How to Get Your Music on Spotify Playlists: My Step-by-Step Pitching Strategy
A while ago, I did something I had never done before.
Until now, I had been submitting music to playlists as a musician and reviewing songs as a playlist curator.
But, I had never taken on the task of pitching other musicians' songs to curators.
So, when a musician asked to hire me to pitch his music to different playlists, I said NO.
I felt unsure since it was something I had never done before.
Pitch my own music? Sure.
Pitch for others? Mmm… not so sure about that.
But he insisted, so I took on the job.
And the results were better than I expected - honestly, way better. It made both of us really happy (:
It's his first song, and it has already secured hundreds of streams from the playlists that approved it.
How did I get his music on mid-big Playlists?
Here's the entire process:
The Song
Not every song is playlist-friendly.
You need to understand that a playlist has a flow.
When a curator adds your song, they believe it will blend perfectly between the song the listener just played and the one that comes next.
If your song has a long intro/outro, if the mixing quality doesn't meet industry standards, or if it's overly generic, it has less potential to fit into a playlist.
Actionable tip: Long before releasing a song, send it to 2-3 curators and ask for their opinion on its playlist potential. If they like it, it's worth investing in a playlist campaign.
If the song isn't playlist-friendly, consider releasing it as part of an album instead of promoting it heavily.
The Platform
I can't recommend SubmitHub enough.
As a curator on the platform, I know how it works from the inside. And because I "hate" it, I also know how much it benefits musicians.
SubmitHub forces curators to listen to at least one minute of your song, write feedback that's at least 20 words long (and not copy-pasted), and even punishes curators who provide bad feedback or have low engagement on their playlists.
If you use SubmitHub correctly, you can get great results - but only if you follow what I'm teaching here.
Oh, and if you use this link, you'll get a 10% discount on your SubmitHub credits (and I'll get a small commission).
Actionable tip: Use SubmitHub as your first option. If you have a bigger budget, consider Playlist Push or Groover, which are also great for playlist submissions.
The Timing
Here are three things you need to know about curators:
1️⃣ They sometimes receive dozens of submissions daily.
2️⃣ They have 3-7 days (or more) to respond.
3️⃣ They often go on "vacation mode," meaning your submission will be delayed until they return.
Because of this, submitting your song after its release isn't ideal.
A song might get approved long after submission, which means you'll miss out on early traction.
That's why many platforms let you submit an unreleased song and schedule playlist placement for release day.
Since you won't have the Spotify link before release, send curators an MP3 file (not SoundCloud!), and remember to update them with the Spotify link on release day.
Actionable tip: Send your song to curators about a week before release. This gives them enough time to listen and ensures your song is already placed on playlists when it drops.
The Aesthetics
This isn't The Voice - curators sometimes judge your music based on more than just how it sounds.
Your song name, artwork, social media, Spotify stats, bio, story, and career background all influence their decision.
Social proof plays a huge role in getting playlist approvals.
Actionable tip: If your social media isn't connected to your SubmitHub profile, connect it now. If your Spotify lacks a bio or header image, add them now.
The more professional you look, the more respect you'll get from curators and industry professionals.
The Selection
Now, onto finding curators and pitching your song.
The first step is defining your genre as accurately as possible.
Most songs don't fit into just one genre, so aim for 2-3 genre tags. If you're unsure, think of an artist or song that sounds similar and Google their genre.
Once you've classified your song, SubmitHub will show you a list of curators who fit your genres. The most relevant curators appear first, while the less relevant ones are further down the list.
On the left side of SubmitHub's interface, you can filter curators by different factors.
Next to every playlist, SubmitHub shows how many songs of your genre have been approved. The more approvals, the higher your chances of getting in.
If a playlist's approval rate for your genre is lower than 15%, don't bother submitting.
Actionable tip:
Before submitting, listen to 2-3 songs from each playlist to ensure they truly fit your song's style. If they do, write a personalized pitch.
The Pitch
Never underestimate the power of a good pitch.
Even though SubmitHub limits your pitch to 200 characters, that's enough to convince a curator.
What should you include?
If you have social proof, mention it.
Actionable tip:
If you don't have social proof, keep your pitch simple but effective by including:
1️⃣ The curator's name.
2️⃣ The specific playlist you're pitching for (and proof that you've listened to it).
3️⃣ The best part of the song they should check out.
These three elements make your pitch personal, professional, and convincing.
The Results
Since I had never pitched for another musician before, I asked him to start with a small playlist promotion budget.
I decided to target mid-big playlists for this campaign because I wanted a high volume of streams instead of a high approval rate from smaller playlists.
I submitted the song to 10 playlists - and got approved by 5! 🥳
A 50% approval rate! That's even better than what I usually get for my own music.
I'm sure the artist feels relieved knowing his song will get quality streams on release day.
And that's why submitting music the right way matters - we're both happy we worked together.
Final Thoughts
I hope this inspires you to pitch your music for your next release.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you want to skip the pitching work altogether, you can submit your song straight to me. If it fits one of my playlists, I'll add it.