HOW TO GET ON PLAYLISTS
Spotify pays their artists $0.003-$0.005 per stream, so why even bother trying to boost streaming numbers?
Streaming numbers may not make you much money, but they’re important indicators for labels who might be interested in investing in you. You need proof of concept before anyone will consider dumping money into your music.
But what do you do if you’re stuck in Spotify jail with less than 1,000 streams on your latest single?
One of the ways to increase your streaming numbers is to get on playlists.
Okay, duh, but how?
SubmitHub (not sponsored) is a platform you can use to pitch your music to Playlist Curators, but if you do some research, there are plenty of artists who haven’t had much success with getting their songs placed.
Here are three ways to ensure you have better success than some of the unfortunate artists on Reddit.
1. Make Great Music
Imagine saving $500 to go to the most expensive restaurant in the city. You even asked your crush to come with you, and y’all have been waiting for weeks for your reservation.
You arrive and are guided to a table with 100% cotton tablecloths, red velvet seating, a bottle of wine ready at the table, and an ambiance you’ve only seen in the movies.
You order the most expensive item on the menu, the sirloin steak, and your date does the same. The meal comes out, steaming, and your mouth is watering at the sight, and you both grab your steak knives to begin eagerly cutting into the delicacy in front of you. As you take a bite, you are taken aback.
The steak tastes worse than the burger you had yesterday at McDonalds, and your date says the same. The $500 you saved up leading up to this moment instantly feel like a waste, your date is ruined, and you are embarrassed.
The plating and presentation of the food mean nothing if the food isn’t prepared properly.
Make sure your music is prepared to perfection before serving it on a plate.
2. Do Your Research
Many of the gripes that playlist curators on SubmitHub have come from submitters not doing due diligence to understand whether their song fits on the playlist or not. It’s not enough to cross your fingers and submit the song.
Take the time to add similar artists, genre, and a bio to your accounts before submitting to playlists. Then sort the list by “Genre: high to low” so you see the playlists that match the genre of your song. Most importantly, listen to a few songs from the playlist you plan to submit to and compare your song to see if it fits in the mood of the playlist.
This will increase the chances that the curator will add your song to their playlist.
3. Use Premium Credits
Like it or not, using your money is a great way to help your chances. By using Premium Credits, the curator is contractually obligated to listen to your song within 72 hours and to provide feedback.
If you’ve followed steps 1 and 2, by the time the curator listens to your song, it should be a no-brainer for them to add the song to your playlist.
It’s possible to get your music heard. You just need to focus your efforts in the right places.
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