[Words by Lilly Eggert from PlaylistMap]
If you could become an overnight success, wouldn’t you? If there was a way to deliver your music to the most relevant audience — no matter where they were in the world — and increase your fanbase, wouldn’t you want to? When you get on a Spotify playlist, all of this is possible.
Today, one of the best ways to get discovered and launch your music career is to get on a Spotify playlist. There are more than 345 million monthly active users who both listen to the curated playlists and make their own on the platform. Getting onto a Spotify playlist improves your level of exposure to virtually millions of listeners who want to discover new music.
By pitching your music to the curators of relevant Spotify playlists, you’ll have the opportunity to get your songs added, reach listeners who already enjoy your genre of music, and gain new fans, all while improving your standing in the Spotify algorithm.
6 steps to help you get on a Spotify playlist
Here are six simple things you can do to boost your success rate and get on a Spotify playlist.
1. Plan ahead before the release
When you’re preparing to release a new song, make sure that identifying relevant playlists you could pitch it to is part of your release process.
Once you find the playlists that would best fit each song, prepare to submit your pitch to the editors. To give the playlist editors time to review your submission, make sure to do this well before the songs drop.
If you get a new release on a Spotify playlist, users will hear your song right when it comes out. This initial boost in streams increases the engagement with your artist profile and gets listeners excited about your future releases.
2. Use a credible playlisting tool
Don’t waste time searching for playlists manually. By subscribing to a playlisting platform, you can easily identify relevant playlists, access their contact information, and reach out to curators. A playlisting tool will help you make a smarter and more targeted pitch to increase your chances of getting on the playlist you want.
Since the playlists are already mapped within the tool, all you need to do is search for the right playlists. Some playlisting platforms offer better search capabilities than others. For example, while all platforms in the market will let you search by genre, only PlaylistMap allows you to search by a specific artist.
3. Focus on independent curators
The playlists created by the Spotify editorial team are extremely popular. But this also means the competition to get on them is really tough. The team gets flooded with pitches and it will take them a while to see your message and even more time to actually listen to your song.
You’ll have a better chance of getting added to a playlist if you focus on independent curators. While they also go through tons of songs to carefully select which ones they want to include, they are not as inundated with pitches and you are more likely to get a faster reply from them.
4. Write a personalized and compelling pitch
Once you identify the curator and playlist, make sure to personalize your pitch. Start it by introducing yourself and stating the purpose of your message. Make sure you clearly mention which playlist you are submitting your music for, as many curators manage several playlists. Then include a description of your music. If you are a brand new artist, it helps to also reference which artists you are similar to so that the curator can further understand your vibe.
Try to be as efficient and intentional with your words as possible with the pitch; you want the curator to get a full understanding of your music but also not skim over any important information. Finally, show your appreciation for the curator and thank them for their time.
5. Increase listener engagement to boost saves
When more people interact with your music, the Spotify algorithm will favor your profile. So when listeners like or save your songs, or even add the songs to their own playlists, the algorithm reads that as increased engagement. This improves the likelihood of your songs being added to popular playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar.
In your social media profiles, add a link to your Spotify profile. It creates easy access for listeners who are already following you to engage with your music within Spotify.
6. Create a good artist profile
When the curators read your pitch, one of the first things they’ll do is look at your Spotify profile. For your profile to look legitimate, it needs to include a bio with your artist story and images of you. Then add links to your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia pages to show you have a social media following and existing listeners. If you have any upcoming tour dates, add those as well.
Get on a Spotify playlist to launch your career
The growing popularity of Spotify has made playlists one of the biggest ways that listeners discover new music. But the work doesn’t end once you send your first pitch. Most artists need to send dozens of pitches before they get accepted — the road can be long, and patience is necessary.
However, using the right playlisting platform can make this work much faster and easier.
If you use a tool like PlaylistMap to search for your ideal playlists and connect with the right curators, you can streamline the pitching process. And forget about worrying if you’ve crafted the perfectly-worded pitch; this platform helps you customize your message to ensure you’re including all the information the curator is going to want. You can spend less time pitching and the playlist curators can get to know your music in the most authentic way: by hearing it directly from you. It’s a win-win.
Image Credit: Alexander Shatov
