Peet’s Coffee Names KCRW Alum Anna Chang Its First Chief Playlist Officer

Anna Chang, former producer of KCRW’s long-running morning show *Morning Becomes Eclectic*, has been named Peet’s Coffee’s first Chief Playlist Officer. The appointment follows a joint search with SPIN to find a curator whose selections could reshape the retail sound for the chain’s slower afternoon hours.

Chang’s winning playlist, “When the Coffee Hits,” will play in Peet’s locations nationwide throughout August. She also receives a trip for two to a major Chicago music weekend and access to exclusive festival experiences with SPIN.

Her playlist treats the caffeine cycle as a narrative arc. “I approached the playlist like a story,” Chang said in a release. “It takes you through every stage of the caffeine cycle: the first jolt, the productive groove, the midday grind, and the well-earned victory lap.” The tracklist moves through indie pop, electronic grooves, and dance music, with lyrical coffee references tucked in as easter eggs for attentive listeners.

Among her selections is “Vertical,” a drum & bass track from Nia Archives’ newly released *Emotional Junglist*. “It’s the ultimate pick-me-up,” Chang said. “I love the emotional tension in this song and the way Nia Archives’ soulful, almost vulnerable vocals sit against the restless drum & bass rhythm.”

The role formalizes something many chains approximate with algorithm-driven playlists. A human curator, with broadcast experience and a personal connection to the brand—Chang grew up blocks from a Peet’s in San Francisco—points toward more deliberate music programming in retail spaces, even if the job itself is a promotional one.