How to use Spotify's new Playlist in a Bottle feature to make a musical time capsule that you can op

July 2024 · 3 minute read

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It's the start of a new year, which means it's time to look forward into the future — exactly one year into the future, if you're a Spotify listener.

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Spotify just launched a new feature called "Playlist in a Bottle," which lets you make a time capsule with at least three songs for your future self. Once you finish the playlist, it'll disappear until January 2024, giving you a nostalgic snapshot of what you were listening to in early 2023.

The Playlist in a Bottle feature is available to both free and premium Spotify users until January 31. Once February starts, it'll disappear.

How to make a 'Playlist in a Bottle' with Spotify

Before anything, make sure that you're logged into the Spotify app on your phone, and that it's fully updated. 

When you're ready, head to the Playlist in a Bottle homepage using your phone. If the link leads you to Spotify's app store page, just tap Open.

Tap Get Started, then pick the item that you want to keep your time capsule playlist in: A bottle, a pocket, a gumball machine, a lunch box, or a teddy bear.

You can pick one of five items to store your playlist in. Spotify

Once you've picked an item, you can start choosing what songs you want to save. To help with this, Spotify will give you prompts to answer — for example, "A song you need to hear live in 2023," or "A song you're secretly obsessed with."

Just tap the empty box below the question to browse for the song you want. You can also tap Random to have Spotify choose the song for you, or tap New Question to see a different prompt.

The search engine will prioritize songs you've saved to other playlists. Spotify

You only need to pick three songs, but you can add as many as you want — just tap Keep Going once you add the third track. But once you're ready to finalize your time capsule, tap I'm Done.

Review your playlist choices. To change your picks, tap any of the songs you chose; to add more, tap Add Songs; and to finish, tap Lock In.

You need at least three songs. Spotify

Once you've locked in your choices, Spotify will seal up the playlist and give you a card you can share on social media to tell others what you picked.

In January 2024, Spotify will unseal the playlist and send it to you for a nostalgic jamfest.

William Antonelli Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at wantonelli@businessinsider.com. Read more Read less

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