- \n
- Getting onto one of the major playlists, such as New Music Friday, or Discover Weekly, gives you lots of new listeners for free, allowing you to reach potentially millions of new fans directly<\/li>\n
- But also being on a smaller playlist can help you by getting the algorithm on your side (more on this below)<\/li>\n
- Spotify is used as a yardstick in the music industry: industry professionals, like radios, magazine bookers, managers and scouts for labels – essentially anyone constantly on the hunt for the next big thing – monitor the big playlists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"So](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/smartmockups_k168s9sh.jpg?strip=all&quality=86\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
Content – In this article we explain:<\/h4>\n
- \n
- The basics: the different types of playlist on Spotify\n
- \n
- Playlists curated by people<\/li>\n
- Playlists created by algorithms<\/li>\n
- Mixed playlists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Three ways to get your music onto the Spotify playlists\n
- \n
- Preparatory steps<\/li>\n
- How to get the Spotify algorithm to notice you<\/li>\n
- How to get the Spotify playlist curators to notice you<\/li>\n
- How to get the curators of independent playlists to notice you<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/h3>\n
The different types of Spotify playlists<\/h3>\n
At Spotify, there are playlists curated by humans, playlists put together by algorithms and, for a while, there have also been mixed playlists.<\/p>\n
Playlists curated by people<\/h4>\n
On the one hand, there are the playlists put together by the Spotify editorial team. These are the large, wide-reaching playlists like “New Music Friday”, “Rap Caviar\u201d and “Pop Rising”, etc. – almost every musician wants to be on these. These are always well-promoted by Spotify and are also partly advertised in the media online and offline.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, there are branded playlists curated by labels and brands, such as the Digster or Filtr playlists, or “Deutschrap Radar” and “Female Music Force” by recordJet.<\/p>\n
And finally there are the large numbers of playlists created by Spotify users, not specifically featured on the platform, but sometimes with a very high number of followers and thus of great interest for musicians.<\/p>\n
![\"Playlist](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Bildschirmfoto-2022-09-29-um-11.17.30.jpg?strip=all&quality=86\")
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Playlists created by algorithms<\/h4>\n
The playlists created by algorithms are based (roughly summarised) on the listening preferences of each individual Spotify user and are individualised for every listener. In lists such as “Your Mix of the Week” or “Your Mixtape” you find tracks similar to the songs you have already listened to and playlists you have subscribed to. Getting on a user\u2019s automatically generated playlist isn\u2019t a matter of convincing a curator, you have to convince the algorithm.<\/p>\n
![\"Spotify](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2019-10-07-um-12.03.08.png?strip=all&quality=86\")
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Personalised playlists<\/h4>\n
Since there are countless songs, that don\u2019t make it onto the playlists curated by Spotify due to lack of space, some of these playlists are now part-automated – so-called “personalised editorial playlists”. In addition to built-in, manually curated songs, users are shown personalised songs in the lists which they see because they follow the appropriate musicians. The advantage of this is, of course, that as a musician you can make it onto lists that previously could not be reached. The figures speak for themselves: thanks to the personalised editorial playlists, up to 30% more artists are featured and listeners discover up to 35% more new songs. A song found on a will be searched for and streamed by 80% more listeners. The average number of listeners who save a track from a peP and listen to it again has increased by 66% <\/a> (compared to normal editorial playlists).<\/p>\n
Personalised editorial playlists are different for all Spotify users because the personalised part is always based on individual listening habits.<\/p>\n
3 ways to get your music onto the Spotify playlists<\/h3>\n
First the bad news: there are no hacks or shortcuts! As a newcomer, it is almost impossible to just show up and immediately appear on one of the big Spotify playlists. Unfortunately a lot of work and a lot of waiting are needed, but, and this is the good news: sticking with it can be worthwhile.<\/p>\n
Generally, there are two ways to get onto the playlists on Spotify, and these arise from the types of playlists described above: you can either draw the attention of curators to you (for the manually created playlists, and mixed playlists), or get the algorithm on your side (for the automated playlists and mixed playlists). Both ways require different approaches and strategies, which we will explain to you in the following. But first\u2026<\/p>\n
Attacking the playlists – be prepared<\/h4>\n
Now, with the help of recordJet, you have got your music into the stores and, above all, onto Spotify. Now you have to make yourself presentable on Spotify. First of all, you should verify your account and get yourself the small, blue tick next to your artist name.<\/p>\n
![\"Brenk](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Bildschirmfoto-2019-10-07-um-12.09.02.png?strip=all&quality=86\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In the past, verification was a real time consuming process in which different requirements had to be fulfilled. It has since become a lot easier: just sign up for Spotify for Artists<\/a> and get verified automatically, provided that you have already put your music on Spotify. If your music is not yet on Spotify, then have a look at recordJet Business Class<\/a>. Find more info on Spotify for Artists here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
