Playlist Pitching
Playlist pitching is the process of submitting your song to curators, whether that is Spotify itself or independent playlist owners, hoping to get added.
Why this matters
What is it?
Playlist pitching means reaching out, or submitting through a form, to get your song considered for inclusion on a playlist. There are two broad kinds: pitching directly to Spotify through their own submission tool for a chance at their editorial playlists (the ones Spotify itself curates, like 'New Music Friday'), and pitching to independent curators, meaning regular people or small companies who run their own playlists on Spotify, YouTube, or elsewhere and add songs based on personal taste or submissions.
For Spotify's own editorial playlists, you submit through Spotify for Artists before the song is released, and a real human on Spotify's team reviews it. There is no guaranteed way in, but factors like having a complete profile, a strong pitch describing the song's genre and mood, and a song that is genuinely well produced all help your odds. For independent curators, you are usually reaching out directly, through email or a submission platform, and it works more like networking than an algorithm.
The key thing to understand is that playlist pitching is a numbers game with real filtering behind it. Curators and Spotify's own editors reject far more songs than they accept, often because the pitch was vague, the genre tagging was wrong, or the song simply was not ready. A focused, honest pitch that matches your song to the right playlist's actual vibe does far better than a mass blast to every playlist you can find.
A simple example
Why you should care
When you'll use it
Common mistakes
- Pitching after the song is already released, missing Spotify's editorial window entirely.
- Sending the same generic message to every curator instead of tailoring it to their specific playlist.
- Ignoring genre and mood tags, which makes it harder for editorial teams to place the song correctly.
Submit through Spotify for Artists at least a full week before release, since editorial teams need lead time and cannot add songs retroactively to some playlists.
Keep reading
A unique numeric code assigned to an entire release (single, EP, or album) that identifies it across stores and streaming platforms, similar to a barcode on a physical product.
A unique identifier assigned to a specific recording of a song, used to track plays, streams, and royalties for that exact version, distinct from the song's UPC.
The set of text information attached to your release, like song title, artist name, genre, and release date, that DSPs use to display and organize your music correctly.
A promotional tool that lets fans save an upcoming release to their streaming library or playlist before it's even out, so it appears automatically on release day.
A running list of every task that needs to happen before a song can go live, used to make sure nothing gets missed.
The recurring payments you earn every time your song gets streamed, sold, played on the radio, or used somewhere else.
The royalty paid to songwriters whenever their composition is reproduced, including every stream and download.
The royalty paid to songwriters when their composition is performed publicly, including radio, live shows, and some streaming plays.
The business of owning, registering, and collecting income from the songwriting side of your music, separate from the recording.
A simple written document that records who wrote what percentage of a song, signed before disputes can happen.
The organizations, like ASCAP and BMI, that collect performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and pay them out.
The company that takes your finished song and delivers it to Spotify, Apple Music, and every other store or streaming service.
DSP stands for Digital Service Provider, the industry term for streaming platforms and download stores like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
A widely used digital distributor known for its subscription-based pricing and fast turnaround from upload to release across DSPs.
One of the earliest and longest-running digital music distributors, offering artists a one-time payment model with no subscription required.
A long-established digital distributor offering distribution, publishing administration, and other artist services, historically priced per release.
The specific day (and often time) you choose for your music to go live on streaming platforms and stores, set in advance through your distributor.
The full schedule of everything that needs to happen between now and release day, and after it, laid out with dates.
Editorial playlists are playlists curated by a streaming platform's own staff, like Spotify's 'New Music Friday,' rather than by an individual listener.
An EPK is a one-page digital packet with your bio, photos, music links, and contact info, built so anyone from a journalist to a booker can learn about you fast.
How and roughly how much artists actually get paid for streams, and why the amount per stream varies so much between platforms.
The number of unique people who played at least one of your songs on Spotify in the last 28 days, shown on your artist profile.
The final audio polish applied to a finished mix, making it loud, consistent, and ready for release across all platforms.
The square image that represents your song or album everywhere it's sold or streamed.
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