Have you been searching for ways to give your songs the push they deserve? Organic playlist promotion could be the catalyst that you need. 

We'll dive into what playlisting is, explore the benefits of curated playlists, consider potential drawbacks to organic playlist promotion, and discover how artists, agencies, and labels can leverage this tool to enhance their strategies. And finally, we'll show strategies to help you along your playlist promotion journey.

Navigating Spotify’s Playlist Ecosystem

Before you invest in playlist promotion, it's important to understand the difference between Spotify playlists and how they can move through its ecosystem.

Algorithmic Playlists

Spotify's smart algorithms take a deep dive into how users interact with music and what makes each tune tick. They use this intel to populate playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly. The key to a track's cameo in these playlists? It's all about how it's performing and how well it fits the listener's vibe.

Personalized Streams are custom-made for you, considering your unique taste profile and a bunch of cues, like the time of day, favourite genres, and even what other like-minded fans are grooving to. They're so influential that they're responsible for about a third of all new artist discoveries on Spotify. Playlists that fall under this category include Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Blend. Each playlist is tailored to individual tastes. That means if your friend listens to the same playlists, they’ll probably have a different mix of songs than you.

Editorial Playlists

These curated gems are like the secret sauce of Spotify, crafted with care by the platform's music experts. Getting your music featured on these playlists isn't just about visibility—it's like getting a front-row seat to skyrocket your plays and reach more ears.

A global team of avid music editors from Spotify, armed with finely-tuned ears, data insights, and a deep passion for music, work to bring new tracks to the spotlight. They’re the maestros behind playlists such as Rap Caviar, Fuego, and Planet Rave. These cater to a diverse range of genres, vibes, and moments to ensure your music finds its place among new and loyal fans.

Editorial Playlists are your ticket to a broader audience, a chance to make your mark in the music world. By leveraging the expertise and dedication of Spotify's editors, your music gets the exposure it deserves, resonating with listeners in various contexts. 

And then there's Made By You, which involves everyday listeners saving your song to their library or personal mixes. These streams are the real deal – they're driven by active, music-loving fans who aren't just sitting around waiting for the next big thing. These folks are hands-on, hunting down tracks they love and saving them to their collections and playlists, whether through searching, from an artist's profile, or by diving into other users' playlists. Most active streams on Spotify come from this hyper-engaged crowd. That's some serious love for music!

Understanding Playlist Promotion

Now that we know the different types of playlists, let's get down to the main question: How does it work?

Playlist promotion involves placement on playlists across popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. These are user-generated and cater to certain genres, moods, or themes. 

Why does that matter? The right playlist placement expands your music's visibility, attracting new listeners and strengthening your fanbase.

Take Royel Otis' track "Sofa King." When it hit 15K daily streams, there was a chance to take things up a notch with a Spotify playlist promotion. We pitched the song to playlists that fit the mode and the genre. The track got the attention it deserved because it was in the perfect place and people connected with it.

As the weeks passed, the song's streams continued to scale until its daily streams soared past 100K. This was thanks to the strategic playlisting strategy.

The Benefits of Strategic Playlist Promotion

Many companies offer playlisting services, but they add music to any playlist they can. This hurts your song because it doesn’t get it in front of the right audience. These services may seem like a good deal initially, but they hurt your music in the long run. Tailored playlist promotion, however, can make a huge difference in getting your music noticed because it’s on a well-curated playlist that reaches audiences who are already into your type of music. There’s no point in being on a playlist if your audience isn’t there, right?

Personalized playlist strategies give you heightened exposure that leads to increased streams, monthly listeners, and a steady climb in overall engagement with your music. It can also help build your credibility as an artist and raise your prospects of being discovered by industry professionals. This first step could snowball your career into many different paths, such as more concert bookings, new collaboration opportunities, or climbing the radio charts.

For example, when we joined forces with lovelytheband, their song "sail away" was pulling in around 25K daily streams. The band wanted consistent growth to grab the attention of radio stations. We used the power of our playlisting service as a cost-effective way to make this happen.

By meticulously selecting placements and timing our moves strategically, we gave the song an extra push. Before we knew it, "sail away" climbed to #3 on the alternative radio charts.

In other words, a well-executed playlisting campaign will:

• Give you high streams and listeners in a short period
• Be inexpensive compared to other forms of promotion
• Allow you to gain more monthly listeners
• Provide an easy way to qualify for Discovery Mode, Marquee, and Showcase

Can Smaller Artists Make it on Bigger Playlists? 

Definitely! Independent playlist curators have their eyes on the pulse of culture and music trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing. That's why they pay special attention to emerging artists – they're like the heartbeat of the future of music consumption.

