There's no doubt that Spotify has completely changed the way people consume their music.
If you can find a music lover who hasn't heard of Spotify, you should ask them where they've been hiding for the past few years.
While there are other platforms like Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram to find listeners and build an audience, Spotify is a driving force for bands and independent artists.
Spotify alone has over 4 billion users. That means Spotify is one of the best tools you can use to connect with audiences and unique listeners looking for music like yours. If you can get on a Spotify playlist, you have the potential to reach millions of potential new fans and listens.
Keep in mind; playlists are responsible for about two-thirds of listening time on Spotify.
An in-house team at Spotify curates the most coveted playlists, and other Spotify owned playlists are curated by big-data and then finished by Spotify employees.
Other playlists are algorithm-driven or branded playlists put together by record labels and influencers. And finally, there are user-created playlists that are created by, you guessed it, Spotify users.
Getting on a Spotify playlist can completely change your music career. So, what's the best way to get your music on a Spotify playlist? Is it even possible for a small independent artist?
Yes it is, and in the article below, we will discuss the steps to get your music added to a Spotify playlist.
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Keep in mind that this isn't a "hack." You aren't going to wake up one morning with millions of listeners on Spotify without putting in the work first.
It will take hours of work to build up your listenership, credibility, and Spotify plays.
Just like the other platforms, Spotify has a unique algorithm that rewards artists who spend a lot of time and invest a lot of energy into their platform.
And don't forget, your music has to be good, too. If you want your song to be on a playlist next to the best music in the country and the world, your music has to sound the part.
The absolute first thing you have to do is sign up for Spotify for Artists and create a profile. This will get you verified and boost your credibility.
You will also unlock a bunch of useful features like analytics and notifications when your music is added to a playlist. This data is beneficial, so keep track of your stats as much as possible so you can start to notice trends.
Pay attention to the nuances that get you more followers and what may have caused you to lose streams and followers.
Avoid the bad, and double down on the good.
It's obviously important to know how to submit your music for consideration. Once you have a Spotify For Artists account, you can submit your music.
The first thing you want to do is make sure your avatar, bio, and pictures are current. Spotify will use all of this information when they share your music.
Now, log in to Spotify For Artists on your computer and click "Music" at the top. Then click "Upcoming," choose a song from the list (assuming you've already added music), and then click "Pitch a Song."
Fill out as much information about the song as possible. The more information you add, the better. Make sure you select your genre, mood, style, language, region, and instrumentation. Don't leave anything blank.
This is the point where you will need to make your pitch.
It only needs to be a few short sentences that describe what's interesting about your music, info about any featured artists, and details about your marketing plan.
Spotify needs to see that you are ready to work to make your music successful as well.
If your song gets placed on a playlist, you'll get an email letting you know.
We understand you probably love every song you have on Spotify. However, even the best artist in the world doesn't get every song from an album added to a playlist.
Only the best, catchiest, high-potential songs make it to Spotify playlists.
You probably already know what your best song is, and that's the song that is likely to get added to a playlist and create new fans.
If you already have data that shows you which song is a clear fan favorite, use that data to your advantage and push that song.
As we mentioned before, Spotify likes artists who like Spotify.
The more time a user spends on the platform, the more their songs are added to playlists, and then the more likely they will be recognized.
Release new music as much as possible, even if it is just a single here and there. Think about it - an unreleased song sitting on a hard drive doesn't do you any good.
Promote your artist page on your website, Facebook, and other social media sites to build up your following. This helps your new music appear in your follower's Release Radar.
When you're new, you need to build up as much social proof as you can. People tend to favor artists that are generating a buzz.
The Spotify editorial team isn't the only group capable of creating playlists.
You can, and should, create your own playlists that can promote your music.
This keeps you active as you browse the platform, and it gives you more ways to share Spotify links with your fans and followers. Make a few playlists based on mood or activity with popular songs, along with your own tracks and singles.
Don't go overboard adding your music to these playlists. You want it to feel organic.
You can also collaborate with a few other independent musicians like yourself and create a few playlists together. Working with other musicians will accomplish more than one person can alone.
Come up with an idea or theme for a playlist, add your music, add their music, and you're basically playing the part of a local radio DJ.
When you collaborate with other independent musicians, you get exposed to their fanbase, and they get exposed to all of your fans.
You need to treat your music like a product. In this case, that means pitching your work to the independent playlist owners.
But before you make your pitch, you need to figure out the specific playlists that you want to target.
Don't waste time pitching to playlists that aren't relevant to your music, no matter how popular they are.
Search some keywords that fit your genre and style and put together some of the best fits into a spreadsheet. Include the playlist's name, the link to it, how many followers it has, who owns it, and any contact info you can find.
It usually isn't an issue contacting Spotify playlist curators because most of the influencers link their accounts to Facebook. Keep in mind that they get requests like this all the time, so you need to stand out.
In the first email, it might be a good idea not to mention anything about yourself. Compliment their work and make mention of specifics.
Once you have a conversation going, then you can start telling them about your stuff. Remember, they are people too, trying to be successful just like you are.
Use this strategy and start small and work your way up.
Someone with a few thousand followers will be more open to speaking to a new artist than someone with hundreds of thousands of followers.
Develop as many meaningful relationships as you can and work your way up the chain.
As soon as you manage to get added to a playlist, strap yourself to that rocket and take it as far as you can.
Tell everyone on all of your social channels that you've been added to the playlist, thank (and tag) the curator and let them know how much it means to you.
If you're still trying to get your first feature, don't give up. No one really blows up overnight. It takes time to hone your craft and generate a real buzz.
Getting added to a playlist should be just one part of your music marketing plan.
Maintaining your online presence outside of Spotify and working on your big picture plan will also feed into Spotify's algorithms.
These are just a few tips on how to get featured on a Spotify Playlist.
Spotify is a popular platform and a fantastic opportunity for an independent artist to get their music in front of potentially millions of listeners.
However, the first step to becoming Spotify famous is to work on and perfect your craft.
Again, your music has to sound like it belongs on a playlist.
The best way to be sure it does is to work with professionals who have done it before. That's exactly what you do at the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media.
AIMM provides musicians and producers the opportunity to hone their craft, learn the best insider techniques, and work with industry-leading instructors. Follow in the footsteps of successful AIMM alumni like Grammy award-winning Kesha Lee, Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders, and KEYZBABY, who co-produced the hit song, WAP.
Whether you are interested in guitar, vocals, music production, drums, keyboard, or bass, AIMM has a program for you. Learn more about AIMM's degrees and certificates today.
Note: During this anxious and challenging time we currently live in, AIMM is proud to let students completely control their learning experience by choosing to attend online, on-campus, or a hybrid.