Over the previous few years, playlisting has develop into the music advertising technique everybody within the unbiased music scene talks about. It was overvalued as one of many golden keys to Spotify.
The momentum behind playlist advertising created a complete economic system round playlisting. Curators who as soon as made playlists for enjoyable started turning them into facet hustles (or full-blown companies).
Some took the excessive street: operating advertisements, constructing actual communities round their playlists, and genuinely supporting indie artists. Others? Not a lot. Bot farms, shady practices, and faux streams began creeping in below the radar. Some playlists with tons of of 1000’s of followers had been ghost cities, inflated by bots that might drive low-quality visitors from cities the place followers didn’t exist.
At this level, many artists have been burned by shady playlists or intermediary companies charging per submission. They paid for placements, obtained sketchy outcomes, and ended up with inflated numbers that didn’t convert into actual followers. This will even end in artists having their music faraway from Spotify completely. The final recommendation? Don’t pay to be added to a playlist. Interval.
However that doesn’t imply playlisting is lifeless, removed from it.
Like most issues in music, the distinction lies in the way you method it and understanding the nuance.
The damaged mannequin: what went fallacious
The playlisting gold rush taught everybody a lesson. Artists began seeing playlists as a get-rich-quick scheme. Pay $50 right here, $100 there, and anticipate 1000’s of streams to roll in in a single day. However actual followers don’t present up while you deal with advertising like a merchandising machine. Actual followers come from real connections with listeners and the individuals serving to share your music.
The fact is, many of the points individuals face with playlisting occur as a result of they approached it transactionally. “What number of streams can I purchase for $100?” is the fallacious query.
The higher questions are: “Who curates music my followers would love?” and “How can I construct an actual relationship with them?”. The purpose ought to at all times be to construct a devoted fan base, not simply rising streaming numbers.
How to consider playlisting in 2025
In case you deal with playlisting as a advertising trick, it’s lifeless. In case you deal with playlisting as a relationship-building software, it’s extra alive than ever.
Whereas chilly emails can work, it requires composing outreach that stands other than the standard “Add me to your playlist…”. What’s rather more efficient is reaching out through social media as an alternative. Touch upon their posts. Ship a considerate DM. Ask questions. Share pleasure about their playlist. Present up like an actual fan earlier than you ever ask for something. Curators receiving DMs additionally get an opportunity to stalk your social media profile and be taught a bit about your inventive journey, which might help quite a bit in reframing the standard “transactional” method. When you get a placement? Don’t cease there.
Right here’s what you ought to be doing:
- Supply to advertise their playlist in your socials – tag them, thank them publicly, and present help the identical manner you wish to obtain it!
- Ship them unique, unreleased tracks – make them really feel like they’re in your inside circle and spotlight that their style is essential to you outdoors of simply discovering new followers.
- Ask for his or her opinion – everybody likes to be seen as an professional.
- Guestlist them at your exhibits – in the event that they’re native, invite them out.
- Supply to listing their playlist in your Spotify Artist Profile below “Artists Choose”.
That is the way you construct an actual neighborhood round your music, beginning with curators. Not simply streams however actual relationships that may develop your profession long-term.
DIY Playlisting Technique (That Truly Works)
In case you’re doing this DIY, a software like PlaylistSupply generally is a complete game-changer.
Right here’s a easy plan you may observe:
- Use PlaylistSupply’s Natural Search and seek for artists just like you. Take a look at the playlists they seem on. These Found On playlists are gold as a result of they’re algorithmically related to fan discovery.
- Filter by Well being Rating so that you don’t waste time on junk playlists with faux numbers. Deal with playlists that present sturdy natural visitors.
- Examine the Follower Historical past Chart! This helps you see how a playlist’s follower rely has modified over time. A wholesome curve alerts actual development; sudden spikes or drops may be a crimson flag.
- Construct a listing of round 100 playlist contacts. This offers you sufficient quantity with out being overwhelming.
- Attain out personally as an alternative of utilizing a typical copy-paste “Hello playlist curator” template. Make it private. Present that you just hearken to their playlist and that your music is related to it!
- Purpose to safe 10-15 placements! In case you can lock in even 10 high quality placements, you’ll have a powerful basis for brand spanking new listeners and algorithmic momentum.
- Observe your outcomes! Monitor your stats in Spotify for Artists and verify your Found-On part (open.spotify.com/artist/yourartistID/discovered-on). See which playlists drive actual visitors and concentrate on constructing deeper relationships with these curators.
Some Further Ideas:
- Prioritize style and temper suits. Simply because a playlist has 10k followers doesn’t imply they’re your 10k subsequent followers. Area of interest genres and extremely specialised playlists may have one of the best outcomes!
- Search for lively playlists. Examine when the final music was added. Does the curator add tracks solely chronologically, or do they swap out the primary tracks inside the playlist frequently?
- Don’t chase follower counts blindly! A playlist with 2,000 lively listeners is healthier than 20,000 bots.
So… is playlisting lifeless?
No. Unhealthy playlisting is lifeless.
Shady playlisting. Transactional playlisting. Pay-to-play playlisting. These fashions are dying out – and truthfully, good riddance.
What’s thriving is genuine, relationship-driven playlisting. The place you and a curator work collectively to construct one thing actual. The place getting added to a playlist is the start of a partnership, not the tip of a transaction.
In case you shift your mindset, concentrate on actual connections, and deal with curators like collaborators and never merchandising machines, playlisting can nonetheless be one of the vital highly effective instruments in your development as an artist.
Ultimate Thought:
Constructing a music profession has by no means been about shortcuts. It’s about constructing a neighborhood and discovering devoted followers. Playlisting, when finished proper, could be an extension of that community-building and get your music to the correct individuals.
Instruments like PlaylistSupply assist make that potential – supplying you with the info and perception to seek out curators who can really transfer the needle for you.
Use them correctly. Deal with individuals proper. And hold making nice music!
Your future followers are on the market – ready to find you.
