Krause, Amanda E., Eljed, Isabelle E., Sai Wan Ng, Sarah, and Putter, Kaila C. (2026) A Case Study Examining Collaborative Playlist-Making During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Musicae Scientiae. (In Press)

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Abstract

When live music paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, people looked for other opportunities to engage with music. The present case study explored a group of cycling enthusiasts who engaged in a collaborative playlist-making activity during COVID-19, called “Song of the Day.” Our two research questions asked: (1) What does the group’s collaborative playlisting process entail? and (2) What were the outcomes of engaging in collaborative playlist-making during the COVID-19 pandemic? Using an exploratory, qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with group members (N = 4 Australian residents; Mage = 63). Five overarching themes were identified via Thematic Analysis: inspiration and ongoing participation, promoting emotional well-being, bonding, shared and expanded musical engagement, and song selection. Although initially motivated by a simple premise of sharing one song a day to lighten the mood and keep in touch during lockdowns, the playlisting activity guidelines evolved over time. A shift to selecting songs that met stated thematic parameters made the activity challenging and elicited competitiveness and conversation, which fostered continued participation and deepened existing friendships. Engaging in this form of collaborative playlisting sparked enjoyment and nostalgia, fostered group conversation, created opportunities for bonding, and prompted the exploration and discovery of new music and artists. As lockdowns ended, the activity continued, and group members also began attending live, in-person music events together. The group’s use of multiple technologies to share, listen, and discuss extend previous research on collaborative playlist-making and further our understanding of how creative music engagement promotes social connection and well-being.

Item ID:	91367
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2045-4147
Keywords:	psychology of music, music psychology, social and applied psychology of music, everyday music listening, collaborative playlists, social connection, well-being, COVID-19, wellbeing, song of the day, thematic analysis,
Copyright Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. CC BY-NC.
Date Deposited:	10 May 2026 23:34
FoR Codes:	52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5205 Social and personality psychology > 520505 Social psychology @ 60% 36 CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 3603 Music > 360301 Music cognition @ 40%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280121 Expanding knowledge in psychology @ 60% 13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1301 Arts > 130102 Music @ 40%
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