Spotify Playlist: How to Make the Editorial Cut

As you’re probably aware, the music industry is one of the most competitive marketplaces on earth. As a musician, you must leverage every opportunity you can to stand out from the crowd. One powerful opportunity for both emerging and established artists is to get your song featured on a Spotify playlist.

In our modern age of streaming media, landing your track on a Spotify playlist — especially an editorial — might be the key to taking your career to the next level. These playlists, curated by Spotify's in-house team, can drive streams, boost exposure, and connect artists with a wider audience.

Sounds great, but how exactly do you get on an editorial playlist? In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide to getting on an editorial playlist, plus some tips to increase your chances of landing one of these coveted spots.

What Is a Spotify Editorial Playlist?

Spotify playlists are collections of songs organized by theme, mood, or genre. Editorial playlists are the gold standard of playlists as these are professionally curated by Spotify’s music experts.

Editorial Playlists differ from algorithmic playlists like “Discover Weekly” and “Release Radar” because actual human curators, not just software, decide what tracks are ready for prime time — a seal of approval audiences trust.

Getting on any Spotify playlist can help you reach a wider audience, but getting on an editorial playlist could possibly change your career overnight. Next, we’ll look at how to do it.

Spotify Editorial Playlist Submission Process: Step-by-Step

Here is the step-by-step process for submitting your track to editorial playlists.

Step 1: Make sure your track is ready

First things first, you need to be sure your track is ready for prime time. Competition is extreme, and both curators and users demand professional work. You need to be sure you’ve achieved pro results in the recording, the mix, and the master — everything needs to be top-quality to stand out from the pack.

Plus, editorial playlists only feature new, unreleased songs, so you only get one shot with every new release. If you’re going to take a crack at it, make sure you get it right.

Also, you need to be realistic about whether your song fits into an existing editorial playlist. If your stuff is too out there or genre-busting, curators won’t know where to put it. Your primary strategy here is to make this process as easy as possible for the curators. Don’t give them an impossible task.

Step 2: Upload to a distributor

If you’re not working with a distributor, you should be, as they are crucial to facilitating the Spotify editorial submission process. They will upload your track to Spotify, ensure submission guidelines and technical standards are met, and acquire the uniform resource indicator (URI) code you’ll need to complete the submission process. Find a distributor you can trust — it pays off in the long run.

Step 3: Setup your Spotify for Artists account

Once your song is uploaded to the platform, you can activate your Spotify for Artists (SFA) account (assuming you don’t have one already). This allows you to claim your name in the system and gives you the “blue checkmark” seal of authenticity. Your song will appear in the “upcoming” tab. Once approved, you’ll be able to edit your profile.

However, before you rush to submit your track for editorial review, be sure to optimize your account page. You need a high-quality banner photo, a compelling bio, and professional album art, and you need to be sure all your social media links are included and working. A good SFA page shows Spotify you’re a serious professional.

Step 4: Prepare your pitch

When you submit your track for review, you’ll be asked to fill out a form that helps the curators assess your track (and you). Take the time to prepare this beforehand, especially the 500-word pitch, which is essential to communicate everything great about your song to the curators — and why it’s going to bring new users to the platform.

The story you’re telling is not why you think your song is great. Everyone thinks their song is great. The story you need to tell is why audiences are going to love it and flock to the platform to hear it. Then, you need to find a way to tell that story in 500 words or less. If you don’t know how to write a pitch, go to YouTube and learn. It’s too important to just wing it.

Plus, be sure to include anything that can show curators the value of your work. Include industry review quotes. Tell them how well your last single did. Be specific about genre, mood, trends, and cultural relevance. Research and reference specific playlists where you think your track might be a good fit. Every word you include (and don’t include) could sway a decision. Again, make their job as easy as possible.

Step 5: Submit your track

Finally, it’s time to submit your track for editorial review. Log in to your SFA account. Navigate to “music,” then “upcoming,” then “submit a song.” Pick the song you’re submitting, fill out the pitching form with all the information you prepared in advance, and then go ahead and submit!

You can submit a song for review up to 28 days in advance of your release date, which you should do. Overworked curators need time to listen to submissions, so give them as much time as possible to review your track and give it a fair assessment.

Step 6: Wait for notification

Spotify will email you and send an app notification if you were added to an editorial playlist. If you didn’t get picked this time, better luck next time — back to the grindstone!

Spotify Playlist Tips for Success

Here are a few additional tips to improve your chances of getting picked for a Spotify editorial playlist.

1. Get on an algorithmic Spotify playlist

While the algorithmic playlists don’t provide the same audience access as the editorial playlists, they can still provide a boost for your brand and content. Plus, this will enhance your visibility on the platform and show curators how users respond to your work.

2. Engage with followers

Don’t miss an opportunity to engage with fans on the platform, no matter how small your following may be. One powerful strategy is to encourage pre-saves of your upcoming track, which gives curators some sense of anticipation for your track among your fans.

And of course, always respond to messages and comments. This is how you develop loyalty and generate organic boosting and buzz. Remember, the almighty algorithm is always watching and calculating.

3. Promote outside Spotify

Curators will factor in outside forces, including performance on other platforms. External hype and pressure can go a long way toward pushing a decision in your favor. Remember that Spotify is a business, and if they think your song will bring users to the platform, they have an incentive to feature it.

4. Focus on what you can control

Besides drumming up fan support and general engagement, there are only three concrete things you can control in the submission process: 1) The quality of the song, 2) the quality of your pitch, and 3) when you submit. Focus all your energy here. Don’t worry about stuff you can’t do anything about. Get these things right, then leave the rest to fate.

5. Don’t pay for placement on a Spotify Playlist

No matter what anyone says, you cannot pay for placement on a Spotify editorial playlist. If some shady character tells you they can get your song on an editorial playlist for a fee, they’re lying. The only way to get your track on an editorial playlist is through the Spotify submission system — anything else is a scam!

6. Don’t Give Up

Finally, it’s important to remember the difficulty of the challenge you face. You probably won’t succeed on your first try (or your fifth for that matter), but don’t be discouraged. In an industry this tough, the ones who make it are the ones who don’t quit. If you don’t succeed, just get back to work making something great.

Takeaways

Getting on a Spotify editorial playlist takes time, effort, patience, talent, and luck. While the task seems daunting, it’s not impossible. Follow the steps and tips listed above, create a great song, and deliver a great pitch, and you might have a chance of being noticed by Spotify’s curators. And if not, just keep going. Keep releasing music consistently, and who knows? Your next track might be the one they’re looking for.

If you’re an aspiring musician and you’re ready to take your shot at a Spotify editorial playlist, it’s important to partner with an experienced distributor you can trust. Sugo Music Group has been helping artists distribute their musical recordings worldwide for over 30 years. By working with one of the industry’s top leaders, you can get your music the exposure it deserves and become the musician you’ve always wanted to be.