Admit it. You were skeptical when Spotify began generating an automated personalized playlist, appearing just above the playlists you create called Discover Weekly claiming to be "your weekly mixtape of fresh music … chosen just for you." All music fans want to believe no one can match the quality of our own customized cassettes, mix CDs or playlists, especially not a computer.

Now admit those Discover Weekly playlists are actually pretty good. They seem to riff off music you've been listening to without drawing obvious connections. They pull in deep cuts from artists you may only know by their hits without becoming incoherently obscure. While nothing may ever match the credibility of a recommendation from a trusted music aficionado in your life, Discover Weekly often comes close. How is this possible?

As it turns out, Quartz revealed the magic behind Spotify's Discover Weekly is a combination of data factors that look deep into a listener's habits using a sophisticated algorithm to identify compatible, and sometimes surprising, new music suggestions. The streaming service tracks your listening tastes, cross references the songs you love with other users' playlists, and finds the artists and songs that might just be your next jam.

The result? A personalized new-age mix tape that's hard to beat. Happy discovering!                                                                 

Want more? Read Katy Perry to Superman: How to make playlists that "Roar"