The benchmark for the number of songs featured by Spotify editorial curators is 20% of the total tracks pitched within a specific time frame. Your aim as an artist is to be of the lucky 20 percenters eligible for an organic push from Spotify.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps you can take not only to pitch your song to editorial and independent playlists seamlessly but also to enhance your chances of landing your desired playlists.
Pitching is a process of ‘selling’ your music to Spotify curators, whether editorial or non-editorial, with the aid of submission forms, emails, direct messaging apps like Facebook and Instagram, or real-time conversations.
It is not impossible to get your song on a playlist by having a physical meeting with a curator, but it is rare. Also, tracking down the physical locations of Spotify curators can be pretty awkward, and you might get arrested. Lol! Apart from stalking a curator, any other method listed above is proper and effective.
The nature of your pitch or the pitching method used is highly dependent on the type of playlist you intend to be featured on. There are Spotify editorial playlists, algorithmic playlists, personalized playlists, listener playlists, and artist playlists. Check out this Loudlab article on the types of playlists on Spotify. Here, we will focus on how you can pitch your new music to Spotify editorial playlists and listener playlists
Difference between Spotify editorial Playlists and listener playlists
To expand your sources of Spotify streams, you need to pitch to both Spotify editorial playlists and listener playlists. The trick behind getting featured on stream-boosting playlists is understanding the nature of these playlists and the curators’ aim. This section will help you understand the nature of Spotify editorial playlists and Spotify listener playlists; and what the curators of these playlists expect to see in a playlist pitch.
What are Spotify editorial playlists?
Spotify editorial playlists are verified playlists curated by a team of in-house music experts
and genre taster makers – basically, people who know lots about music. The ability to democratize the playlisting sphere to an extent where everyone and anyone can create a playlist makes Spotify the people’s favorite ahead of Apple music. Also, the “rags to riches” stories of Spotify artists are great PR for the Swedish audio streaming platform. Great examples of editorial playlists on Spotify are RapCaviar, Pop Pp, Most Necessary, and New Music.
Spotify Editorial Playlists Requirements
By creating over 5000 editorial playlists, Spotify aims to keep listeners across all music genres on their streaming app for as long as possible. Hence, they push the “best songs” to more listeners. By creating over 5000 editorial playlists, Spotify aims to keep listeners across all music genres on their streaming app for as long as possible. Hence, they push the “best songs” to more listeners.
Submit your music to your distributor 7-28 days before release
Distributors like CDBaby and Distrokid can get your music on streaming platforms in three days. Still, you do not need to hasten this process as Spotify editors recommend submitting your song for playlisting at least 7 days before the release date. So there is no need to rush; schedule your release 28 days before release and give the editors enough time to find the best playlist for your track.
Pitch via Spotify submission form on your Spotify for Artists account
Spotify has provided the best and most convenient method of pitching for artists – the Spotify for Artist playlist submission form. You can pitch your upcoming music to Spotify using your Spotify for Artist dashboard. Under the ‘music’ section, you will see your yet-to-be-released music under ‘upcoming’ (if your distributor has submitted the track to Spotify). Click ‘playlist pitch’ to fill in the necessary information such as genre, types of instruments on the song, city, and description. Do not be tempted to leave the “describe your song for us” box empty. Also, ensure you give them enough information on the song’s mood, creation process, tour plans, previous radio tours, blog reviews, and your promotion plans. Use this opportunity to sell yourself to Spotify editors.
Make no compromise on music quality.
You do not need to have much experience as an artist to know that no streaming platform would playlist trash, not even the we-care-about-independent-artists Spotify. I hate to break it to you, but it won’t get playlisted if your song is not good enough. Period.
How to pitch to Spotify editorial playlists
The step-by-step procedure of pitching your unreleased music to Spotify editorial playlists is listed below. Note that Spotify does not allow artists to pitch already-released music, and only one song can be pitched at a time, meaning you cannot pitch another song until the currently pitched song is released.
