Why Should Artists Pitch Their Songs on Spotify?

Spotify is the music platform with the highest attendance, and most of the traffic comes from the United States.

How do Spotify Playlists Work?

Before moving to the Spotify pitch, we should explain how the playlist on Spotify works. Spotify playlists cover all the tracks on the platform, depending on the genre, niche, time the music was published, etc. Even the podcasts are gathered in playlists.

Playlists are curated by playlist curators. These are people whose music taste matches the followers' taste. They listen to thousands of tracks, form playlists, and operate them to make songs reach better engagement. Curators make it easier for listeners to find the needed tracks and much easier for musicians to push their music to the top. Sometimes, people follow the playlists, which increases overall engagement and helps musicians get better revenue. 

In the video below, the author reveals the essentials of effective online music promotion and tells how to increase your follower count.

Appearing on Spotify playlists is a kind of promotion but you rely only on the platform resources. To maximize the impact and make your music viral on the platform, you have to invest and use specialized Spotify promotion. With it, you will get your music pushed by specialists who know how to trigger the algorithm and give you a higher engagement. 

What Are the Three Main Types of Playlists?

Let’s quickly go through three main types of playlists to understand the difference.

Editorial playlists include hand-picked compilations of music that are curated by a team of Spotify experts, not regular individuals. When entering editorial playlists, you can find compilations for various moods and activities. You will also find music in different genres. Editorial playlists usually prioritize new music, giving new artists a chance to showcase themselves and release music on Spotify.

Algorithmic playlists are various mixes created by the platform. Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Mood Mix, and different Daily Mixes are based on users’ preferences, their search history, and other playlists they engage with. The idea is to offer the best possible mix, giving people a more personalized experience and suggesting the music they may want to hear but weren’t able to find.

In this video, the author explains how Spotify's algorithmic playlists work and what you should do to add your music there.

User-created playlists, or listener playlists, are based on personal music tastes. With these mixes, you are provided with specific recommendations based on your previous searches, favorite singers, and even the mood you were in when listening to music. 

The more often your music appears on various playlists, the higher engagement you will get. The number of streams directly impacts the Spotify algorithm, making your music viral. So, you should focus on pitching your tracks and connecting with playlist curators to reach the desired effect.  

Pitching a Song to Spotify: Getting Started

To pitch a song on Spotify, you have to make preparations as you have to ensure your track will stand out. So, what exactly needs to be done?

Ensure Your Music Is High-Quality

What music can bring you a high income? Only high-quality music. Invest in equipment for recording, select the most comfortable music editing tool, and ensure nothing disturbs you from music creation. Carefully check all the aspects of your tracks, including special effects, transitions, drops, etc. Moreover, ensure the sound is clear, and there are no noises that disturb the listening. 

Select the Song for Spotify Pitch

Evaluate your music and choose the track you want to pitch to a specific playlist. This is important because you need a song that matches the mood, tempo, and other characteristics of the playlist. Pay attention to the stats: the track that achieved the highest engagement level and positive feedback should be a priority.

Opt for Clean Versions to Avoid Limiting Playlist Placement

Create a clean version of your track, making it free of explicit lyrics (you can replace them with alternatives or words that match the flow). A clear version is better for promotion. Don’t worry: later, when you will achieve the desired effect, you can promote the original song and make the Spotify Algorithm go “Boom.” 

How to Write a Pitch to Spotify Playlists?

When submitting your music to a Spotify playlist, you have to create a strong pitch actually to sell your music. In the pitch, you explain why your music is unique and give the reason to place it in the compilation. 

The opening element in your Spotify pitch should be an attention-grabbing sentence. You should mention the genre of your track, lyrics, and other notable features. Ensure you mention everything right because the wrong description is a point where it’s hard to recover from. To make playlist curators excited, add some stats using Spotify for Artists.

With access to Spotify for Artists, you can access advanced stats and use it for better promotion.

After the opening part, define the genre and your target audience. Advocate why your song should be pitched to a specific playlist and add memorable lyrics to ensure you won’t be ignored. 

Explain how your track will help curators increase the follower count and maximize the playlist engagement. Also, let’s not forget that playlists help musicians earn on Spotify, so you need to make sure your music will appear in a compilation soon.

Implement Storytelling to Make Your Text Catchy and Readable

To add a personal touch to your Spotify pitch, tell a story that stands behind this song. Reveal what inspired you to create this song, and what was the most challenging part about it. Maybe there’s a message you wanted to convey through this song. If so, share it!

Add a Proper Artist Bio and Provide Links to Your Music

If you write a biography, add the facts and life episodes that mean a lot to you. Tell how you started your music journey, how you decided to go to Spotify, and what you have achieved today.

Describe your music style, but do it in style. Tell something unique, something that will draw attention and make people review your track. Imagine that you are a playlist curator, and you are looking for music to add to your compilation. What track do you want to see? Think of it and create a text that draws attention and keeps people interested. 

Also, include achievements and honorable mentions that increase the value of your music. Once the music appears in someone’s podcast, on the radio station, or in the blog, you should mention it in the pitch. Moreover, if other musicians mention you as a talented music creator, noting your unique style and promotion, it’s also a thing to mention. 

Last but not least, music promotion. Playlist curators give a higher priority to artists who actively promote their songs. If you release a song and simply wait for a pitch, it won’t work. Be proactive and use all the available instruments to promote your music. Use TikTok for music promotion by creating short music videos. Create a posting schedule and share content across all available platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 

Remember about paid promotion. Invest in professional Spotify promotion and get high-quality engagement, including streams, likes, and sharing. You can get default services with only one metric boosted or pay more and buy additional Spotify algorithmic plays. With this type of promotion, you will empower your presence on the platform to get organic streams and targeted country engagement. Such plays will trigger the Spotify algorithm and help you reach higher engagement. 

Avoid Common Pitfalls When Pitching to Spotify

Understanding how to pitch a song to a Spotify playlist is good, but you also should know what steps should be avoided. Don’t make your introduction too long. Instead, make brief and convincing additions to your music to convince the curators to select your tracks. Don’t include irrelevant details. Be accurate and ensure you send your main message.

Don’t submit a Spotify pitch that is incomplete. Add all the links to your profile, social media, mentions in the media, etc. 

Submitting a Spotify pitch takes time. Be patient and do everything consistently to ensure your song will be spotted. Have a look at the best examples and analyze what else you can include. People submit more than 60,000 playlist pitches per day to become recognizable, so you have to do your best to make your music stand out.