The Art of the Crowd-Pleaser: How to Curate Playlists That Work for Everyone in the Room

Curating a playlist for a group is not the same as making one for yourself. When you're in charge of the vibe in a public or semi-public space, for example a restaurant, bar, wedding venue, gallery, or boutique, you’re not just playing music. You’re orchestrating mood, pacing, and perception. It’s a balancing act. So how do you please a large group of people with different preferences, ages, and attention spans? Here's how to do it right.

1. Know the Room (Literally and Figuratively)

Every space tells you something about its personality whether it’s the lighting, the layout, the people inside. A wedding reception isn't the same as a packed downtown bar at 1 a.m, obviously. Playlist curation starts with the vibe already in motion. What is your goal? Are you enhancing conversation? Encouraging movement? Creating intimacy? Or bringing the energy up?

Tip: Observe who’s in the room. Age range, dress code, mood. This is vital when finding a musical language they'll understand.

2. Start Broad, Then Tailor

Begin with universally appealing tracks. Think Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, or Anderson .Paak. They're genre-bridging and familiar without being played out, (although I slightly disagree with Fleetwood Mac not being over played). From there, you can shift the energy depending on how people respond.

Tip: Start safe, then read the room. Most people will enjoy it if you don’t jump to extremes too quickly. Otherwise it can be polarizing. 

3. Use Familiarity as a Tool, Not a Crutch

Nostalgia is powerful. Everyone lights up when the first few notes of a throwback hit cut through a conversation. But if your playlist becomes a “Now That’s What I Call Music” marathon, it’ll get stale fast.

Tip: Pair a familiar song with a fresh song. Example: play “No Scrubs,” then follow it with something that people may not know, this is where your personal creativity will come in. Keep the tempo, change the texture. 

4. Diversity Matters (But So Does Flow)

Yes, MIX GENRES. Yes, celebrate different cultures and sounds. But make the transitions intentional. Hip-Hop into a folk guitar will never work, from experience, it can be jarring.

Tip: Use a bridging track. For instance, if you’re going from indie rock to house, slip in a Jamie xx song to connect the dots. My friend did this once at a small get together and it was so perfect I took note.

5. The "No Skip" Strategy

Every track should feel like a “no skip”, and not necessarily because everyone loves it, but because it fits. It shouldn’t interrupt the atmosphere. The moment someone thinks “why is this on?”, you've lost their trust. This happens to me often when I shuffle my liked songs… so just another example of why playlist curation is necessary. 

Tip: Imagine it as a single mix. If a song feels like a jump scare in the lineup, swap it.

6. Create Moments, Not Just Background

Great playlists build. There’s a narrative, even if it’s subtle. Maybe you start mellow, rise into groove, then dip into dreamy. Maybe you throw in one wildcard song per hour to shake things up and see who responds. I discuss this concept more thoroughly in my other blog post A Love Story in Sound. 

People may not remember what song was playing. But they’ll remember how the space felt.

7. Bonus: The 70/20/10 Rule

• 70%: Widely appealing, genre-blurring, familiar-but-not-obvious tracks

• 20%: Niche gems or lesser-known bops that fit the vibe

• 10%: Wildcards — unexpected choices that make people stop and smile

This ratio keeps things interesting without alienating anyone. I learned this trick from an old friend that DJ’s in Amsterdam. I have found it to be a solid template. 

Final Thought: You’re Not Just a DJ — You’re a Mood Architect

When curating a playlist for a group, your job is to become invisible and indispensable at the same time. People shouldn’t notice the music first, they should notice how good everything feels. That’s how you know you got it right.