Editors have a keen focus on understanding audiences above all else. While they're all about promoting great music, they also know the importance of catering to the unique tastes of listeners. It's all about getting the right music in front of the right people. Interestingly, many music fans stumble upon older tunes – songs from the past – as if they're brand-new discoveries (just look at all the Abba renaissances there have been in the last decade). So don’t count out the vintage options either.

It's all part of the magic of music discovery and the evolving landscape of playlists. Smaller artists have a meaningful place in the playlist ecosystem, offering fresh sounds and exciting possibilities for music enthusiasts everywhere. Embracing the balance between new hits and timeless classics, playlists become a treasure trove of musical experiences waiting to be uncovered.

It’s not Just about Location or Genre

It's more than just where you're from or what type of music you make. When it comes to curating playlists, it's all about capturing the mood and vibe of the music. Before Spotify, listeners would pop on an album and listen to it, or maybe a mix they’d made themselves. But now, listeners are more likely to search for music based on mood rather than an artist name. That’s why it’s so important to know where your song belongs. You don’t want to box yourself  into one category – diversity and strategy help to showcase a track on different playlists, maximizing its reach to potential audiences.

When Dom Corleo reached out to us about their track 'Wake Up,' it was already making waves with around 20K daily streams. Their goal? Strategic playlisting that truly resonated. We handpicked playlists that matched the song’s essence and connected with its audience.

Thanks to this approach, the song saw remarkable growth week after week in algorithmic streams, soaring past the 100K daily stream mark. Our thoughtful strategy not only boosted the song’s streaming figures but also paved the way for an even brighter future.

Drawbacks to Consider

While it offers numerous benefits, it's important to be aware of potential drawbacks to playlist engagement tactics. Securing placements on sought-after playlists, especially for emerging artists, can be competitive. 

Other cons include:

• Lower levels of engagement compared to organic social marketing
• Difficult to target specific demographics, such as country of origin

Relying solely on playlist promotion may also limit your overall marketing strategy, which is why we recommend you diversify promotional efforts through TikTok promotion or Facebook and Instagram ads to help with long-term growth.

Strategies for Artists, Agencies, and Labels

Niche playlists that resonate with your music style and target audience are a great place to start. Engage with playlist curators, submit your music for consideration, and actively promote your playlist placements to maximize their impact. But if you’re too busy making music or it seems like too much, let us do it for you (with even better results).

Take, for example, Billie Eilish's track 'Skinny.' Our playlisting campaign ensured her music reached as many people as possible while keeping them engaged. Over 25 days, 'Skinny' had a prime spot on high-visibility playlists, giving it the boost it needed to rack up 620,000 streams from our playlisting campaign alone. 

This shows how powerful niche playlist services can be in getting people to listen and extending a track's reach far and wide, no matter where an artist is at in their career. Even bigger artists can benefit from this strategy to support a song’s growth.

Members Media and Playlisting Services

When it comes to high streaming volumes and connecting with the right listeners, music playlist campaigns are the way to go. Spotify playlist promotion campaigns work wonders in driving traffic to your song and can help you unlock exciting opportunities such as Discovery Mode, Marquee, and Showcase. The best part? Running a playlisting campaign to garner tens of thousands of streams can be quite economical. This makes it a cost-effective choice compared to other campaign types aiming for similar stream volumes.

But What About Fake Streams or Bots?

Concerns about bots tampering with the authenticity of playlist growth services are valid. Unfortunately, the playlisting industry has its fair share of companies resorting to a fake playlist push. They often use bots, putting genuine musicians at risk of getting their music removed. There are a few ways to spot these scams. 

We started with a need for 100% organic solutions and have a strict no-bot policy, so you’ll experience only genuine engagement. Authenticity is important and we continue to have zero tolerance for misleading practices. 

We operate within Spotify’s guidelines by finding the best places for your music, instead of some companies who violate guidelines and place your song wherever they can (even if it doesn’t fit the vibe of your song).

Get Started

Unlike 25 years ago, when the music scene felt exclusive and you needed thousands of dollars to be heard, playlisting now levels the playing field. Whether you're producing tracks in your bedroom or have signed with a major label, playlists open doors for all musicians to share their music with the world. This is an exhilarating time for aspiring artists, where the music landscape is brimming with opportunities to showcase your talent.

When artists want to expand their reach, Spotify playlisting promotion is often on their radar first because it’s relatively inexpensive and leads to tons of streams and listeners. 

We have a wide range of tools and networks to amplify your streams, engage with fresh audiences, and bolster your brand presence in the competitive music industry. You can promote your music while backed by a team committed to finding the curated playlists that best fit your style.

If you're keen to explore our playlisting services or have any music-related inquiries, feel free to reach out to us to see how we can help you realize your music goals. Whether you're an emerging artist aiming to expand your fanbase or a label seeking heightened exposure, we can help you reach your musical ambitions.