Investment playlists make thematic investing accessible to retail investors. Here’s how brokers and financial portals are successfully implementing this feature.
Investment Playlists: How Thematic Investing Truly Engages Users
Spotify has shown the way: Users no longer just consume individual tracks—they want curated experiences that match their mood, interests, and context. What has been standard in the music industry for years is now making its way into the financial world. Investment playlists are the equivalent—and they’re changing how retail investors interact with financial information.
What an investment playlist is—and what it isn’t
An investment playlist isn’t a list of recommendations or a robo-advisor. It’s a thematically curated collection of securities enriched with editorial content, visual elements, and context.
Example: A playlist on the topic of “European Energy Transition” doesn’t simply contain a list of 15 stocks. It explains the megatrend behind it and shows how the included companies could benefit from it.
The difference from a traditional watchlist: Users aren’t just shown what, but why—and that drives engagement.
Three reasons why playlists drive engagement
1. Identification over Abstraction
Stock prices and financial metrics are abstract. Themes are tangible. Users interested in sustainable investing identify much more strongly with a “Green Tech Europe” playlist than with a generic ESG ETF. This sense of identification leads to longer session durations, more frequent visits, and a greater willingness to engage.
2. Low-threshold entry for new users
For users who don’t yet have a clear investment strategy, investment playlists are the ideal onboarding mechanism. Instead of facing a blank portfolio interface, they can start with a topic they’re familiar with—and discover the platform from there.
3. Content and transaction in one
Playlists serve as both a content format and a transactional entry point. Users who consume a playlist and become interested in a security it contains are already deep into the customer journey. The step to placing an order is short.
What’s required for technical implementation
Investment playlists offer a way to provide engaging content and editorial depth without having to create the content yourself. We offer a done-for-you solution here. We handle the creation, delivery, optimization, and updating.
Data Requirements
Theme Mapping: Each security must be assigned to one or more themes (e.g., via sector tags and proprietary taxonomies)
Descriptive texts: Short, understandable explanations at the instrument level—not just technical master data
Data layers: Optional scores for a security’s quality, risk, and sustainability provide users with additional guidance in decision-making.
What money:care provides
Our API provides thematically classified securities data, including visually presented descriptions—ready for integration into playlist features, without requiring the product team to manually describe each instrument.
Which themes would appeal to your users first? Feel free to check out our Investment Playlist and find out.