Every musician dreams of sharing their music with a broad audience and earning well-deserved recognition. Promoting your music on Spotify playlists can help you achieve those dreams. Spotify playlists are like musical mixtapes created by experts. They group together songs that share similar vibes, themes, and feelings.
Whether you’re into workout beats or happy tunes, these playlists have you covered with a blend of songs from artists matching those moods and themes. Getting your song featured on a Spotify playlist exposes you to a vast audience, expanding your fanbase and potentially leading to more streams and viral success, ultimately boosting your earnings.
Here, we’ll explore how to submit songs to Spotify playlists and give tips to get your pitch approved. Let’s get started.
Things to Know Before Submitting Music to Spotify Playlists
To increase the chances of getting your music approved, here are some key things to keep in mind before submitting your song to Spotify playlists:
1. Only Unreleased Tracks for Playlists
Spotify values exclusivity and freshness in its playlist feature, meaning you can only pitch unreleased music that has not been streamed on any platform. So, pick a time before the release day to submit your music to qualify for a playlist feature.
2. Submit One Track
Getting featured on a Spotify playlist is competitive, and an artist can only submit one track at a time. This also indicates that only quality songs are accepted on these playlists to keep listeners entertained, driving artists to submit their best songs at that moment.
3. Submit at Least 7 days Before Your Release Date
The earlier you submit your music, the better the chances of getting your pitch approved. A lot of work goes into reviewing Spotify playlist submissions before approval. So, submitting your song early enough, at least seven days before the release date, is important.
4. Submit Using Desktop
Spotify currently only allows submissions for playlists through the Spotify for Artists platform. And this can only be accessed via Desktop, not mobile.
How to Submit Music to Editorial Playlists?
Editorial playlists are curated by Spotify’s internal team of expert curators. This platform can make your song reach millions of listeners if your pitch gets approved. But it is fiercely competitive as there are lots of music submissions daily. Here’s a step-by-step guide to submitting your song to the playlist:
Log In or Sign Up to Spotify for Artists
Depending on whether you’re an existing or new user, you must either log in or sign up to your Spotify for Artist account on a desktop.
Choose the Unreleased Track
Under the Music section on your dashboard, click on the Upcoming section to find your unreleased music and select the one you would like to feature in the editorial playlist.
Choose One Track to Submit
Remember, you can only submit one track at a time. So, if it is an album or EP, submit the best track to improve the chances of getting your pitch approved.
Complete the Playlist Submission Form
Finally, complete the playlist submission form by giving detailed information about the song’s genre, mood, theme, etc. Telling a compelling story behind the song can also help reviewers understand the music and its message, thus making their job easier and improving your chances of getting your song featured in the right playlist.
How to Submit Music to User-Generated Playlists?
User-generated playlists, also known as listeners’ playlists, are curated by individual listeners depending on the genre, music preference, or mood. This also applies to brands and influencers who can curate a playlist to showcase their brand style and tone.
User-generated playlists can either be public or private, and they can help you understand how fans interact with your song based on the playlists you appear on or the context in which they relate to your songs. Here’s how to submit music to user-generated playlists.
1. Find Artists Through Similar Artists
Search for artists with a decent following through similar artist categories. Do this by going to “overview,” then “fans also like.” Then, in the “About” section, check “Discovered” to find user-generated playlists.
2. Choose the Perfect Curator and Submit
After searching and getting great curator options, you can choose the ideal curator with playlists your song can fit into for submission.
3. Pitch Your Song
When pitching your song, choose an appropriate time before its release date to enable the curator to listen to, review, and add the song to their playlist in time.
Tips to Get Featured on Spotify Playlists
Here are some tips to keep in mind to get your song featured on Spotify playlists, be it editorial or user-generated playlists.
1. Making Good Music
No other points will work if this is not in place. So, ensure your song is of good quality and has good instrumentals, beats, and other elements. Also, only pitch the best song in your album or EP, and you can determine that by checking the statistics of the previous songs to identify the most loved by fans.
2. Know Your Musical Style and Genre
It’s important to identify and be familiar with a specific musical style and genre that represents you. This knowledge comes in handy when pitching your song to the editorial team. Providing all the relevant information helps them review your song accurately and place it in a playlist that suits its style.
3. Pitch Your Music at the Right Time
Timing is critical if you want to get featured on Spotify playlists. So, be sure to pitch your song at least seven days before the release date to enable editors and individual curators to listen to and review the song in time.
4. Get Verified
Getting verified on Spotify is another fast way to get featured on playlists, especially for independent artists. First, it enables you to pitch your song directly to the Spotify playlist editorial team and gives you access to insights on your fans. Second, it gives credibility to your brand, helping you attract users who love music of your genre.
5. Get Active on Spotify
Being active on Spotify by regularly releasing new songs and building a solid follower base also plays a significant role in getting you noticed by the Spotify algorithm and individual curators. As an active user, you can get your new tracks to appear in your followers’ Release Radar playlists, increasing your chances of being featured in their user-generated playlists.
Frequently Asked Question
1. When Should I Pitch My Music to Editorial Playlists?
Pitch your music to editorial playlists at least seven days before the release date. This ensures there is enough time to listen to and review your song.
2. Can I Submit to Spotify Playlists After Release?
No, only unreleased songs are considered for playlists.
3. What Happens After I’ve Submitted My Music to Spotify for Playlisting?
After submitting your music to Spotify for playlisting, it can either get accepted or rejected based on your pitch and other factors. If successful, your music will be featured on a playlist, making your song discoverable by millions of listeners.
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