How to Get Your Music on Playlists: Spotify, Apple Music, and Beyond

TL;DR

Submit to Spotify editorial playlists 3-4 weeks before release via Spotify for Artists. Build relationships with independent playlist curators. Focus on algorithmic playlists by driving early engagement. Never pay for playlist placement — it violates platform terms and can get you removed.

The Three Types of Playlists and How They Work

Editorial playlists are curated by human editors at streaming platforms. Spotify's 'New Music Friday,' Apple Music's 'Today's Hits,' and similar playlists are created by real people who listen to submissions, follow genres, and make curatorial decisions. These carry the most weight for discovery and credibility.

Algorithmic playlists are generated by the platform's recommendation engine. Spotify's 'Discover Weekly,' 'Release Radar,' and 'Daily Mix' are personalised for each listener based on their listening history, what similar listeners enjoy, and your track's audio characteristics. You can't directly pitch to these — they're driven by data.

Independent playlists are created by regular Spotify users, music bloggers, brands, and influencers. These range from huge playlists with millions of followers to niche ones with a few thousand. They're often easier to get placed on than editorial playlists and can drive meaningful streams when curated well.

Mastering the Spotify Editorial Pitch

Spotify for Artists lets you pitch one unreleased track per release to their editorial team. This is the single most important marketing tool available to independent artists on Spotify, and it's completely free. But your pitch needs to stand out among the hundreds of thousands of submissions.

Pitch at least 3-4 weeks before release — the editorial team works ahead. Include accurate genre and mood tags (they use these for filtering), your track's story or inspiration, any press coverage or notable collaborations, and honest information about how it was recorded. Be specific and authentic rather than generic and self-promotional.

The inconvenient truth: most pitches don't result in placement. Spotify's editorial team has limited playlist spots and unlimited submissions. But artists who pitch consistently, release quality music regularly, and demonstrate growing engagement do get placed over time. It's a long game, not a lottery ticket.

Hacking the Algorithm: How to Trigger Algorithmic Playlists

Algorithmic playlists respond to engagement signals: how many people save your track, add it to their own playlists, listen to it repeatedly, and share it. The algorithm interprets these actions as quality signals and increases the track's distribution through automated playlists.

The first 24-48 hours after release are critical. This is when Spotify's algorithm evaluates initial response to determine how broadly to distribute your track through Release Radar and Discover Weekly. Front-loading engagement through pre-save campaigns, social media promotion, and direct-to-fan communication maximises this crucial window.

Listeners who play your track from their own library or personal playlists send stronger signals than those who hear it passively on someone else's playlist. This is why building a genuine, engaged fanbase matters more than chasing playlist numbers. 1000 fans who save and replay your track will trigger more algorithmic distribution than 10,000 passive playlist listeners.

Building Relationships With Independent Curators

Independent playlist curators are music fans who build playlists around genres, moods, or themes they care about. The good ones take their curation seriously and are genuinely open to discovering new music. Building relationships with relevant curators is a legitimate and effective strategy.

Find curators who playlist music similar to yours. Listen to their playlists, follow them, and engage genuinely with their curation before ever pitching. When you do reach out, be personal: mention specific tracks on their playlist that you love, explain why your music fits their curation, and include a direct link to your track.

Platforms like SubmitHub, Groover, and PlaylistPush facilitate connections between artists and curators, though results vary. SubmitHub's model (you pay for guaranteed feedback, not placement) is the most transparent. Never use services that guarantee playlist placement for money — these are either scams or botted playlists that will damage your algorithmic profile and potentially get you removed from Spotify entirely.

Beyond Playlists: The Bigger Discovery Picture

Playlists are important, but they're one channel in a broader discovery ecosystem. TikTok and Instagram Reels drive more music discovery than playlists for many genres. Shazam identification feeds into Apple Music recommendations. YouTube algorithm recommendations drive massive listening volume. Radio play still matters enormously in the UK.

A healthy music career doesn't depend on any single playlist. Artists who build sustainable careers have multiple discovery channels: social media presence, live performance, press coverage, sync placements, radio play, and word-of-mouth alongside streaming playlists.

Our biggest piece of advice: make great music consistently, release it regularly, and promote it authentically. Playlist placement is a result of doing everything else right, not a strategy in isolation. The artists who get playlisted repeatedly are the ones who show up consistently with quality music and genuine engagement. There are no shortcuts worth taking.