To be included in an official Spotify playlist (or other streaming platforms), you need to catch the attention of the editorial teams. Here are some points they will consider:
The Pitch: How to write a good pitch to be included in a Spotify or other playlist?
It will be your hook, sometimes before listening, sometimes after. It should be concise, authentic, and give as much information as possible. Avoid being too overly enthusiastic about your creation. Look at what is being done on official Spotify playlists for inspiration, as this could potentially influence the choice of an official playlist curator.
a. The first two lines:
It is the heart of the artistic expression that speaks, and it should reflect the authenticity of the project. Mention the musical style, the mood, and one or two well-known artists that could be associated with your project.
b. Summarize your promo plan in one or two sentences, citing your marketing drivers (explained further in the article).
c. Targeted Spotify (or other) playlists:
To best identify playlists that could suit you, try to identify similar projects with a development stage close to yours that are present in official playlists. Focus on new release playlists initially.
The Music: This is the most important element because it ultimately determines your inclusion in an official playlist.
Keep in mind that editorial teams strive to improve the user experience, so if you stand out with an artistic direction that is reflected in both your image and music, you score points. It may be interesting to create several tracks with slightly different aesthetics to diversify your potential playlist portfolio. Typically, there are five types of playlists:
- New release playlists
- Genre playlists / new releases by genre
- Mood playlists
- Hit playlists (if your song becomes popular through media or TikTok, for example, this axis can be developed)
- Territorial playlists (an axis to develop if you collaborate with an identified artist in a territory that is not yours), which can open doors to new audiences.
Your “Marketing Drivers”
These are all the elements that will showcase your release on the day of its launch and in the days and weeks that follow. This builds trust with the platforms, as they are more likely to follow you from a first single release to an EP or album launch.
For example, marketing drivers can be:
- A social media acquisition campaign targeting platforms for your release (if you are making an exclusive agreement with one of them for the campaign, specify it)
- A marketing campaign on a streaming platform (Spotify Ad Studio, Spotify Marquee, Deezer Ads, Boomplay Ads, Anghami Ads…)
- A street marketing campaign A tour citing key dates
- A press relations campaign (mention the name of your press attaché and the type of axis they will work on: radio, national press, specialized press…).
Anticipation is key to success in integrating a Spotify playlist or other platform.
If there is one point that many tend to neglect, it is anticipation. Plan your project well in advance. Some plan everything 6 months to 1 year in advance, with distribution, music videos shot, pitches written, and the promo plan ready to be put in place.
At Wiseband, if your project catches the interest of our artist relations teams, we recommend that you have all the elements ready five weeks before the release date, and the earlier, the better.
If you don’t make it onto playlists despite all these efforts, it doesn’t mean your creations aren’t good. There are many candidates every week for very few spots, so be patient!