What is the difference between a "station" and a "playlist"?

[doebtown]

I created a "station" called "Kings of Leon" radio. It played for a while (maybe 2 hours). I gave some songs a thumbs up and gave some a thumbs down. After about 2 hours, the songs started repeating. I started skipping through them and noticed that it was the EXACT same list of songs.

Isn't that just a playlist that is inspired by Kings of Leon? I thought radio would play ad infinitum and improve itself as I gave songs a thumbs up and thumbs down. Do I have this understanding wrong? 

[user-removed]

The Radio Stations will play songs related to what you based the radio channel on.

[doebtown]

Thanks for your reply, archenflores.

But if I search for "Kings of Leon", I'll find TONS of "Playlists" that are also songs that are related to what I based the search on. So what's the difference? Seems to me that both "stations" and "playlists" are giving me a finite list of similar songs.

[user-removed]

I think this thread has the best answer to your question. https://community.spotify.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/spotifyiOS/thread-id/54156#

[doebtown]

Humm ... thanks for the link. But--unfortunatley--it makes me more confused than I was before. Am I dealing with "stations" or "radio"?

[user-removed]

I will give you example to make it easy.. e.g. I choose Ed Sheeran (Artist) or Shape Of You (Song) to play on radio. The artist or the song is the STATION, and will be playing in RADIO mode.

[doebtown]

OK. Thanks. That does answer the secondary question.

But the initial question is still unanswered. In "radio" mode, when I'm playing a "station", why does it give me only 2 hours of music. How is that different than a playlist that is inspired by that artist?

[user-removed]

I dont know either. One thing for sure radio station only have small number of tracks. 😉