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4 ways to create and share music playlists with friends and family

Just like food, music is best enjoyed with other people. That’s why playlists are such a great way to connect with others. You can bond over your favorite songs and even develop your skills as a disc jockey.

When you’re trying to put together the perfect playlist, you might forget a specific song’s name. Luckily, you can just hum a few bars of the melody and let tech do the rest. That’s right: Google lets you search for music by humming — and you don’t have to be a good singer for it to work.

Here’s our easy guide to the Google Hum feature. Luckily, sharing playlists is easier than ever before. Just use these four easy apps to spread the music.

1. Apple Music

It’s hard to beat Apple Music. It’s one of the most beloved music streaming services out there. In fact, data from Statista found it was the most popular music streaming service in the U.S. from March 2018 to Sept. 2019.

Spotify came in a close second, but more people were drawn to Apple Music for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it’s easy to use and offers many customizable features. For example, it lets you change audio quality and even use Dolby Atmos in certain situations.

Secondly, Audiophiles love its inclusion of Lossless Audio, which preserves original files so you can hear them the way the artists intended. Tap or click here for details on Apple Music’s free upgrades.

Don’t forget how easy it is to create a playlist. Just follow these steps:

  • Open the app and tap Library.
  • Hit Playlists, then select New Playlist.
  • Name your playlist and tap Add Music.
  • After you add your songs, select Done.

After that, you’re ready to start sharing your playlist. Just open the playlist you want to share and click the icon with three dots at the top of the playlist page. This opens a pop-up menu. Click Share Playlist to spread the love.

CHECK IT OUT: Apple Music: 7 tips, tricks and insider secrets

2. Spotify

It’s no exaggeration to say that Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming apps out there. You can discover more than 70 million tracks, including over 3.2 million podcasts — all for free. 

Speaking of which, don’t miss out on our free tech podcasts. Good entertainment can make your commute speed by. Plus, you’ll learn a ton about the tech world while you listen. 

At least 4 billion playlists have their home on Spotify. It’s super easy to start. Just head to Your Library, hit the + sign at the top, name your playlist and tap Create.

Here’s what the steps will look like on your screen:

Then, tap Add songs. This throws up a new window with a few suggested songs. Just press the + button to add songs.

You can also search for songs you have in mind to start adding them. It’s super simple:

Sharing your playlists is a snap. Once you’re done putting your playlist together, select it and hit the three dots underneath the title. This opens up a menu of options: You can add songs, edit, delete the playlist and more. Tap Share at the bottom of the window.

You can create a share link, share through messages or click the More button to share through specific apps or even email. It’s a quick and easy way to share cool new songs with your friends and family.

3. Pandora

Sharing is a snap with Pandora. It’s easy to start: Just head to the My Collection screen and tap New Playlist. Enter a name, tap Next and start adding your favorite songs or albums.

Once you put together your perfect playlist, it’s time to share the magic. On your smartphone app or computer, head to My Collection. Next, find the playlist you’d like to share.

Then, tap the Share icon, which is next to the play button. You can then select your preferred sharing medium.

Here’s a caveat: This doesn’t work if your profile is set to private. Make it public to share your music with another listener.

STREAMING MUSIC COMPARISON: Spotify vs. Apple vs. Pandora vs. Amazon

4. Amazon Music

Pick from thousands of stations and playlists with this streaming service. You can access over 2 million songs ad-free. If you plan to listen offline, you can download the songs ahead of time, too.

Want to listen through Alexa? Just tell your Amazon Echo what music, genre or song you’re craving. Plus, Amazon Music Unlimited opens up a whole new world. With it, you can access 60 million songs.

To create a playlist, head to the menu, select Add to Playlist and hit Create New Playlist. Give it a name and tap Save. To share a playlist, hit the three vertical dots to the right. Select Share playlist.

It’s really that easy. You can pick whether you want to share it through Facebook, Twitter, your email inbox and more. You could also hit tap on Copy Link for more ways to spread your tunes.

Listening to music is like therapy

In fact, there’s a whole field devoted to music therapy. Some professionals use the magic of music to help patients with cancer, Parkinson’s, MS and Alzheimer’s. Kim sat down with one such professional to learn more. Check it out in this episode of Kim Komando Explains.

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