How to Make Money Listening to Music on Spotify

A few years ago, we couldn’t even imagine that listening to music could give us a good income. You may see clickbait posts on Instagram or YouTube about how people earn up to $100 per day by just listening to music. Still, at least half of these post offers are no more than just scams as the scheme is not working or users have some issues with it.

It’s possible to earn money listening to music on Spotify, but you need to know exactly what you should do to start getting paid. In this article, we will reveal the topic in detail and explain how to get money from the platform.

Start Earning on Spotify by Listening to Music

Before getting to the main part, we should say how exactly Spotify pays its users. Artists receive royalties for streams of their songs on the platform. The cost of a single stream differs depending on several factors, but it doesn’t exceed 0.005 dollars. For example, if the song is listened to by a user with a Premium account, the artist gets more royalties. 

However, is it possible to earn money if you are not an artist? The answer is yes. To start getting money per listening, you have to become a playlist curator. Some of the readers may not hear about it, so now we will explain what it means and what needs to be done to become a playlist curator.

Who is a playlist curator?

A playlist curator is someone who owns and manages a playlist with organic followers and a significant number of streams. However, how to find out whether the person has a proper playlist to start making money? There is a list of criteria that determine whether you are ready or not to start earning. 

• You must have at least 1,000 followers per playlist.
• You must have no less than 30 active listeners on your playlist per month.
• You should not have bot activity on your profile
  

If you already have a playlist, but the number of followers is low, don’t focus on becoming a curator immediately. Get more followers and increase your profile activity. Watch the video below as it shares several features that will help you grow naturally on Spotify.

What does a playlist curator do?

We said that this person owns and manages a playlist, but what exactly does the word “manage” mean? If AI-based playlists are based on algorithms, playlists from curators are based on multiple factors (mood, time of the year, today’s music trends, etc.). The person who owns a playlist also updates it by adding or removing tracks and informs users about such changes. Sometimes, a public playlist created from several small playlists could have multiple curators. It’s basically one huge network where each curator is responsible for their part (for example, John manages the Chill playlist, Emma works with a House playlist, and so on). 

How does a playlist curator earn money on Spotify?

Artists and bands publishing their songs on Spotify mostly prefer working with playlist curators instead of algorithms. Artists invite curators to listen to their new albums or singles to receive feedback and build a good relationship for future cooperation. 

In several cases, creators create a show with playlist songs in the gaps. For example, you can have a podcast with an artist. When you take a break, one of the playlist songs is played. By doing so, you get more streams on the playlist. If the show will be streamed 20,000 times per week, you will have the same number of streams on the playlist. Since the revenue is based on the number of streams, you significantly increase your income by having more playlist streams.

Another way how to make money listening to Spotify is by reviewing the songs. After you get approved as a curator, you’ll start receiving songs similar to your playlist genres. Your task is to listen to these tracks and prepare a review. Additionally, you can add them to your playlist. Each song review is paid and costs up to $15. The price per review will increase if your playlists become more popular or you get more followers.

Becoming a Playlist Curator to Earn Money by Listening Money on Spotify

At first, the job of a playlist curator seems easy, but there’s a point. You need to complete some essential steps before you start getting income as a playlist curator. 

First of all, you need a solid, recognizable Spotify account. Add an impressive profile image, and create a short but impressive nickname that will be easy to remember. Keep it in one style and pattern so users will easily recognize you.

Second of all, you need to be proactive. Regular activities such as finding new songs, updating playlists, and reviewing fresh tracks will keep you on track. Still, you have to stick to your style. You don’t need an aggressive rock or trap if you create chilling playlists. Focus on searching for topic-related content that meets the selected criteria.

Finally, you need to understand people’s tastes. When working with one style, you should check the news and track all trends. How many new artists appeared on Spotify? What do they offer? Are their tracks worth attention? You analyze the trends from a personal perspective but also see what people listen mostly. You may find a new upcoming hit first and boost your Spotify playlist significantly.

Top-5 Best Spotify Curators to Learn From

To be the best, you have to learn from the best. That’s a simple truth that works if you want to earn money by listening to music on Spotify. Independent legit curators who create the most engaging playlists definitely have something to show, and you can use their experience to make your first steps. Now, we introduce the most successful and the most trustful Spotify curators.

Indie Shuffle

An Independent blogger and Spotify curator who works with independent artists in various genres. You can find playlists dedicated to each year, a category “Popular,” and tracks sorted by genre. 

SubmitHub

This is a platform that unites nearly 2,000 music bloggers, curators, and Spotify playlists who review and promote music for various artists. More than 900,000 artists have already been promoted and rated by the selected specialist. You can get your product promoted traditionally via music blogs and Spotify playlists or alternatively using Instagram and TikTok. Moreover, you can get advice from other artists as they leave feedback about your songs.

Daily Playlists

This is a website that shares a collection of independent playlists. Each playlist is curated by an influencer or an enthusiastic person. The website already reached a milestone of 200,000 artists and has more than 3,000 active curators. There are more than 18,000 playlists in more than 90 genres, and these numbers keep growing.

Musicto

A community-driven platform that becomes a starting point for independent playlist curators. Festival songs, travel songs, community recommendations, and many other offers. You can even find a playlist that will make you stop shouting. People combine playlists in the most unusual ways, so you can find something you may searched for a long time.

BIRP!

A platform created by an independent playlist curator, Josh. Each month, he prepares a compilation of Indie playlists featuring more than a hundred new songs. He already published a compilation of the tracks for December, gathering various songs from different authors.

This works well for Spotify artists and those who use other platforms to promote their songs. Curators use various methods to promote content and compose unique playlists that will impress listeners and bring a solid income.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a curator on Spotify is a good option for enthusiasts who don’t create songs themselves but are passionate about music and want to make an income. These people listen to tons of music, analyze, review, and create high-quality playlists based on trends and listeners’ preferences. If you are an active Spotify user, know how algorithms work, have a degree in music programming, and understand how to compose a great playlist, you should try yourself as a curator.