The Power of the Spotify Playlist
**Author's note - my blog posts are not monetized and contain no advertisements**
Picture this: your music is out, and you're ready for the world to hear it, but your song isn't getting the traction you hoped for. You've heard of playlisting, but what good will a silly playlist do for you? You don't even listen to playlists yourself. Why bother?
Spotify's playlist features have grown massively over the social music app's 2008 overseas launch and its debut in the US in 2011. Individual listeners can create playlists that other users can follow, but is it really that serious? You bet!
The act of "playlisting" as a verb is a method many artists use to expand their listenership into avenues they may not have previously explored. There are several routes one can take when playlisting. Still, it typically involves submitting music to playlist curators with active playlists that match the genre or general vibe of the song. I'll elaborate on this process as we go!
What are the different types of playlists?
During Ari Herstand's amazing seminar titled "Ari Herstand Top 6 Spotify Growth Tactics," I learned that there are over 4 billion playlists on Spotify, sorted into four categories. I implore you to take his classes if they are within your budget!
Editorial - Editorial playlists are the playlists that show up on your Spotify Homepage or the immediate playlist" tab. According to Spotify Support, These compilations are vetted by Spotify's "in-house music experts" rather than by an algorithm and look for songs that align with specific aspects like a mood, theme, and/or genre that will help the listener discover new songs they may like based on the selection. Editorial playlists are the most sought-after for any musician, but for independent musicians specifically, this is the jackpot.
Some examples of Editorial playlists you may have encountered are "Today's Top Hits" and" Rap Caviar."
There are several factors that contribute to an addition to an editorial playlist:
To submit to an editorial playlist, go through artists.spotify.com or the Spotify for Artists app. Artists should complete submissions three weeks in advance of the release.
Working artists visibly growing their careers are prioritized over "bedroom musicians" for these coveted playlist spots. Make sure to publicize any press you're receiving on your social media channels and put the word out about how much "buzz" you're getting. Tagging @spotifyforartists doesn't hurt, either! Releasing music regularly every 4-6 weeks significantly increases your chances of landing on these playlists.
Personalized - Personalized playlists are the ones that are algorithmically "made for you." The app factors your recent history and listening behaviors to build something intrinsically catered to your taste.
Organic traffic to your music will trigger the algorithm to pick your music for personalized playlists. Plays, likes, shares, gaining Spotify followers, and additions to "listener" playlists are positive actions in your favor. Listeners accessing your song directly through the "Release Radar" playlist (Spotify's playlist that showcases your most listened-to artists' new music) increases your chances for addition.
BEWARE: Spotify monitors every user's "skips." If users skip your song during your listening sessions, this can negatively impact your likelihood of making it to the world of Personalized Playlists.
Personalized Editorial - You guessed it - the Personalized Editorial playlist is a hybrid of Editorial and Personalized playlists. These playlists take the distinguished selections from the Editorial playlists and algorithmically sort those selections into a playlist Spotify thinks each listener will enjoy based on their tastes.
Listener - The classic, the original, the Listener playlist. These are the playlists created by users of the Spotify app. Listeners are free to form their own selections, and other people can follow the playlists or collaboratively add to the collection of tunes. Not only are Listener playlists made by individuals, but marketing agencies or businesses (like Starbucks) also curate their own playlists.
Encouraging your friends and family to add your songs to their playlists is a great practice, but you can also create your own playlist containing your song and similar songs to pin to your Spotify profile as a promotion tool. You can even create a playlist and add other independent musicians to it for all of you to stream together! If there are playlists you love or notice your musician friends appearing on, you can always directly reach out to those users by finding them on social media and sending them a quick message.
Do not pay to be added to a playlist, as this may indicate that bots are running the playlists rather than humans. Spotify is strict about immediately removing bot activity from the app. You also run the risk of being barred from ever uploading music to Spotify for bot activity in the future.
Giant jumps in listenership over short periods can also trigger the app to flag your song. When your friends and fans are supporting your music, let them know to add your song to a playlist (with at least 4-6 other songs on it) and listen there rather than having your song on repeat.
Author's Playlisting Experience
I've had several releases during the age of playlisting and have varied experiences with each release.
Recently, I used PlaylistPush to hunt down playlists of real-life popular listeners to place my song. While you do pay to use the service, the service is to pay the third party to bring your music to these real-life playlist curators - it is not a payment to be added to those playlists.
