How to Get Playlisted on Spotify

The key to building a career in the music industry is to get your music in front of more people. In 2022, the best way to do that is through streaming services.

With over 350 million users worldwide, Spotify is currently the largest music streaming platform in the world, making it an ideal place to upload your songs and albums. Here are a few tips to help you get playlisted on Spotify and grow your musical following.

3 Types of Spotify Playlists

First things first, it’s important to understand the different types of playlists on Spotify and how they work:

• Editorial playlists – Playlists curated by Spotify’s editorial team of music experts. These are some of the most popular playlists with millions of listeners around the world. They’re typically divided by genre. “RapCaviar,” “Rock This,” and “Hot Country” are all examples of editorial playlists.
• Algorithmic playlists – Playlists automatically created by Spotify’s algorithm for each user based on their musical tastes and listening habits. These are playlists like “Discover Weekly” and “Release Radar.”
• Listener playlists – These playlists are created by Spotify users. Anyone from your next-door neighbor to massive music superstars can create their own playlists and share them with their followers.

Each type of playlist requires a different strategy if you want to get your songs featured. For example, algorithmic playlists are based on your song’s metadata to match with other listeners’ preferences.

Editorial playlists are based on popularity. The more popular your song, the more likely it’ll be picked up by Spotify’s editorial staff.

To get featured on a listener playlist, the listener first needs to discover (and like) your song to add it. You can also reach out to listeners specifically to see if they’ll feature your song. If you know a Spotify user with a large following, it’s even better!

5 Tips to Get Your Music on Spotify Playlists

Spotify playlists are one of the best ways to get your music discovered by more people. There are currently more than four billion playlists on Spotify! Everyone and anyone can create their own playlists — including labels, Spotify curators, individuals, and even music superstars!

Here are five tips to help you get your music on various Spotify playlists:

1. Focus on Your Single Most High-Potential Song

Getting noticed on Spotify isn’t something for a quick demo or half a song that you’ve been doodling with. When it comes to your career, give your fans the good stuff right away. Put most of your energy behind getting your absolute best song in the playlists. It might be the first time some people hear you, so you want your first impression to count.

2. Don’t Overlook Metadata

Spotify’s algorithms can’t “listen.” They determine where a song will fit in the playlists based on the metadata. This is especially true if you want to get featured on algorithmic playlists — which could lead to more exposure and inclusion in other playlists.

Metadata isn’t just a nonsensical form you can skip. It’s crucial to the success of your song! Not only does it place you in playlists and get your song recognized, but it also tells Spotify who to give credit for the song and, perhaps more importantly, who to send earnings to. In other words, fill it out!

3. Submit the Song at Least One Week BEFORE You Release It

It takes some time for Spotify to make your song live on the site, so make sure you upload at least seven days before release. That way, your fans on Spotify will be able to find your newly released song on their favorite streaming platform the day you release. As any good musician knows, fans who have to wait are fans who go somewhere else.

4. Build Your Story Outside of Spotify

You can’t just rely on Spotify to distribute your song to the masses. Spotify does promote popular songs, but it never hurts to make your song popular outside of Spotify, too.

Using other platforms to promote your work and push listeners to Spotify is a great way to extend your reach and help boost your song’s popularity on Spotify. Think about using some (or all) of the following channels:

• Social media
• Website
• Other streaming platforms like Apple Music or Pandora
• Live shows

The more people you can get to listen to your song on Spotify, the more playlists it’ll get added to.

5. Get Verified

That nice little blue check mark does more than just make you look legit. It gives you access to more useful features and, more importantly, gives a little marketing boost to your songs in playlists.

To become verified on Spotify for Artists, simply follow these steps:

1. Claim your profile.
2. Confirm your account.
3. Find your artist profile.
4. Complete a few questions about yourself.
5. Verify your profile submission.

It doesn’t take much, but it’s a big step to help promote your music on Spotify and get it playlisted by everyone from the curators to your dedicated fans.

Take Your Career to the Next Level with Spotify Playlists

Spotify is one of the best ways for everyone from label artists and independent musicians to release their music to a massive audience. Between the cost (free), ease of use, and the incredible reach, getting playlisted on Spotify is a huge step for any musician today!

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