Third-party playlists: How to increase your streams on Spotify

This article is a guest contribution from our new partners at Groover. Their area of expertise is playlist pitching. They’ve left a few valuable tips for you. Read the article:

Third-party playlists, aka user-generated playlists, are gold mines for music lovers and artists alike. They are a collection of songs curated by real people that have the freedom to include as many artists – young and old, popular or niche, local or international – as they want without the pressures of a label or streaming platform guiding their decisions.

For music lovers, playlists created by humans as opposed to algorithms are often the best place to go when hunting for new music. For artists, if a song of theirs is added to a popular independent playlist, it has the potential to drive streams, provide exposure, and reach tons of people that may not have discovered the artist otherwise.

Here are a few ways to dig for good third-party playlists and discover the best music.

Finding Independent Playlists on Spotify

Spotify is the streaming platform with the most users, and therefore the most playlist curators. It also has the most refined search functionality when it comes to browsing for playlists based on different words, therefore we’ll be focusing on ways to find user-generated playlists on Spotify over Apple Music or other streaming services.

Search By Mood

When you don’t know what you’re looking for, a great place to start is by searching for playlists based on a particular vibe or mood. The chances of finding a playlist that was curated with that energy in mind are very high.

Editorial playlists (playlists made by Spotify) will show up first, but a quick look at the creator’s username will tell you when you’ve found an independent one. You’ll also be able to tell from the playlist cover, as most Spotify playlists always use the same font and color schemes.

Here is the result from a quick mood search using “look out the window”:

“Discovered On”

Another way of finding independent playlists is by going to an artist’s page and scrolling down to the “Discovered On” section, which will display a number of playlists featuring the artist that were the source of other fans discovering their music. This is a great strategy because any playlist featuring the artist means it very likely contains similar artists and styles, which could end up being exactly what you’re looking for.

If you’re an artist yourself, the “Discovered On” section is perfect if you’re hunting for playlists to pitch to for a potential add. Simply find playlists that represent the type of music you make through similar artists, and contact the curator to show them you fit.

The section shows both editorial and independent playlists, so make sure to click “See All” to get a more extensive list.

Music Promotion Platforms

Third-party music platforms are often very active in playlisting because of their close relationship with independent artists. Music promotion services connect artists with industry professionals (including playlist curators) by allowing them to pitch their music, making them the perfect middlemen for music discovery.

Groover is a great example of this, as they are partnered with a number of very influential independent playlisters online and on Spotify that can be pitched to directly. Artists can send their music to the curator of their choice for as little as $2 and receive feedback within 7 days, or their money back. The filters on the platform allow users to sort curators by country, genre, subgenre, mood, and plenty of other metrics to make sure they’re pitching to playlists they match well with.

Promotion platforms are the first to see when new talent emerges within the industry, so music lovers are sure to enjoy their playlists, and artists themselves can benefit greatly from using their services to expand their reach.

Music Press Outlet Playlists

Where better to turn than to those whose job is to discover up and coming artists and the hidden talents in the industry? Music press outlets, particularly review sites and journalists, are tasked with listening to new and recent releases every day. If anyone knows what the future of music sounds like, it’s them.

Visit press websites and social media accounts – many of them have their own playlists that are put together by their team of real-life listeners. These are updated and/or added onto regularly, so they’re worth checking on a monthly basis. As an artist, getting a write up on a blog along with an add to its monthly playlist could get you some new fans!

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