Playlist Overload: Optimizing playlist discovery in Spotify’s Browse page

Streaming services like Spotify offer a large number of curated playlists on their browse page, yet users often experience difficulty navigating these dozens of playlists, leading to users not using the feature at all. While category-based browsing is intended to simplify discovery, current designs may unintentionally contribute to cognitive overload. This study addresses the lack of knowledge of how categorization strategies, particularly taxonomic versus thematic categorization, affect playlist discoverability and cognitive load. The goal was to explore whether different categorization approaches could improve user efficiency by minimizing errors and reducing the time needed to locate content. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining A/B testing with semi-structured interviews. Participants tested one of three versions of Spotify’s browse page: the original, a taxonomic version, and a thematic version. Thematic categorization was associated with faster task completion, lower error rates, and improved subjective user experience. However, the results indicate that simply having a clear and structured categorization method is ultimately more important than the specific type employed.