To become the next big thing on Spotify, getting playlisted is the first must for every upcoming artist. However, playlist curators wouldn’t randomly stumble across your song and add it to their thousands of followers' playlists - or even if they do, it’s like seeing a rare pokemon.They usually receive pitches from artists and then decide whether it’s a fit for their playlists. Before reaching out to curators, you need to understand more about the nature of getting playlisted. Check out our article on how to get playlisted on Spotify.Once you’re finished gathering all this knowledge about Spotify playlisting, let's jump into how to win a playlist curator’s attention.Type of CuratorsAt Spotify, there are two types of playlist curators. In this article, we will focus on winning the independent curator’s heart as it will act as the foundation for you to get noticed by Spotify editorial curators.Spotify Editorial CuratorsSpotify editorial curators are the Spotify playlist curators behind the major following playlists such as “Rap Caviar,” “Pop Sauce,” etc. Once you get into these playlists, it’s almost a guarantee that your song will receive thousands of streams.However, the higher the reward, the more challenging it is to get into these playlists. As we briefly mentioned, to get into Spotify’s official playlist, you need to get recognized beforehand.Even though it’s relatively easy to submit your song from your Spotify For Artist account, you need to amp up your popularity to get the attention of editorial curators and Spotify’s algorithms- making the influence of the second type of curator more important than ever. To level up your popularity, Spotify also has a tool to help you run ads - check out our review on Spotify Ads Studio.Independent CuratorsAn independent curator is anyone that has an account and a playlist on Spotify - it can be your friends or even you. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not as influential as the editorial curators. Some of the playlists from independent curators still have thousands or even millions of followers.Hence, getting into these playlists can be a great kickstart for your popularity and song streams. Not only that, the more independent playlists you get into, the higher the chance you will get into an editorial one.What to include?With every music submission, remind yourself of the goals on why you send them. By having a clear intention, your pitch will be more appealing and relevant to the curators which increases the chance of them featuring your song.Now that you are aware of what kind of mindset you should have, let's carry on to see what, concretely speaking, you need to put in your pitch.Updated BiographyAs simple as it sounds, you need an updated biography about yourself. You don’t want to introduce yourself with an outdated introduction on social media that you have been using for over a year.By giving an overview of who you are, you also give the curators your musical identity which essentially is the only few things that can set you apart from the hundreds of submissions they receive. To understand more, check out our article on building an identity.One Quality TrackAt the end of the day, it is your track that wins the curator’s attention. As a result, you should prepare the most quality track that can grab their attention right away. The quality of your track also reflects on whether it was recorded properly or not. Hence, you need to make sure that the track you submit is in its best condition.Moreover, you should only send one track rather than an entire album. A thing to keep in mind is that they receive a lot of submissions - making the chances of them getting to your pitch relatively low. As a result, they won’t have time to go through every song on the playlist you send. Sending one track would save the curator’s time and your possibility of getting playlisted.Reasons why your song is a good fitIt’s always a good idea to give reasons why they should choose your track. However, don’t go on and on about why your track is the greatest. You should focus on why your track is the perfect fit for their playlist and listeners. For instance, if you’re submitting to a gym playlist, you should explain why your song is perfect for a workout session.Focus on Being:RelevantRelevancy is the key for you to master the art of pitching your music. Without seeing the relevance in your works, it is almost impossible for your song to get picked by the curators. For example, you wouldn’t want to submit your hip-hop track to a meditation playlist. Being relevant here also means you need to do prior research to make sure you choose the right curator that would be interested in your works.PersonalizedNo one likes to receive a template message - that is a guarantee. Without a personal touch in your pitch, the chance of your song getting playlisted is low. Hence, we recommend not sending a mass email/message to hundreds of curators because this is no different than you’re spamming them for attention.You would want to research the curators and find some common ground between you and them then carry on the pitch with a conversational tone. If you can’t find any common topic, you can show your knowledge about them - the goal here is to let them know you understand who they are and what they do rather than just randomly request them to get playlisted.For the perfect pitch, you want to create a connection with the curators and let them know how their listeners will enjoy your song. To master this, read our guide on how to network in the music industry.Short & ConciseSimilar to no one wants a template message, no one wants to read a lengthy message. You should never go on and on about your work. Make it short and easy to understand why they should listen and put your song into their playlist.For more informative articles, sign up for our newsletter and receive more advice on how to succeed as an upcoming artist.
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