Playlists are currently one of the biggest elements for promotion that help all kinds of music artists to grow. Getting your music featured in a popular playlist can be a game-changer for your musical career. They are no longer just an accumulation of different tracks but have also become one of the most powerful ways to boost music exposure, and popularity and gain listeners. It can help to build a loyal fan base and helps to drive a significant amount of traffic to your music profiles. It helps to improve the number of streams and followers on the music streaming platforms and offers a golden opportunity to earn more revenue. It can lead to larger opportunities for collaboration and music tours.
The strategies for Playlist promotion can work for all kinds of platforms such as Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, etc to name some. While some agencies can specialize in Spotify promotion, another professional agency might provide you SoundCloud repost promotion service. However, all kinds of promotional companies for music will utilize the strategies for playlist promotion due to its paramount effectiveness and fruitful results with each campaign. Playlists are great for gaining attention from the right kind of people who can support the artists in the long run.
What kind of playlists matter for music artists?
All kinds of artists, whether a solo, a dup a band or a musical group; everyone can gain more benefits with the help of playlists. The demand for playlists have increased drastically after the emergence of the online music streaming platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, etc to name some. These platforms have changed the musical experience for the listeners and how they used to listen to songs. Playlists help to get a wide reach among potential users based on their preferences and musical tastes.
Three Main Types of Playlists
• Editorial Playlists – These playlists are usually created by the editors of the platform and no promotional package can help you get into that. Your music will be a part of the playlist only if editors find it worthy enough.
• User-created Playlists – These playlists are created by the music lovers and playlists curators who like to create playlists based on a particular genre, style or mood.
• Algorithmic Playlists – These playlists are personalized for the users based on their listeners’ behaviors and musical biases. Spotify has gained much attention with the help of such playlists that are specially designed for each user.
If you are able to get featured on these playlists, it can help to improve your online presence, visibility and the number of total streams. It is especially important for the emerging and independent artists who are in dire need of exposure and popularity.
Learn to Craft the Perfect Playlist Pitch
You cannot add your music to these playlists unless the playlist creator wants to. Therefore, you need to craft the perfect pitch that helps to explain why you want to get featured and how the playlist can help you. Here are the steps for creating the perfect pitch,
• Research to Find Relevant Playlists
First, you are required to conduct complete research on the internet and music streaming platforms in order to find relevant playlists that match your music style, genre, and mood that it reflects. It only makes sense when you want to get featured in playlists that offer similar kinds of songs that you make. Quite naturally, the active listeners of these playlists will like your music as well.
• Find the Curators or the Playlist Creators
Every playlist is created by a playlist creator who curates relevant music to improve the collection of their playlists. You need to shortlist the playlists you selected and then find the creators of those lists. But only their name is not enough because you need to pitch them. You should also look for their media contact which can include social media platforms, phone numbers, email IDs, and many others. The email ID is the most important thing here since you will pitch through mail but having their other media contact can help you gain more insights about the curator.
• Time to Craft the Pitch
Just like you, there are millions of other music artists who are trying the strategies of playlist promotion and they are pitching too. As a result, a curator can get numerous pitch emails every day. Therefore, you have to craft the pitch email with precision, accuracy, and effectiveness. Focus on three following aspects.
Professionalism – Make sure to offer links to your music of different music streaming platforms such as SoundCloud, Spotify, etc to name some. There should be also a small artist bio along with past playlist placements (if there is any).
Personalization – Offer a personalized message that shares why your music perfectly fits within the playlist and audiences who listen to it.
Brevity – As mentioned before, curators can receive a lot of pitch emails every day and if you want them to select you, you better stand out through your pitch. Instead of writing a long paragraph of explanation, try to be precise and accurate with your pitch which makes it easier and less time-consuming to read. The concise pitch helps to save time for the creators.
The goal here is to showcase your professionalism and preparation to the curators and make them believe that your music can be a part of their playlists as well. Once you manage to get into a playlist, it is also important to keep a long-term relationship with your curators as you will be releasing more music projects in the coming days and the need for promotion is integral.
Building Bonds with Playlist Curators
Just like networking is highly important for growth in every industry, creating strong professional relationships is also important for everyone. It is also the key to securing long-term success. It is not just sending a pitch and waiting to get featured. Here’s how you can create a stronger bond with them.
• Engage through Social Media Platforms – Everybody is quite active on social media these days and if you follow the curators through the platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, etc; you will be able to get more updates. You can engage by commenting on their post or by sharing their playlists. Make sure to show some genuine interest in their work.
• Offer Something Exclusive - Curators love it when you offer them fresh and exclusive musical content. If you are planning to drop a new track soon, make sure to share it with the curators before you release it publicly.
• Always be Respectful and Polite – Make sure to follow up once or twice if needed but try not spam them by sending a loads of emails. You need to respect their time and choice rather than pressurizing them to get featured. That is also a very unlikely behavior from an up-and-coming music artist. Be patient as building such relationships takes time.
The main reason for this is to make curators think of adding your tracks to their playlists as a preferred choice. You will be at the forefront whenever they think of adding new tracks to their playlists.
How to leverage Algorithmic Playlists?
Other than the manually curated playlists, you should also try to leverage the algorithmic playlists in order to gain a significant amount of exposure. On music streaming platforms such as Spotify, algorithms can help to generate playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar are based on a user’s listening habits. Here are some ideas to increase your chances of landing on these playlists,
• Pre-saves and Playlist Adds – You should encourage your listeners and other music lovers to pre-save your track or even add it to their personal playlists which allows being part of the top of the algorithm. The more reputed playlists you are featured in, the more the algorithm will recommend your music to other listeners.
• Consistent Music Releases – Keeping a steady schedule for musical releases is must for all kinds of music artists. With regular and consistent musical releases, it is possible to stay visible on the algorithmic playlists.
• Driving Online Engagement – Keep encouraging your fans to share, save, and listen to your music multiple times. Such engagement and online activities by the users can also help your music appear on the automated playlists on the platform.
With consistent engagement and music releases, it is possible to leverage the algorithmic playlists that you cannot create on your own.
How to Maximize the Impact of Playlist Promotion?
Nowadays, music artists do not only make music but also embark on promotional strategies. The music industry is becoming more competitive every day and artists need to promote their music effectively. Therefore, it is important to maximize the impact of playlist promotion. Here’s how,
• Promote Music on Social Media – Once your music is added to the curate playlist, you need to share that with your fans and other listeners so, that they can engage with it. Make sure to share the playlist through your Instagram Stories, Facebook Posts and X for maximum engagement. Also tag the curators and the streaming platforms to gain additional traffic and exposure.
• Encourage Fans – Always encourage fans to add your music to their playlists or share your track with others. Such fan activities can help you gain more popularity and allows staying on those curated playlists for a longer time.
• Always Track Your Data – No promotional campaign is successful unless you monitor the data. You can easily find analytical tools which helps to gain critical insights and valuable data regarding the listeners and the credible sources to find them. It will help you understand which playlists are working for you the best.
• Make Your Own Playlist – You can also create your own playlist and feature your music in it along with songs by other artists. This also helps gain an ample amount of streams and exposure.
Concluding Thoughts
Getting your music featured in the relevant playlists is the best way to garner attention these days. It is also the reason why most music artists these days are embarking on their playlist promotion approaches. However, keeping an eye on everything for an emerging artist can be a little overwhelming sometimes. It is recommended that music artists take help from a professional promotional energy that offers services for playlist promotion. They can help to add your music to more curated playlists that are suitable for your music, while you focus on your next release.