After you have verified your Artist Page on Spotify, the next step is to get followers, as the number of followers is a solid indicator that is relevant for both the curators and the algorithm.<\/p>\n
A few tips for increasing your number of followers on Spotify:<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Ask your followers on Facebook and Instagram to follow you on Spotify<\/li>\n
- Send an e-mail to your mailing list<\/li>\n
- Ask your fans at concerts to follow you<\/li>\n
- Put a link to your Spotify playlist in your bios on Instagram, Twitter, etc.<\/li>\n
- You should also create your own playlists and experiment with them. You have complete control over these, without having to convince anyone else. Here are a few tips for doing this:\n
- \n
- Playlists can revolve around genres, moods or activities<\/li>\n
- They should contain appropriate artists that you like at the moment<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t put any more than 1 or 2 of your own songs in<\/li>\n
- The Spotify algorithm favours playlists with 20-60 songs in them<\/li>\n
- Get together with other suitable bands or musicians similar to you who have a larger audience and ask them to put your music in their playlists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Update your playlists regularly, e.g. once a week on the same day<\/li>\n
- As above: share your playlists on social media, your newsletter, your bios and tell your fans about them at concerts<\/li>\n
- And this is really important: ask your fans to put a song from your playlist (it doesn\u2019t matter which one) into one of their own lists. This is how to get the algorithm to notice you, as it shows that there is interesting content to be found<\/li>\n
- Let other artists know that you have featured them in your playlist (e.g. on social media). Ask other artists to follow your playlist and to promote it among their fans. This works better with smaller artists than with bigger ones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How to get the Spotify algorithm to notice you<\/h4>\n
Spotify\u2019s algorithm-based playlists, such as \u201cYour Mix of the Week\u201d, \u201cYour Mixtape\u201d or \u201cYour Release Radar\u201d are the most important tool for unknown artists to expand their audience. Therefore it is more important and simple to work with the algorithm than to convince human curators. The following steps can help you to get noticed by the Spotify algorithm:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Increase the number of followers your Spotify profile has. The more followers you have, the more relevant you appear to be for the algorithm and the more automated playlists will include your music.<\/li>\n
- Release your music frequently. The more material you put out onto the platform, the more opportunity you have to actually end up in the automated playlists and the more opportunities your fans have to interact with your music. When it comes to interaction, releasing 10 tracks one after the other as singles is more valuable than releasing one album with 10 tracks in one go.<\/li>\n
- Invite your fans to interact with your music. All good quality interactions with a track will be seen as bonus points by the algorithm. Such interactions include:\n
- \n
- streaming your tracks in full without fast forwarding<\/li>\n
- saving your tracks in a user playlist<\/li>\n
- saving your tracks in a user\u2019s \u201cMy Music\u201d queue<\/li>\n
- sharing your tracks via e-mail or social media from the Spotify player<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- When writing your songs, make sure that they are catchy at the beginning so that the number of people who stop playing your song too early is as low as possible. Why? When a listener stops playing a song early and skips to the next song, it is very bad for you because Spotify assumes that your song is bad since listeners didn\u2019t enjoy it immediately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The total number of your streams is not particularly important for the algorithm as this number can be manipulated. This is also not an indicator you should pay much attention to as it doesn\u2019t do anything for you. The stream\/interaction rate is much more important for you. What is the stream\/interaction rate? In relation to all the streams you have, how many good quality interactions (see above) has your song had? If your music is heard often, but never saved in any playlists, or you have no followers, this will not convince the algorithm.<\/p>\n
Something small, but very important, is worth mentioning here: it is not a good idea to try to increase your total number of streams illegally. Streaming services have sophisticated tools for detecting any manipulation of streaming and crack down on it. Where there is suspicion of manipulation, tracks and releases implicated are generally irrevocably banned from the platform and may not be re-uploaded. In some cases, an artist\u2019s entire catalogue, including all past and future releases, is blacklisted. Payola (paying a company in order to get onto a Spotify playlist) also doesn\u2019t work as Spotify have said that they do not accept money in exchange for influencing playlists: \u201eIf anyone offers you pay for play to get on a Spotify playlist, it\u2019s a scam<\/a>\u201c. So: if anyone promises to get your music on the Spotify editorial playlists for money, this is definitely considered cheating. It\u2019s just not worth it!<\/p>\n
More information on the topic of streaming fraud can be found\u00a0in this FAQ article<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"Hello\"](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/drew-beamer-3SIXZisims4-unsplash1.jpg?strip=all&quality=86\")
<\/p>\nHow to get the Spotify playlist curators to notice you<\/h4>\n
- The basics: the different types of playlist on Spotify\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog-recordjet-com.exactdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/heidi-fin-H4fYXZ1hyco-unsplash.jpg?strip=all&quality=86\")
<\/p>\n