Are you a scrappy, new composer looking to share your art with the world? A well-seasoned band who still hasn’t broken through? Whatever your case may be, submitting for Spotify playlist consideration is a tool you’ll need to head in the right direction.
Why Submit to Spotify?
In 2021, Spotify is one of, if not the leading music streaming platform globally. Artists who upload their music to Spotify are able to reach 172 million unique users. However, when competing against global megastars and millions of other musicians, it isn’t easy to stand out from the crowd.
We at Soundscape want all artists to succeed, not just our own. The world needs to hear your music, and the power of your music could change someone’s life. We’re all here to grow, learn, and help others through our passions, and hopefully succeed in said passions to pay rent and keep our families fed. Increasing your exposure through Spotify, among other routes, may get you on the right track.
What are Spotify Curated Playlists? Why should I care?
One way to go the extra mile PR-wise is through submitting unreleased songs for Spotify playlists. Just by submitting, your song is registered and considered for placement in thousands of playlists upon release.
Spotify is widely known for its popular curated playlists. Millions follow playlists like “New Music Friday” and “Release Radar” to get the scope on new music. These A-list playlists are usually reserved for, you guessed it, A-listers (Adele, Taylor Swift, SZA, you name it).
That being said, many staff and popular users regularly curate playlists spanning all moods, genres, and really any occasion. Tens to hundreds of thousands follow and regularly listen to these playlists. If you’re lucky enough to land in just one of these, you could see your streams and follower count skyrocket. Imagine being placed in multiple!
How do I submit songs to Spotify? How do I get my music on the platform?
You may want to sit down before hearing this mind-blowing information. To submit songs for Spotify playlists, you first need to upload your songs to Spotify. I know, so crazy – who would’ve thought of that?
All jokes aside, you will need to use a distributor to upload your music to Spotify and all major streaming platforms (Apple Music, Tidal, etc). Popular distributors you may have heard of include CDBaby, TuneCore, and Distrokid. You will need to create an account on these sites to upload. Some have uploading fees, and others have subscription fees. Amuse is a great distribution site which allows artists to upload and release music through them for free (though there is a fee to specifically choose your music’s release date). Keep these factors in mind.
Some of these distributors may allow you to pick your music’s release date, and others may not. However, every site will tell you when your music will be released to streaming platforms. Usually, it will take at least 3-4 weeks. Keep this date in mind, as you will have to submit songs to Spotify playlists at least 7 days before their release date.
How do I Submit unreleased songs to Spotify playlists?
You need a Spotify for Artists account to upload music and submit to playlists. You can use Spotify for Artists via computer, or your phone (Oh yes, there’s an app for that).
Next, you should know that submitting for playlist consideration must occur at least 7 days prior to release date. Your chances are better if this happens more than 7 days out (2 weeks or so is great).
What are the steps to Submit for Spotify Playlist Consideration?
Step 1: Choose an unreleased track.
Go to the Music tab. Select the song you would like to submit for playlists. If you’re releasing a single, great! Move on to the next step. If you’re releasing an EP or album (really anything with more than one song), pick only one to submit for playlists.
Step 2: Complete the Playlist Submission Form.
Each time you submit a track for playlist consideration, Spotify asks you a series of questions for curators to best understand and categorize your song. It will ask you questions about the tempo, genre, mood, and other song descriptors. Be as vivid and clear as you can, as this will give Spotify data to categorize and promote your song. First impressions are everything. The more information you relay, the better your song’s chances will be to land on a curated playlist.
Step 3: Submit!
Easy as that! Done and on with it. Repeat this process for other songs you want to promote to Spotify curators. Remember, you may only promote one song at a time – don’t get too crazy, now – and you must submit this at least 7 days prior to your new song’s release date.
Pitching to Spotify is a very simple process that may lead to some fabulous rewards. If you want others to hear your art, or are just hoping to make it big one day, I’d absolutely implore you to use this wonderful tool. Here’s to you hitting 1,000,000 streams!
P.S.: Read more about us, and how we can help get your music licensed for Film, TV, Ads and Video. www.soundscape.io/submit
