In today's music industry, getting your music on playlists is one of the most effective ways to increase exposure and gain new listeners.
In this guide, we'll take a closer look at how to find Spotify playlist curators and get your music on Spotify playlists.
We'll explore the various benefits that come with getting your music on playlists, including increased exposure and streams, and discuss some tips and tricks for making the most of this powerful promotion tool.
I. How To Find Spotify Playlist Curators
Playlist curators are crucial for musicians who want to get their music heard by a wider audience on Spotify. But with so many playlists out there, it can be overwhelming to find the right ones.
Fortunately, there are several ways to find and connect with playlist curators.
1. Social Media
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram can be great places to find playlist curators. Here are some tips for using social media to connect with curators:
Use hashtags: Hashtags may be more irrelevant than ever, but they can still help you find curators interested in your genre of music. For example, if you're a hip-hop artist, use hashtags like #hiphopplaylist or #rapplaylist to find curators who specialize in that genre.
Follow playlists: Many playlist curators have their own social media accounts, and they often promote their playlists on those accounts. Follow these accounts and interact with the curators by commenting and liking their posts.
Engage with curators: Engage with curators on social media by sharing their playlists, commenting on their posts, and sending them direct messages. Show them that you are interested in their work and that you appreciate their playlists.
2. Spotify itself
Spotify has its own tools that can help you find curators and submit your music to them. Here are some ways to use Spotify to find curators:
Browse playlists: Using the playlist search feature in Spotify allows you to discover playlists. Although simple, it's effective.
Check out the playlist description: Many playlists include a description that tells you what type of music they feature and who the curator is. This can help you identify curators who might be interested in your music.
Submit to curators: Spotify allows artists to submit their music to curators for possible inclusion on their playlists. Use Spotify for Artists to submit your music to Spotify's editorial playlist curators.
3. Third-Party Websites
There are also several third-party websites that can help you find playlist curators. Here are some websites to check out:
SubmitHub: SubmitHub is a platform that allows artists to submit their music to hundreds of Spotify playlist creators or social media influencers for a fee. You can filter curators by genre and other parameters to narrow down the list of curators you want to submit to. To learn about them in depth, click here.
Groover: Groover is a platform that connects independent musicians with independent Spotify playlist curators. You can submit your music for consideration on their playlists through their website. To learn about them in depth, click here.
PlaylistPush: PlaylistPush is a service that connects artists with playlist curators. Artists submit their music to PlaylistPush, and the service matches them with curators who might be interested in their music. To learn about them in depth, click here.
In conclusion, there are several ways to find playlist curators on Spotify, from using social media to third-party websites.
Whichever method you choose, remember to be persistent and engage with curators in a meaningful way.
Building relationships with curators takes time, but it can pay off in the long run by helping you reach a wider audience and grow your fan base.
II. Quality Checking Spotify Curated Playlists
As a musician, we know that getting your music featured on Spotify playlists can greatly increase your stream count and exposure.
However, if your music is placed into a low-quality Spotify playlist with bots or inflated numbers, this can actually harm you as an artist.
With the growing trend of fake playlist curators and bots, it's extremely important to quality check any potential Spotify playlists before submitting your music.
Here are some tips for quality-checking Spotify playlists:
1. Check for the curator's legitimacy: Look up the curator on social media and other playlists to see if they are a real person, and if possible, reach out to them to verify their legitimacy.
Pro Tip: If a Spotify playlist curator has contact information in the description, utilize that method of contact. In this case, the curator likely has a routine for accepting Spotify playlist submissions from artists.
2. Review playlist activity: Observe the playlist's consistency in being updated with new releases and see if the playlist has any followers, likes, or plays.
Pro Tip: If a Spotify playlist has tens of thousands of followers, but the Spotify playlist curator profile has only a few followers, it is likely botted.
3. Check for bot activity: Use a third-party tool such as artist.tools or Chartmetric to analyze playlist data and ensure that the engagement is not from bots or fake profiles.
Pro Tip: We recommend musicians use artist.tools for Spotify Playlist curator research. This tool allows musicians to easily identify high-quality vs. low-quality and botted Spotify playlists. Plus, it allows you to easily reach out to Playlist curators, track your artist profile growth, and much more. In short, it makes the whole process of playlist outreach way smoother.
4. Listen to the playlist: Listen to the playlist and see if it fits your music style, audience, and genre. Make sure that your music aligns with the playlist's brand and that you’re comfortable with your association with that brand.
Pro Tip: If the Spotify playlist curator accepts a lot of low quality music, or music that doesn't at all match the playlist title, they are likely only in it for a quick buck. Avoid them. The best Spotify playlists only accept new music that fits their genre, mood, or theme. Fully.
By quality checking potential curated playlists before submitting your music, you can ensure the authenticity of the playlist which can have a positive impact on your music's exposure and listener engagement.
III. How to Pitch Your Music to Spotify Playlist Curators
The next step in getting your music on a popular Spotify playlist is to pitch it to the playlist curators. A pitch is a brief message that you send to the playlist curator to introduce your music and make a case for why they should include it on their playlist.
Your pitch should be short and to the point, while still highlighting the unique aspects of your music.
Here are a few tips on what to include in your pitch:
Genre: Clearly identify the genre of your music, so the playlist curator knows if it fits their playlist.
Mood: Describe the mood or vibe of your music to help the curator understand what kind of emotions it might evoke.
Instrumentation: Optionally, highlight any unique or interesting instrumentation that your music features. This can make it stand out from the crowd.
