Market Your Music Using Spotify Playlists
Have you always wondered about the hype around Spotify Playlists? Or are you completely new to the game?
Today, we’re going to focus on how you can get your music on Spotify playlists. We’ll help you understand:
- Why you should care about playlists
- How playlists can work extremely powerful for you
- Which type of playlists exist
- And, lastly: how you get your music on playlists
Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to follow.
Why Should You Care About Spotify Playlists?
It’s no secret that Spotify is one of the biggest music streaming platforms in the world.
With over 250 million monthly active users, it has definitely changed the game when it comes to how listeners find new music.
Not only has it transformed the way music is accessed, but it has also become a huge discovery channel for listeners all over the globe.
Of course, there are other discovery channels out there like radio, press, and social media, but a big portion of discovery happens within streaming services.
How Spotify Playlists Are Powerful For You
Streaming services are, technically, a promotional platform. And when used correctly, this works to your advantage.
One of the key components of advertising theory is that you should place your exposure as close to the point of purchase as possible (streaming, in our case).
That’s why Google Search is currently one of the most utilized advertising platforms on the planet, because it serves ads to customers when they’re actively searching for a solution to their problem.
Targeted advertising is effective because it puts your message in front of potential customers when they are most likely to be interested in what you have to say.
Spotify is an especially good platform for music advertising because people are already listening to music and are therefore more likely to be receptive to new artists.
There are three primary ways Spotify introduces new music to its users:
- Featured “premium shelf” (like the new releases section)
- Editorial and generative playlists.
- And algorithmic recommendation (Autoplay)
While the first two channels can be difficult to leverage, the doors of Spotify algorithmic recommendation are open to almost everyone.
Using the power of the Spotify Playlist ecosystem correctly, you can give a massive boost to your algorithmic reach.
Getting your music on Spotify playlists
It can seem daunting, but it’s actually not too difficult if you follow these five tips:
Storytelling (out of Spotify)
The more you establish yourself as an artist outside the Spotify and streaming world (think social media, branding, advertising, marketing as a whole), the higher your chances are of getting accepted into these playlists.
Release Radar
Get your new release featured on your follower’s release radars. In order to do so, you need to make sure the track in question has been submitted at least 1 week before release date. Not only the latest music would then get included, but also unheard music. A great addition if you ask me!
Focus on your hit single!
It’s not possible for every song on your album to get featured on a Spotify playlist. Your most popular songs are more likely to catch the ear of new listeners (or the Spotify editorial board). Make sure you choose your favorite song and focus on getting it featured on a playlist.
You’ve probably got a song that your fans love the most, and you might also have data from multiple platforms indicating that your fans have a clear favorite song. Either way, choose carefully and focus on getting just that song featured on a playlist.
Meet your new friend: Metadata
To earn revenue for your music, it’s important that each song has complete and accurate metadata. Spotify says, “The more info we get, the better chance it has.” Accurate metadata will also ensure that listeners can find your songs by linking them with your Spotify account, which will increase listenership (and revenue).
Verification
To get verified on Spotify, you used to need at least 250 followers—but they’ve since made it easier. Now you just need an account on Spotify for Artists.
Spotify Playlist Types
If we would classify the types of Spotify Playlists, we would find that three types arise:
Listener Playlists – Personalized Playlists – Editorials, let’s dissect each one in detail.
Listener playlists:
Some users make playlists for themselves or small groups of friends. While getting your music on them can be valuable since it indicates a base of popularity, getting placement on these playlists should be a mid-level priority.
Personalized playlists:
Spotify has created a number of different playlists based on an individual user’s music preferences. The key to being added to these customized playlists is accurate recommendation metadata so that when users who enjoy your style of music look for new artists, Spotify adds you to their personalized playlists.
Editorial playlists:
These playlists are curated by Spotify’s music experts and listened to by millions of people. Unlike the two types of playlists you can create (see above), you must submit your music for consideration to get on these playlists. We tell you how to do this in the next section.
Submitting Your Music To Spotify’s Editorial Playlists:
Note: You must submit via the desktop version of Spotify For Artists by:
- Logging In To Spotify For Artists
- Navigate to: “Music” -> “Upcoming” and find the song you want to pitch
- Select the song in question and don’t forget your friend that we mentioned, metadata !
Take your Artist Project to the next level with Spotify Playlists
Placement on Spotify editorial playlists can provide massive exposure, but you’re unlikely to build a large following of fans unless you actively engage with your audience.
Spotify is a great way to connect with new listeners, but don’t rely on it as your only promotional channel. Editorial playlists can spike your stream count, but streaming numbers alone shouldn’t be your endgame. How useful is placement on editorial playlists if yours is just one of many?
It’s important to build a brand outside of streaming platforms. Your brand is what singles you out from other artists, it’s what fans connect with and keep coming back for. The bigger your brand, the better your chances of getting picked up by Spotify’s editorial team.
Following fans is more important than simple spikes in streams on Spotify. Getting mentioned on a popular playlist can boost numbers temporarily, but long-term success is dependent on having loyal fans who are interested in your music and will spread the word about it. Think of getting on a playlist as only one of the many ways to get people to stream your music!
A Distributor that you can trust
In addition to putting your music on Spotify, working with a dedicated distributor can make you more visible on the platform—especially if you want to get your music in editorial playlists. Many aggregator services like TuneCore and CDBaby are open to all artists, but if you want to work together with a specific partner or get your music onto their playlists, you may need to use a dedicated distributor for that.
Conclusion
No shortcuts for getting on Spotify playlists; the only way to get noticed is by attracting a dedicated fan base. To do this, you should make sure your metadata is correct and submit your music to Spotify playlists that fit the type of music you make.
Let us know how it goes!
Team DaimoonMedia
