Love it or hate it, Spotify isn’t going anywhere. For as long as they’ve been around, playlists have remained at the top of most musicians’ priorities, often attached to stories about overnight success and skyrocketing to fame. 

While playlists aren’t the whole strategy, they are a significant piece of it. Any artist wanting to make an impact in the industry will have to know how to target and market the right playlists (i.e., turn those streams into fans) and avoid bots.

Take a look at our guide below to get started.

Target Playlists That Build Your Fanbase

This is number one. If you take nothing else away from this list, remember this: not all playlists are created equal. Vanity streams might feel good, but they do nothing to build your actual fanbase, which is the whole point. 

How to do this:

  • Research Each Playlist’s Audience: Tools like Chartmetric are great for analyzing playlist engagement and audience overlap with your existing fanbase.
  • Go Niche: Prioritize niche playlists where your music can stand out rather than being one of many in a large, generic playlist. Note: these large, hodge-podge style playlists are usually botted. So proceed with caution. 
  • Pitch with the Fan Experience in Mind: As with everything you do, when pitching to curators you want to think about the fan experience, and that includes other songs and styles on the playlist and the curator themselves. Focus on building a lasting connection rather than just getting a one-time stream.

Curate and Collaborate For Faster Growth

My favorite subject: collaboration! Expand your reach by collaborating with other artists to help you reach new listeners. You can do this SO many ways, from regional playlists (New Jersey Indie Rock) or mood playlists (Sad Girl Summer) or pop-culture references (BRAT Summer) or anything in between. Honestly, just searching keywords in Spotify and looking at different playlists that come up is a great way to brainstorm ideas.

Here’s how:

  • Create Themed Playlists Featuring Your Music: Curate playlists around specific themes, moods, or genres that include your songs alongside other artists, preferably a mix of larger artists whose sound is similar to yours, and smaller artists who are likely to promote the playlist when you share it with them.
  • Collaborative Playlists with Other Artists: Speaking of, you can partner with other indie artists to create playlists. Each artist promotes the playlist, introducing their fans to one another’s music. It’s like playing a show and suddenly being introduced to a whole new fanbase—but online!
  • Cross-Promotion: Make sure you tell the artists you’ve featured that they’re on the playlist and be sure to tag them when you share!

Getting on Spotify Editorial Playlists

I know, I know, this is what you came for! Getting on Spotify editorial playlists can be a game-changer for your music career. 

Here’s how to improve your chances:

  • Submit Early: Use Spotify for Artists to submit your music at least four weeks before release, providing detailed information and a compelling story. This is important! Take your time.
  • Build a Strong Foundation: Consistently release music, grow your audience, and engage with Spotify’s algorithmic playlists like Release Radar.
  • Create Buzz Outside of Spotify: As I said, playlisting is a piece of the puzzle, but especially for Spotify playlists, you need more. Secure press coverage, stay active on social media, and actively participate in your community. It’s small, but it adds up.
  • Be Patient: Landing a Spotify Editorial playlist is TOUGH. Understand the competition and keep promoting your music even after submission. Ongoing engagement can make a difference, so don’t throw your hands up if you don’t get it straight away.

Data, Data, Data

I know, data doesn’t sound very exciting does it? But it’s the key to really growing rather than guessing. Spotify for Artists provides insights that can help you create a targeted strategy for building your fanbase. 

Here’s how to take advantage of it:

  • Track Listener Behavior: Use Spotify’s analytics to see which playlists are driving the most engagement. Are listeners saving your songs? Following your profile? Use this to identify the most effective playlists for fan conversion as well as which songs are getting the most attention. Invest in those.
  • Identify Key Demographics: Pay attention to where your most engaged listeners are located and what other artists they’re listening to. Tailor your outreach and content to appeal to these demographics. Note: This also comes in handy when pitching for press or booking a tour!
  • Brag a Little: When pitching to new playlists, use data to support your case. Don’t be afraid to brag a little by highlighting strong metrics, save rates, or listener growth. You want to show curators that your music is resonating.

Engage with Listeners

Once your music is on playlists, the next step is to engage with those listeners and convert them into fans. This means making it super duper easy to connect off Spotify. But it’s also a great way to get on new playlists! 

How to do this:

  • Make sure your Spotify profile is optimized: Include a bio that tells listeners who you are, and invites them to follow you off the platform. Don’t forget a great photo!
  • Follows and Saves: In your Spotify bio and across socials, encourage listeners to follow you on Spotify and save your songs. This increases the likelihood that they’ll see your future releases and can also help with playlist adds.
  • Interactive Social Media Campaigns: Create campaigns on Instagram or TikTok to directly involve your listeners. For example, ask them to share their favorite lyrics or create videos using your song. This builds a community around your music and drives more listeners to Spotify. More listeners on Spotify = higher chance of being featured on a playlist.
  • Fan-made playlists: You might be surprised how much of your existing network, including fans, have their own playlists. They might be small, but growing together is the name of the game and working with your fans to get added to their existing playlists or curate one together is a great way to strengthen connections.

Spotify playlists are a powerful tool for exposure, but they’re just the beginning. I truly can’t emphasize that enough. The real goal is to turn those streams into fans who will support you throughout your music career. By targeting the right playlists, engaging listeners, and building a presence across multiple platforms, you can create a loyal fanbase that’ll help you thrive as an indie artist.

Keep making music, stay engaged with your listeners, and watch your fanbase grow—one playlist at a time.