When pitching your music, it's essential to personalize your pitch for each individual curator.
Look at their past playlists and see if your music fits with their style. Reference specific songs or playlists that they have curated to show that you have done your research.
Example Pitch Templates
Here are two examples of a pitch to Spotify playlist curators, one more formal than the latter.
Formal Version
Hi [Curator Name],
I recently released a song called [Your Song Name] that I think would be a perfect fit for your [Playlist Name] playlist. The song is a blend of [genre 1] and [genre 2] with a [mood] vibe. It features [unique feature], which sets it apart from other songs in the genre. I noticed that you recently included [song name] in your [Playlist Name] playlist, and I think my music would be a great addition. Thank you for considering my submission."
Pro Tip: The best time to use a formal pitch when you submit music is for branded accounts, third party submission websites, or e-mail submissions.
Informal Version
Hey [curator],
Just reaching out because I'm a big fan of your curation on [playlist].
I was wondering if you're currently accepting submissions? My track is a great fit and sounds like [artists] and a lot of other songs in your playlist.
Song: [insert link here]
I look forward to hearing back, thanks and take care!
Pro Tip: The best time to use an informal pitch is when you submit music via DMs or when submitting music to people you are not 100% sure are the respective Spotify curators.
In summary, personalizing your pitch, highlighting unique aspects of your music, and doing your research can increase your chances of getting your music on a playlist.
Remember to be friendly, as Spotify playlist curators get a lot of submissions. Trust me.
Note: Now seems like a random but perfect time to mention that we are an independent Spotify playlist curator that accepts new music submissions for our collection of playlist, completely FREE!
Otherwise, back to the blog!
IV. Best Practices for Pitching
Pitching your music to the curators for consideration may seem like a daunting task, but it's an essential part of any successful artist's strategy.
From years of experience as an independent Spotify playlist curator, and managing independent artists, here are some best practices for pitching your music that you should keep in mind:
1. Avoid Mass-Emailing Curators
Do not send mass emails to curators with a generic message. Take a personalized approach and try to tailor your message to the curator's specific interests.
2. Be Polite and Professional
Always be polite and professional when reaching out to curators, and make sure that your pitch email is well-written and free of any spelling or grammar errors.
3. Research the Curator
Do some research on the curator and find out what type of music they typically include in their playlists. Tailor your pitch accordingly and don't waste their time by pitching music that clearly doesn't fit with their tastes.
4. Be Specific
Provide a specific reason why your music would be a good fit for their playlist. You could highlight the mood or vibe of your track, explain the inspiration behind it or highlight any relevant stories that tie-in with the type of playlist that you're looking to pitch to.
5. Don't Be Too Pushy
Avoid being too pushy when pitching your music for playlists. Remember, curators receive numerous pitches every day, so don't expect anything if your pitch gets declined.
V. Additional Tips for Getting on Spotify Playlists
While following the above steps can greatly help you in getting on Spotify playlists, there are some additional tips that can increase your chances of success:
1. Optimize your Spotify artist profile
Your Spotify artist profile is where fans go to learn more about you, so it’s important to make it as engaging as possible. Make sure to include an up-to-date bio, high-quality press photos, and links to your social media accounts.
Also, be sure to add your music to your Spotify artist profile, including your latest release.
2. Network with playlist curators
Creating relationships with Spotify playlist curators and maintaining long-term connections can increase the chances of getting featured on playlists. Engage in conversations on social media, attend music industry events and conferences, and reach out to independent playlist curators online.
It is important for artists to continue reaching out to the playlist curators even after their initial success.
3. Collaborate with other artists
Collaborating with other artists in your genre can be a great way to increase your chances of getting on popular Spotify playlists. When you collaborate with another artist, you get exposure to their audience, which could lead to more followers, streams, and playlist placements.
Additionally, when you collaborate with other artists, you can cross-promote each other's music and playlists, which can be beneficial for both parties.
4. Use playlist promotion services
Another effective method to get on Spotify playlists is to use playlist promotion services. There are several playlist promotion services available that can help you get your music heard by curators and listeners.
These services usually work by submitting your music to a network of curators and playlist owners, who then add your music to their playlists. Some of the popular playlist promotion services include Playlist Push, SubmitHub, and Groover.
5. Create your own playlists
Lastly, creating your own playlists on Spotify can be a great way to increase your visibility on the platform. By curating playlists with music from different artists in your genre, you can attract more followers and potentially catch the attention of playlist curators.
When you create your own playlists, you also have the opportunity to feature your own music and promote it to your followers. This can lead to more streams, followers, and playlist placements, and ultimately help you get discovered by more listeners.
Remember, getting on Spotify playlists takes time and effort. By optimizing your Spotify artist profile, networking with playlist curators, regularly releasing new music and promoting it to curators, you can increase your chances of achieving success on the platform.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, getting your music in front of independent Spotify playlist curators is a crucial promotion tool for musicians to increase exposure and gain new listeners. Finding the right playlist curators can be overwhelming with so many playlists available.
However, this guide has provided several ways to find and connect with playlist curators, from social media to third-party websites.
It's important to quality-check any potential Spotify playlists before submitting your music to ensure that the playlist is legitimate and has real followers.
Remember to be persistent and engage with curators in a meaningful way to build relationships that can pay off in the long run by helping you reach a wider audience and grow your fan base.
We hope this guide has helped explain the best way to reach independent Spotify playlist curators, and wish you the best of luck implementing the best practices we discussed!
Until next Wednesday, artists!