Time travel may not be possible just yet, but Spotify's latest personalized playlist is designed to take you back to your past; Spotify Time Capsule brings together 50 songs from your youth, "curated especially for you based on the country you live in, genres you enjoy, and how old you are".
Spotify says that "this collection of songs is as personalized as your memories, and no two listeners have the same mix", and for the best results, you'll need to have been using Spotify for a few years (and be of a certain age – sorry kids!).
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Your Time Capsule playlist will be updated regularly according to Spotify, with the list of 50 songs being refreshed "frequently".
Spotify says that its noticed an uptick in the number of its users who were "seeking out music from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s", which behavioural science writer David DiSalvo believes is all about comfort – especially now that we're in the midst of a global pandemic that has brought about a period of instability.
In an earlier blog post shared by Spotify, DiSalvo explains that “Music, like smell, is one of those things with immediate access to that direct, nostalgic memory. It takes you back to that place.”
A regularly updated playlist of songs from your youth could certainly be comforting – although it won't be much use if you absolutely detested the music in the charts when you were a teenager (or just want to forget about your goth phase).
How to get Spotify Time Capsule
Getting access to your Spotify Time Capsule is really easy – all you have to do is open the Made For You tab in Spotify, and it should be there waiting for you to play.
If you're using the desktop version of Spotify, the Made For You tab can be found in the sidebar on the left of your screen, underneath Your Library. Click on that, and you should see the Time Capsule playlist under the Uniquely Yours header, alongside other personalized playlists like On Repeat (the songs you've been listening to over and over).
Using the mobile app? The Time Capsule playlist should appear on your home screen automatically.
Previous Time Capsule playlists have been unavailable for users under 16, though Spotify hasn't explicitly said that younger users won't be able to access it. We've reached out the music streaming service to clarify, and will update this article as soon as we find out – although under 16s probably wouldn't get much out of Time Capsule anyway.
Need some great headphones to enjoy your Time Capsule playlist? Here are the best over-ear headphone deals we've found today:
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