Getting your music onto playlists is a great way to boost streams, get more exposure, and make other playlists and businesses take your content more seriously. Think of it as planting a seed. One playlist can grow to two and suddenly you could be on ten, etc. Here are some tips to get you there…
Tips for Getting on Spotify User-Generated Playlists
Spotify promotion can be one of the key elements to success in your music career.
Getting on the playlist is only the first hurdle. Remember, having a great and competitive sound is just as important as getting onto these playlists in the first place. Your mastering engineer will make your music sound its best while translating to these playlists on a more competitive level. If you don’t have a mastering studio yet, most reputable mastering studios offer a free mastering sample of your music and will create professional masters that are ready for Spotify distribution.
How the Spotify playlist system works
Spotify playlists are extremely competitive. Most of the popular playlists are either owned by big record labels or Spotify. Indie labels and other companies own some, and then personal users like yourself own the rest. A lot of the songs that make it onto big Spotify playlists have first been played on smaller ones. Which means you’re going to have to make your way up the pyramid. Spotify data analyzes plays, skips and finishes to determine how the song is appealing to its audience. If it does well, you have a better chance of staying on the playlists longer.
Summer Hits playlist created by Spotify. You will find that some of the most popular playlists are created by Spotify using their users’ data analytics.
Major labels even own playlists to get their artists to a greater audience by getting enough plays and popularity to become featured on Spotify generated playlists. Sony owns Filtr, Warner owns Topsify, and Universal owns Digster.
Other companies that own playlists are indie labels, big radio stations, and popular music bloggers.
Create a Spotify for Artists Account
This will get you verified as an artist on the platform. You’ll have access to analytics tools and notifications when your music is featured on new playlists. This step is vital. Pay attention to trends and how you can improve your brands advertising campaigns by seeing what gets you more streams/followers and what doesn’t.
Share, share, share…and keep the buzz going!
Send links of your music to your followers on social accounts (keep in mind of Spotify’s skip and finish analytics – maybe direct them to your page so they don’t get a snippet of audio through another platform and move on). Single releases can help gain long-term traction, as the music industry is shifting into a more single-oriented market.
Use your photo session pics to promote your music.
A great photographer will tell you to bring multiple outfits to the session and will take various pics at different locations or with different backdrops to create a variety of photo content relating to your brand. These photos never get old to your audience if they are slightly different from one another! The average Instagram post for businesses is about 1.5 pics a day. So make sure to take a lot during sessions and keep on posting!
Tips for maximizing your time and organizing your business.
The amount of technology that we have available to us is mind-boggling. When used to its greatest potential, it can help make your life easier and more in control of your brand. Reach greater audiences by implementing these techniques. Stay organized and on task. Small steps will add up!
- Have your songs mastered by a professional mastering studio to ensure they are properly prepared for Spotify distribution.
- Have a centralized calendar on your phone. Keep everything in one place (drawing info in from multiple calendars/apps) that can be accessed and modified by your bandmates, managers, agents, and anyone else on your team.
- Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to keep track of your sales records (online purchased concert tickets, music, merchandise) and create a list of everybody who has bought your products. You can use this given data to better understand your fans and sell your music much more efficiently. You can use the CRM’s highly organized information to better plan show dates by seeing where your fans live. You can even make reminders to follow up with people like playlist curators using customized templates to keep you consistently reaching out, fast!
- Integrate your tasks and goals into an app that you can use every day to stay focused and on task!
- Make newsletters to inform your fans about your local shows, upcoming tours, new music, merchandise for sale, and everything else (keep information easily managed with your CRM).
- Use an app like Calendly to send meeting invitations, giving the invitee the ability to choose the time (based on your calendar availability) and other various options you can customize. Which makes planning a meeting super easy!
Conclusion
Be creative!
There are so many outlets to gain musical popularity. You can reach out to music bloggers that create and provide playlists, pitch your songs to playlist curators, and even make your own. Support all of the playlists you’re on and keep on reaching for more. There is no one successful way to get featured. You just have to work hard and promote your brand in every unique way you can. Organizing your brand’s marketing campaigns are key toward long-term success. You need to understand the analytics you receive and work with them to gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Remember, businesses hire many teams to accomplish what you are wanting to do. Treat your brand in that sense and take credit for your hard work by setting small goals and rewarding yourself for what you accomplish. If it gets too overwhelming, look at hiring other experienced professionals to help you. The more time you apply to working with and learning how to promote your music, the better off your music will be! Keep on hustling!
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