How to get on Spotify playlists, without bots or paying for placement

The short answer

To get on Spotify playlists, pitch your unreleased song to Spotify's editors in Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release. Spotify then adds it to your followers' Release Radar playlists, and its editors may pick it for a playlist, though pitching does not guarantee placement. Blue Leopard Media does not pitch playlists or sell placement; our music marketing brings viewers and readers to a release from outside Spotify.

The three kinds of playlist

Spotify's playlist types page says playlists are created by listeners, editors and algorithms:

• Editorial: curated by Spotify's editors, and the kind you pitch to.
• Personalized: made for each listener by algorithms, such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar. Editors sometimes pick the pool of songs the algorithms choose from.
• Listener playlists: millions made by fans. Spotify says a fan adding your song tells it what they like and what to recommend.

Release Radar updates every Friday. Your followers get songs from your new release, and a pitched song is the one included. Spotify says it includes a song for up to 4 weeks if a listener has not heard it, and gives each listener one song per artist a week.

How to pitch, and does it work

Spotify's pitching guide gives the steps:

1. Deliver your music through your label or distributor at least 7 days before release.
2. Log in at artists.spotify.com, go to Music then Upcoming, and choose the song.
3. Complete the pitch form. Spotify says more detail gives your song a better chance.
4. Pitch one song at a time. You can edit until release day, though editors may not see changes.

In a Q&A with its editors (July 2020), Spotify asks for the who, what, why, when and where of the song, plus any press, video plans and release schedule. It says followers and monthly listeners do not factor into decisions, and that editors cannot give feedback on every pitch.

Does it work? In that same Q&A, Spotify said that as of February 2020 it had playlisted 20% of pitches, so most pitches do not land. That figure is dated, and the current pitching page gives no odds. Pitching is built into Spotify for Artists and also puts a song on Release Radar, so it is worth doing on every release.

After release you cannot pitch the song. The editors say they watch for songs that resonate on Spotify, and the pitching page says a song that is not picked may still be discovered later as your fanbase grows.

What to avoid, and how the options compare

Spotify's page on services that guarantee streams says any service claiming to guarantee playlist placement for money breaks its terms. Confirmed artificial streaming can mean royalties withheld, songs removed from playlists and, in repeated cases, music removed from Spotify. How the options compare:

If you want a video campaign and a page about you running beside your release, contact us with your date.