[Android] [Playlists] Your Daily Drive Mix Needs Clarification

[user-removed]

There is a relatively new auto generated playlist called “Your Daily Drive Mix” at least for android mobile and android auto. It’s not a radio/station in the sense that there are no thumbs up or down. Initially I thought that it was creating a playlist from songs saved in my library because most of the tracks have a check mark indicating that they are saved tracks. However, it seemed to be playing one genre (or closely related genres), even on the next day. So how is Spotify determining which track to use?

After some more testing and track skipping, I did come across songs that were not saved to my library. I started playing one of the regular daily mixes and then I switched to the Daily Drive Mix and Spotify indicated that it was playing, but the music didn’t change from what was playing in that regular Daily Mix. However, I did see that the news segments were in there. I wondered if the Daily Drive Mix is based on the Daily Mixes. So I tried another Daily Mix, switched back to the Daily Drive Mix and this time Spotify said it was paused. The Daily Drive Mix was paused, but the regular Daily Mix was still playing. I couldn't get the Daily Drive Mix to change.

At some point I did git the Daily Drive Mix to change again. But I’m not sure how. Was it something I did? Did enough time elapse to allow the change? Is the Daily Drive Mix based on the regular Daily Mixes or could it be based on any playlist I listened to recently? Or is it not based on any playlist?

Basically, does anyone know how this Daily Drive Mix works? My biggest issue with Spotify is the lack of transparency of their features. How do users know how to utilize a feature if we have no idea how it works?

[Loxer]

Hey @user-removed, welcome to the Community.

Hope you are doing great!

Spotify creates playlists and tailors Radio Stations all based on what you listen to, what artists you like and the genres of the music you like mostly!

Their amazing algorithm then uses all of that and gives you the music you may want to hear. It might not be perfect 100% but what it does is truly amazing!

If you need more info on Dialy Mix you can refer to this FAQ.

Hope it helps 🙂

[user-removed]

Thanks LorenXK. I understand how the regular daily mixes work. Those are the 6 auto generated playlists found in the "Made For [your name]" area. In Android Auto, there's an additional playlist called "Your Daily Car Mix." Sorry, my subject said "Drive." I'm referring specifically to this "Your Daily Car Mix." I don't think it shows up in any other area until you play it in Android Auto first, then it'll show up in your history. It is this playlist that I'm courious how it works.

[Loxer]

Hey @user-removed,

Yes that is right.

I already mentioned how those kind of playlists work so it applies to Your Daily Car Mix.

Have a nice day 🙂

[user-removed]

OK, so I'm just trying to understand how the Daily Car Mix differs from the regular Daily Mixes.

From what I have experienced, the genres of each regular Daily Mixes don't really change unless you start listening to a lot of a completely different genre for awhile. And even then it takes awhile before it kicks into the Daily Mixes. However, the tracks update daily (hence "Daily" Mixes).

Now I've seen the Daily Car Mix change genres 3 times within the last hour or 2. But it only seems to switch back and forth between 2 genres (that happen to be similar to two of my regular Daily Mixes). Maybe those are my most played genres, I don't know, but why is it switching?

When I first discovered the Daily Car Mix and it seemed tied to one genre, I thought that since it's a "Daily" mix of sorts that the genre might change the next day. Since Spotify has problems with mixing genres in radio and doesn't allow you to shuffle the regular Daily Mixed between one another, I thought that here was a reasonable compromise. But the next day it played the same genre. It was only today after experimenting alot with it did Idiscover that it was switching between 2 genres. But I can't tell how or why it decides to switch.

It's not switching durring play of the Daily Car Mix that I have notice. Only after switching to another playlist then comming back to the Daily Car Mix. But it does switch every time I leave and come back. So when and why does it switch and how can I influence its behavior? I just notice the recent switch after I've been listening to a completely differnt genre that's not in any of my daily mixes nor this daily car mix. I was listening to this other genre for an hour. When I went back to the daily car mix, I notice the genre switched back to the previous genre it was playing. Again, it seems to be switching back and forth between two genres.

Again, the regual daily mixes I understand. But the daily car mix acts a little different. So I'm just trying to understand the differences.

Sorry for the long reply. I appreciate that you're trying to help.