Throughout an upcoming artist’s journey, getting more exposure to their music has always been the main goal. Nowadays, music exposure comes from Spotify playlists. At the end of 2021, Spotify is recorded with 406 million monthly active users - making it the largest music streaming platform on this planet.Regarding music discovery on Spotify, it’s reported that many Spotify users find new music through Spotify playlists and algorithms. With these insights, getting your music play-listed lays the foundation for an upcoming artist’s growth and exposure. To learn more about gaining exposure, you can check out our article on music promotion.Types of playlistBefore we dive into how to get playlists, let’s know what are the playlists out there. Here are the three main categories for playlists on Spotify.1. Spotify playlista. Algorithmic playlistThis is a type of playlist that is generated using Spotify’s algorithm. The algorithm records the number of listeners who follow and saves your songs back to their music libraries and playlists. With that data in hand, Spotify decides whether to place your songs on their algorithmic playlists such as Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Release Radar.b. Editorial playlistsAt Spotify, there is an in-house editorial team that is responsible for choosing what songs to put on Spotify playlists. These playlists usually focus on one specific genre and have millions of followers. For example, you might come across Rap Caviar and Pop Rising playlists. These are the prime examples of editorial playlists.2. User-curated playlistBesides Spotify-curated playlists, there are millions of playlists running by users. For instance, the playlist can come from a Spotify user, an artist, or a brand. There are two types in this playlist category: the extremely popular one with thousands of followers and the low key one for themselves or circle of friends. Getting on these playlists is usually through a pitch which we will cover shortly in this article.And if you're looking for playlists where you can apply for free, you can read this article.Steps to get play-listed1. Verify your accountBefore thinking about what strategies to get on a Spotify playlist, an easy step you can take is to verify your account with Spotify for Artists. In the old days, you would need at least 250 followers to have your account verified. However, as time goes on, you only need to sign up for a Spotify for Artist account and request a verification. With a verified artist profile in place, you can begin your quest of getting on to a Spotify playlist.2. Engage with your fansAfter having your verified account, you need to engage and be active on the platform. Since Spotify largely runs based on algorithms and uses that data to push songs to its users, you need to signal to Spotify that your works are worthy for them to push and promote.Besides Spotify’s algorithms, it’s important to note that playlist curators are more likely to place a song from an artist with some reputation than a complete no-name.Hence, some ideas for you are you can create your playlists with a specific genre or aesthetic and then push your songs there. You can also regularly post your Spotify playlists and account on social media platforms to improve your account’s traffic and following.If you want to learn more, sign up for our newsletter to be the first to access our upcoming article on how to stay active on your Spotify account.3. Research playlistsThe research phase is a crucial part of getting your songs play-listed. You don’t want to put your effort into the void just because you didn’t do enough research. Before reaching out with your songs, you should find what playlists are the most relevant to your music. For instance, you don’t want to pitch your Hip Hop song into a meditation playlist.By finding the relevant playlist to pitch, you increase your chances of getting play-listed. Based on your research, you can compile a list of potential playlist curators to pitch your song.If you're looking to save time and streamline the process of finding independent curators and contacting them, our partner, Playlist-Promotion.com, offers a solution. They provide real and organic Spotify promotion for both indie and major artists. With access to a network of over 60 million potential listeners and a collection of more than 3,500 professionally curated music playlists, Playlist-Promotion has established long-standing relationships with independent curators. Here is a link to their Spotify Promotion Packages.4. Pitch your musicThis step is the main part of your quest on getting play-listed on Spotify. Think of a radio station, if your music gets heard on a radio station, you also need to pitch your song to them beforehand. It works the same way with Spotify. In this article, we will cover how to pitch to Spotify and independent curators.a. To SpotifyThanks to Spotify for Artist’s pitching feature, the process of pitching to Spotify is relatively simple. You only need an account and submit your track under the pitching feature. However, keep in mind that Spotify recommends you pitch at least a week in advance.As a matter of fact, when it comes to releasing new music, we always suggest having a proper plan of action prior to the release date to secure the success of your launch. Check out our article on how to prepare for a music release.After submitting your music, Spotify’s in-house editorial team will consider whether to place your songs on their playlists - making pitching to Spotify relies more on their editorial team rather than you. Thus, you need to make sure the song you choose to pitch is in its best shape to increase the chance they pick you.b. To independent curatorsCompared to pitching to Spotify, pitching to independent curators can be more manual but you will have more control over the process. The success rate of pitching to independent curators mostly relies on how well you have prepared during the research stage. Once they find the relevance between your works and their curation, they’re likely to place your songs into the playlists.Hence, you need to pinpoint that relevance and sell it through your pitch and EPK. Networking is key when it comes to getting on these playlists. Check out our article about networking in the music field. To perfect your pitch, tune in for an upcoming article on how to do pitching by signing up for our newsletter.5. Amplify your reachThroughout the process of playlist placement, there will be a lot of wait time. Hence, you should utilize that time to continuously amplify your reach via different channels. At the end of the day, you want exposure to your music. To help with that, Spotify has tool to help you running ads - check our review on Spotify Ads Studio.However, to simplify the process of using the tool, Base for Music help you reach your audiences faster with simple clicks. By generating sponsored campaigns across social networks (Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, and Spotify), your music gets heard by a new group of audience every day which helps you to grow exposure.
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