As a musician, getting music you make on popular music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music can significantly boost your career. But with millions of songs available on these platforms, it can be challenging to stand out. One way to increase your visibility is by getting your songs added to playlists curated by Spotify and other platforms. So, here’s how to write the perfect pitch for your song to Spotify playlists, as well as an example pitch to inspire you. You can find a walkthrough of the pitching process here.
1. How the big playlist game works on Spotify
First of all, it’s essential to understand what Spotify playlists are and how they work. Playlists are collections of songs grouped together based on a theme, genre, mood, or occasion. They’re curated by Spotify’s in-house editorial team or independent music curators who update them regularly. Playlists can have tens of thousands, sometimes millions of followers, and getting your music added to one could open doors to new fan bases and revenue streams.
To get your song considered for a playlist, you need to submit it for consideration. Spotify has its playlist submission system, where you can submit one unreleased song at a time. You must have a Spotify for Artists account to submit your music. Apple Music also has its submission system. There are also lesser-known music distribution sites, like Tunecore.
Get in touch with the best playlist curators for your music on Groover 👇
2. Before submitting your music to playlists
Before submitting your music, you need to do your research on the type of playlist you’re targeting. Spotify playlists cover basically all music—millions of songs in a wide range of genres and moods, from popular music to independent artists in niche genres, like classical music composers, punk bands, electronic music producers, indie music singer-songwriters, and even podcasters. Look for playlists that match the style and mood of your song, and submit accordingly.
Finally, the audio quality of your song is essential, for calm background music and attention-grabbing hyper-pop alike. Spotify and other platforms have strict guidelines on the sound quality of the music they accept. Make sure your song is well-mixed, mastered, and ready for playback on high-quality headphones and speakers.
3. How to write a Spotify playlist pitch
When you upload your music to music services, you need to provide a compelling pitch that sells your music. The pitch should be brief and to the point, highlighting what makes your music unique. Start with an attention-grabbing hook, and then describe your music’s genre, mood, and any notable features like live instrumentation, lyrics, or production. Make sure you show you’ve done your homework on the digital music services you’re asking to help distribute your music—getting details wrong, especially things like submitting your new album to the wrong playlist, is a bad look that’s hard to come back from.
Any appearances in music news should be noted here. Creators who’ve signed with a major record label will be competing for the same space as unsigned artists on these music platforms, so independent artists should use any promotional advantage they can. If you’ve gotten previous press, let them know.
Make sure your pitch is tailored to the playlist you’re submitting to. If you’re submitting to a hip-hop playlist, focus on your lyrics and beats. If you’re submitting to a classical music playlist, highlight your compositions. If you’re an indie artist, highlight your songwriting. If you’re a producer, mention your mastering… you get the idea.
Be specific and avoid vague clichés like “catchy” or “uplifting” when you upload music for curation—they’ve seen these words a thousand times. You can also include any previous achievements or accolades, like chart positions or awards. However, don’t overdo it. Keep it relevant and concise.
4. Best Spotify pitch examples
Here are two Spotify pitch examples written for artists supported by Groover Obsessions that have successfully landed in multiple editorial Spotify playlists:
4.1 Spotify Pitch Example for the Song “Superficial” by Victor Mechanick
A blue sky, the sun, the desert, and the road. The speed! "Superficial" is like a road trip in South Texas between El Paso and Marfa. From the very first seconds, Victor Mechanick takes you into this sunny and liberating universe, far from being superficial. A little uptempo indie pop gem produced by Adan Jodorowsky, this new song will not leave you indifferent and will even make you want to know more.
This pitch landed the track in these Spotify playlists:
- Feel Good – Spotify
- New Music Friday France – Spotify
- Made In France – Spotify
- Nouveautés Fr – QUB Musique
4.2 Spotify Pitch Example for the song “Criminal” by Storm Orchestra
In the tradition of conscious rap, Storm Orchestra aims to create a new fashion: the conscious moshpit. The band chose a profound and audacious track to unveil their first album ironically called "What A Time To Be Alive". "Criminal" evokes the despair of witenessing the criminal madness that humans are both guilty and victim of. The languid verses give way to explosive, desperate choruses, before a declamatory finale that ends in an exhausted heartbeat.
This pitch landed the track in these Spotify playlists:
- Top of the Rock – Spotify
- New Music Friday France – Spotify
- VOLUME FRANCE – Spotify
- All New Rock – Spotify
5. Secret tips that can make a difference
When you’re drafting a pitch for your own music, remember to save it somewhere so you can consult it again after submitting, since you cannot review submissions once they’ve been sent. That way, you can make changes for your next pitches or re-use successful ones.
If you’ve already got a fanbase that you know will consume your music the second it drops, take steps to promote pre-saves and follows and collect data on how many of your fans listen to music on release day to then show to the readers of your pitch.
One of the music market hacks has long been to boost your music discovery and get people to listen to your music by collaborating with other artists. You can tap into someone else’s fanbase of music lovers in your genre—what’s not to like?
There are also advantages to be had when it comes to streaming music services. Even people not actively looking to discover new music might be able to discover you when searching for songs to listen to from their favorite musician’s new releases. For music online, a simple link from a partner music group has the potential to get you streamed more than a major label.
And one more thing: When you pitch, you can have your collaborators submit the song as well to boost your chances of getting curators to listen!
—
Need some help?
Our team can help you get the artist bio and/or the release pitch you need, optimized for a Spotify pitch, press campaign, Groover campaign etc.
👉 Get a unique artist bio and/or a convincing release pitch with Groover’s editorial services 👈
—
Conclusion
In conclusion, in order for music from you to land on Spotify playlists, you’ve got to put in a little elbow grease. Once to get there, though, it means your music career is really taking off. To write the perfect pitch for your song, research the playlist you’re submitting to, tailor your pitch to match the playlist’s genre and mood, highlight what makes your music unique, and make sure your song is of high audio quality. With the right pitch and preparation, you can increase your chances of getting your music added to a Spotify playlist and reaching new audiences.
Read also:
> How to get on Spotify playlists?
> How to get in touch with Spotify playlists curators?
> How to get featured on Spotify editorial playlists?
—
Start promoting your music with results on Groover 👇
