs to hear YMCA four times in one night. Just saying. Make sure you have somewhat of an idea of the length of your event so you can make your party playlist long enough.
Step 4 – Logistics
How are you going to play this music. If your event is in a large ballroom, you are going to need more than just one little Bluetooth speaker. If your party is an intimate gathering in a backyard of someone’s home, you will need to make sure you have an idea of when to shut down the music to not disturb the neighbors. Also, if you are using a mobile device to play your music…..charger, charger, charger.
Step 5 – Have a Plan B
So what happens if your playlist turns out to be way too short, or the Bluetooth is not connecting to the speaker, or you’re streaming and the internet connection goes down. One of the biggest keys to planning events is to consider all possible things that can go wrong and plan for them. I like to have a plan B, C and D……but that’s just me. 🙂
Common Party Playlist Issues:
Your playlist is too short: I would default to creating a longer than necessary playlist. But, if that isn’t an option for you, I would have a second playlist, or a streaming service like Pandora ready. Last resort: CDs. Remember those!
Bluetooth is not connecting your speaker to your phone: In this situation, I would troubleshoot by turning you speaker off and on again, and your phone. If you still can’t get it to connect, I would go to your backup boombox or plug in speaker. (Because you brought one….because you’re prepared!)
The Internet goes down: Oh, the internet. Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. Very similar situation to the previous one. Try turning your router and phone off and then on again. If you still can’t get it to work, you can try calling your internet service provider and have them reset the internet from their end. Finally, all else fails, and you bust out the boom box!
Overall, music can make a big impact on an event, so take some time to think about it! You can get really fun and creative with it. I created an eBook of 76 different themed playlists. You can download that for free, just enter your email address below. You’ll also get updates from the blog, but no spam! What are your favorite playlist themes? Comment below!
If you want even more playlist inspiration, check out the EventOTB Party Playlist Board on Pinterest.