- Claim your Spotify for Artists with the aid of your distributor. CDBaby and Distrokid offer this service for free.
- Log in seven and set up your Spotify for Artist profile in the most appealing format.
- Click the ‘music’ section and find your upcoming releases under the ‘upcoming’ column.
- Choose the upcoming release you would like to pitch.
- Fill the Spotify playlist submission form. Then, submit.
What are listener playlists?
Listener playlists are playlists generated by Spotify users. Listener playlists can be made private or public. However, you can only pitch public listener playlists, aka independent playlists.
Listener playlists requirements
The requirements can vary depending on the editor, the nature of songs featured on the playlist, or the aim of the playlist. For example, some curators require money while others don’t. Curators also ask for favors in non-monetary forms such as playlist exchange and cross-promotion across social media accounts.
How to pitch to listener playlists
Ensure you listen to the playlist for a while and understand its purpose. When pitching, let them know you are a fan of their playlist and your song is similar to songs on the playlist. It is a plus if you have a cordial relationship with the editor on social media or real life.
However, resist the urge to extend fake friendly antics all in the name of wanting to build a
relationship. Be professional while pitching. Also, do not intrude on the curator’s privacy. You can reach them via mail, social media, or submission forms.
Some playlists curators don’t want to be reached; kindly leave them the heck alone. Finding listener playlists can be done manually on Spotify or with tools such as SubmitHub and Groover.
Spotify editorial playlists vs listener playlist
Before we list and explain the differences between Spotify editorial playlists and listener playlists, it is important to know that both types of playlists are essential for the success of a Spotify campaign. So ensure you include both in your Spotify promotion plan.
| S/N | Spotify Editorial Playlists | Listener Playlists |
| 1 | Spotify does not accept a dime to playlist your song. | Some independent curators require artists to pay to get featured on their playlists although it is totally illegal according to Spotify. |
| 2 | Your only point of connection to verified Spotify tastemakers is the Spotify for Artists Playlist submission form. | You can reach independent curators via mail, social media, or non-Spotify site submission forms. |
| 3 | Editorial playlists can get you more streams than independent playlists partially because people trust Spotify more and also Spotify trusts the Spotify curation team more. | They can help you boost your streams, hence boosting your Spotify Popularity index. |
| 4 | The duration spent by tracks on Spotify editorial playlists can be very short given that Spotify updates these playlists weekly or bi-weekly. | The duration spent by tracks on independent playlists depends on the nature of these playlists and the editor’s choice. If you pay to get in a playlist, your song can be featured as long as agreed. |
| 5 | New musicians are welcome. | Independent playlists tend to favor the labels and established artists. |
| 6 | You can only pitch a song at a time (28 days) and you cannot pitch more than one song in an EP or LP. | You can pitch as many songs as you want to different playlist curators. Do not overwhelm a playlist curator with all your songs, as this move is frowned upon. Pitch one song at a time per independent curator. |
| 7 | Pitching to editorial playlists can get you featured on algorithmic playlists. | Pitching to an independent playlist cannot get you featured on algorithmic playlists. |
Disadvantages of not pitching your track to Spotify
Before your song can make it to Spotify or other streaming platforms, it means your distributor has vetted the song content. However, before you can get an extra boost from Spotify Algorithmic playlists or editorial playlists, their editorial curators need to have a taste of your music. When you refuse to pitch your track to Spotify using the submission form, you also lose out on algorithmic playlists such as release radar and discover weekly.
One mistake artists make when putting out music is not pitching their upcoming releases to Spotify editorial playlists at least 7 days prior to the release date. Although not every song that is pitched to editorial Spotify playlist curators would be playlisted, there are certain benefits that are attached to sending your music for consideration. In a case where your track does not make it to any editorial playlist, your music will certainly be added to the release radar.
How do you know when Spotify accepts your pitch?
The playlists you are featured on will be publicly displayed on your ‘Spotify about’ section. You can also see your songs’ playlists by clicking on your home page’s ‘playlists’ column. However, you will only be able to see the playlists that helped your songs get streams.
