Most of the population now uses Spotify to find new artists, songs and to stream playlists. So if you are an artist new to the music industry, getting your song on Spotify is almost vital to be noticed not only by listeners but also by big labels.
Check out Jony Studios blog How to Get Your Music on Spotify to learn more about the process of getting your song on Spotify.
However, the question: how will your potential fans find you, still remains answered.
The answer: playlists on Spotify.
Spotify and big labels create playlists on Spotify that have millions of followers. These playlists have songs from various artists on them and getting your song on any one of these playlists can be a game-changer for your music career.
So how do you get your music on a Spotify playlist?
This blog will give you a few tips on how you can have your song featured on one of these playlists.
Go straight to Spotify
In order to get your music on a Spotify Playlist, you HAVE to have a Spotify for Artists account.
Not only will getting a Spotify for Artists account help you pitch your song to a Spotify Playlist, but it also has numerous useful tools to monitor the success of your songs/albums. It has tools to analyse how your song is doing which can help you improve your marketing campaign.
All you have to do is go to ‘Upcoming’ on your Spotify for Artist dashboard and submit a release to a playlist.
However, there are a few restrictions/rules you’ll need to follow:
The track must be unreleased
It has to be submitted 7 days prior to its release date but the sooner you submit the request, the chances of your song being selected increases
You can only submit one track
You need to submit specifications such as genre, mood, instrumentation and whether it's a cover or original.
Pitch to independent playlist owners
A lot of popular playlists aren’t owned by Spotify. They are made by big labels or individuals who have garnered a huge following.
You can search for playlists on Spotify that fit your song (genre, sound, mood, etc.), note down the owner of the playlist and Google them to find their contact or social media account.
It is a good practice to make an excel sheet of everyone you are thinking of contacting. You can use this template created by Jony Studios.
While emailing your leads, make sure to be polite and provide as much information you can about your song with a link to your song.
SPOTIFY DISCOVER WEEKLY & RELEASE RADAR
Another form of playlist that exists on Spotify is Release Radar and Discover Weekly playlists.
These playlists are unique to every user. You might have seen one yourself if you have a Spotify account.
They are created by Spotify’s algorithms and are based on people who follow you.
Getting on one of these playlists is pretty easy. All you have to do is encourage your listeners and fans to follow your account on Spotify. Every time you release a new song, it appears on your followers’ Release Radar playlist. Release Radar has been known to generate more streams than any of Spotify’s self-curated playlists.
Discover Weekly playlists are a bit different.
This playlist is updated every week on Monday and is based on the listeners taste in music. Spotify listens to the kind of music you are listening to and creates a playlist based on the kind of songs you like but may not have heard before.
So how do you get on these playlists?
Release music regularly as your chances of showing up on either one of the playlists increases with the increase in the number of songs you release.
Promote your songs everywhere not just on Spotify. Don’t only focus on Spotify, keep doing live performances and releasing songs on other platforms. Your fans will find you on Spotify if they want to.
How to get your song on Discover Weekly?
Get your songs on other playlists so when listeners stumble across your song, it might just show up on their Discover Weekly playlist. This playlist uses data from everything a user does from which songs they are listening to, who they follow, which playlists they follow, user’s private and public playlists, etc.
Build engagement around your music by producing songs with a high standard. It will do your song no good if listeners skip your song due to poor quality/music standard.
How to get your song on Release Radar?
Get your fans to follow you on Spotify since Release Radar playlists are created using users’ followers.
Make sure to direct your fans to Spotify whenever you release a new song so they can give you a follow.
Bonus Tips? Yes, please!
So. You got your song on a Spotify Playlist. Are you done?
Nope!
If you want the best possible chance to blow up on Spotify, here are a few tips you should follow:
Have everyone follow your account
The more followers you have, the more seriously Spotify will take you.
So every time you release a song/album or direct your fans to your Spotify, make sure to encourage them to give you a follow.
Have a complete profile
Make sure your Spotify for Artists account is completed and updated regularly by adding social media links, bio, upcoming tour dates and more.
This makes you seem more legitimate on the platform which in turn gets curators to take you more seriously as an artist thus increasing your chances of being considered to be on a playlist.
DIRECT YOUR FANS TO SPOTIFY
Spotify’s ultimate goal like any other business is to get as many people on their app as possible.
So the more people you bring to Spotify from “off-platform”, the chances of you being featured on a playlist increase. Spotify’s algorithm recognises your contribution to bringing in more listeners and awards you by featuring your songs on their playlists.
Share your Spotify link as much as you can on as many platforms as you can!
SHARE the playlists you get featured on
Share any and every playlist big or small you get featured on, on your social media accounts.
This does two things: it generates more traffic on Spotify and shows listeners the high standard of your music for getting featured on a playlist.
You should also ensure to tag the playlist’s curator on your post as well. This shows to them you are thankful and builds a relationship with them.
Create playlists of your own
Discover Weekly algorithm takes every playlist into consideration. So if you make a playlist of your own, even if it has a few followers, featuring your songs, your chances of being featured in a Discover Weekly playlist increases.
Another way this could be beneficial is: you could build a playlist with a huge following on your own. This takes a lot of time but your playlist could potentially become a playlist, up and coming artists request to be on.
Conclusion
Spotify is an amazing platform for up and coming artists or artists new to the industry. Not oly does it give easy access to your fans but it could also help in garnering a huge fan base by being featured on playlists on Spotify.
I hope this blog helps you in your musical journey to success!
- By Neha Agarwala
If you need further help creating your own music, we offer music production services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!
We look forward to being a part of your success.
Contact us here to get started.
