How to Create a Funeral Playlist on Spotify & Apple Music
7 min read · Updated
Start with a few songs that feel like them
You do not need a perfect playlist to make a meaningful farewell. Start with a song they loved, a song that says something you want to say, or a recording the family remembers together. You can organise those choices in Spotify or Apple Music and share them before making a final decision.
First ask the funeral director how music is supplied at the venue. They may need a written song list for their own system rather than a streaming link. The steps below cover choosing, organising and sharing music, followed by a handover and playback checklist.
Agree the music moments before adding songs
Ask which moments need music and how much time is available. An entrance, a reflection and an exit are a useful starting point for discussion, but the service may have a different structure. Keep reception music in a separate playlist so it cannot accidentally run during a reading.
If choices feel overwhelming, ask each close family member for one suggestion and the memory behind it. One person can gather the suggestions and confirm the final list. For ideas, browse our 1970s funeral songs, 1980s funeral songs or memorial service songs.
- Arrival: music while people gather; confirm whether the venue wants one track or a longer selection.
- Reflection: a song people can hear without talking over it, perhaps after a reading or eulogy.
- Exit: a quiet farewell or something warmer and more energetic, depending on the family’s wishes.
- Reception: a separate selection that can include more favourites and lighter memories.
Create the playlist in Spotify
These steps use Spotify’s mobile app. Button positions can vary by version; Spotify’s playlist instructions also cover desktop. Mobile track reordering requires Premium under Spotify’s current guidance.
- Tap Create (+), choose Playlist and give it a clear name, such as “Alex — service music”.
- Use Add to this playlist to search for the song and artist. Listen before adding: a live performance, cover or karaoke track can have the same title.
- To add a song later, open the three-dot menu beside it, choose Add to Playlist and select your list.
- Open the playlist’s Edit control and drag the tracks into the agreed order. On desktop, drag tracks into position in your own playlist.
- Remove duplicate versions and any songs still awaiting a family decision. Keep those possibilities in a separate list.
Create the playlist in Apple Music
On iPhone or Android, begin in Library. On iPad, New Playlist is in the sidebar. Apple’s creation guide shows the current controls; labels may differ slightly on older app versions.
- In Library, use the New Playlist button, then choose Create New Playlist.
- Give it a recognisable name, such as “Alex — service music”, and choose Add Songs.
- Search for each song and artist, select the recording you want, then save the playlist.
- To add another recording later, open its More menu and choose Add to Playlist.
- Open the playlist’s editing controls to arrange the tracks in service order. Keep reception music in another playlist.
Check the exact recording
Listen from beginning to end, including any spoken introduction, silence or applause. Check the artist, album, running time and whether it is a live or studio recording. A familiar chorus can hide verses that do not fit the tribute you have in mind.
Write down the version alongside the title. For example, “Let It Be — The Beatles — album version” is more useful to the music operator than “Let It Be”. If a song needs an early finish, agree a fade time; do not assume the operator will know which lyric you mean.
For a photo tribute, match the music to the finished video’s duration and check the export on the device that will show it. A playlist link alone does not put audio into a video.
Share the choices with family
In Spotify, open the playlist’s menu and use Share to send its link. Check access from the recipient’s account, especially if the playlist is private. Spotify distinguishes public visibility from access to private playlists; follow its privacy and access guidance rather than assuming any copied link will work indefinitely.
In Apple Music on iPhone, open the playlist and use Share to send it through Messages, Mail or another available option. Apple lists an Apple Music subscription as a requirement for this workflow. See Apple’s sharing instructions.
Ask someone else to open the link and confirm the tracks. Also send a plain list of titles and artists for relatives who do not use that service. A shared playlist is useful for listening and discussing choices, but it is not an audio-file delivery method for the venue.
Send a running order to the funeral director
Give the venue its requested information before its music deadline. Ask who will start and stop each track, whether they need the full recording or an excerpt, and what happens if a reading runs long. Confirm that the person operating the music has accepted the final list.
Here is an example for a secular service. Replace the songs and cues with your agreed choices; three songs are a planning example, not a rule.
- Entrance — Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper, studio recording. Start on the officiant’s cue; agree whether it plays in full or fades when everyone is seated.
- Reflection — Songbird, Fleetwood Mac, Rumours recording. Start after the eulogy and let it finish.
- Exit — The Best, Tina Turner, 1989 recording. Start after the closing words; agree how long to continue as people leave.
Prepare downloads for personal listening
Spotify Premium allows music playlists to be downloaded in the app. Open your playlist while connected to the internet, use Download, and wait until every track shows as downloaded. Spotify Free does not offer music downloads. See Spotify’s offline instructions.
With an Apple Music subscription, add the music to your library, then use Download on the playlist. Adding a song to your library alone does not download it. See Apple’s download instructions.
Downloads stay within the relevant app; they are not MP3 files you can copy onto a USB stick or email to the funeral director. For venue playback, ask what their system accepts and how they obtain the recordings. Spotify says its service is for personal, non-commercial use: a Premium account alone does not authorise a venue’s public playback. See Spotify’s usage guidance.
Check the agreed playback setup
Common questions
How many songs do we need? Ask the officiant which moments need music and the available time. A short service might have only a few musical moments; a reception can have a longer playlist. You do not need to use every song that means something to you.
What if family members disagree? Keep the main service choices short and agreed. A reception playlist can make room for different memories, and a personal listening list can hold songs that feel too private for the ceremony.
Can I use these downloads in a slideshow or livestream? An in-app download is not an audio file you can insert into a video. Ask the venue or video provider about the recordings and permissions they need. Our copyright and licensing guide introduces those separate questions.
What if the service has religious music rules? Confirm the specific choices with your officiant before finalising the list. Our funeral music etiquette guide is a starting point for that conversation.