I used the platform to run campaigns, each at $280 for four weeks, to playlist my song "Crime of Passion" and the "Crime of Passion (SammySaysAhhh Remix)." Before I started the campaign for the original Crime of Passion, I had about 5,000 streams already and about 1,000 streams for the remix.
My follower count increased by 15%, and my listenership skyrocketed by an average of 40%. "Crime of Passion" is sitting at 11,100 plays as of the publication of this post, and the remix is about to crest 5,000.
What I enjoy about this platform is that playlist additions list for 4-8 weeks from the add date. Curators also send thoughtful feedback, regardless of whether they accept your song for their playlist.
Other playlisting platforms include Musosoup and Submithub.
Claiming the Spotify Artist Profile
The Spotify Artist Profile is where you can see your Spotify statistics for each release. Claiming your Spotify Artist Profile is vital for keeping track of your data, personalizing your page, and helping you to get creative with your fans! Note: you must claim the profile to access your data.
You can use your statistics for many different things:
Locating your audiences
Checking stream numbers and playlist adds
Using graphics within the app to repost to social media - free content!
You can also personalize the graphics on your single so that a particular image or video appears when someone opens your song.
You can also use the Spotify Artist feature to connect with your fans.
Use it like Social Media Engagement. Incorporating a social aspect is a great way to introduce new listeners to your sound.
Make Playlists: make a playlist containing your song & other songs that sound similar.
How do I do it?
Download the Spotify for Artists app (It will ask you to sign in).
Once you're in, it will ask if you're an artist. It will prompt you to claim your profile by searching for yourself on Spotify within the Spotify for Artists app.
Spotify Canvas:
Spotify Canvas is an 8-second visual loop that fills the screen in a vertical format. It appears in the Now Playing view in place of album artwork. Utilizing the Canvas feature allows you to add simple but exciting visuals to each song/EP/album in your catalog, creating a more immersive listening experience.
What should a Canvas look like?
The goal is for the canvas to represent your brand accurately while remaining visually appealing.
You can upload a variety of video loops for each song/EP/album you have on Spotify, or you can choose a unique Canvas for each song.
Here are some options for content that makes a great Spotify Canvas:
Clips from videos or content you've already published - listeners love something familiar!
Clips from higher-quality TikToks or Reels
PRO TIP: make sure the TikTok logo is not on your video when you upload it as your canvas.
Lightly animated images - upload photos to Capcut and add a bit of motion to an image. Some of those images could be:
Professional promotional photos
Your logo
Recycled graphics from Canva.
Live photos taken on your device.
Tour dates
Previously made Boomerangs from Instagram
Videos on your device that convey your brand or the image of your song/EP/album
PRO TIP: Make sure the videos are VERTICAL, not horizontal.
How do I do it?
Open the Spotify for Artists app.
Select the single/EP/album to edit. Upon selection, a button should be underneath your album artwork that says "edit canvas."
Upload your desired canvas.
Spotify Artist Profile
Claiming your Spotify Artist Profile is essential for keeping track of your data, personalizing your page, and helping you to get creative with your fans! Plus, having a blue checkmark next to your name is a sure way for your fans to trust the source of the music. You can easily complete this step via the Spotify for Artists app:
Download the Spotify for Artists app (It will ask you to sign in)
The app will ask you if you're an artist. It will prompt you to claim your profile by searching for yourself on Spotify within the app.
Please note: you must claim the profile to access your data
You can use your statistics to locate your audiences and check stream numbers and playlist adds. You can also use the Spotify Artist feature to connect with your fans!
Personalizing your Spotify Page
Your Spotify Profile should immediately capture - and hold - the attention of anyone who arrives there. Here are some key ways to optimize your Spotify profile to its fullest potential:
Add Bio Providing a brief bio on your Spotify profile is an excellent source for those discovering you directly through the app. Generally, You should have several versions of a musical bio - Bandzoogle is a fantastic resource for this step.
Add Upcoming Gigs Spotify allows you to include your show calendar on your Spotify page. Making this information available in as many places as possible will increase the chances of higher turnout at your live shows!
Spotify Canvas Canvas is an 8-second visual loop that fills the screen in a vertical format. It appears in the Now Playing view instead of your album artwork. The canvas should accurately represent your brand and be visually appealing. You can upload the same video loop for all your music or a variety of video loops for each song/EP/album.
What is your experience with playlisting? Do you love it? Are you skeptical? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
