Spotify Playlist Pitching
Spotify playlist pitching is the process of submitting an unreleased song to Spotify’s editorial team before it is officially released.
Several types of playlists exist on the platform:
- editorial playlists, curated by Spotify’s own teams;
- algorithmic playlists, personalized around each listener’s activity, such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar;
- playlists created by artists;
- playlists created by users or independent curators.
The pitch form available in Spotify for Artists is specifically designed to submit an unreleased track to Spotify’s editorial team. It does not allow an artist to directly request placement on every playlist available on Spotify.
For a broader strategy around the platform, our guide to promoting music on Spotify covers other ways to increase the visibility of a release.
Requirements for Submitting a Song to Spotify Playlists
The song must first be delivered to Spotify through a distributor or label and appear in the artist’s upcoming releases inside Spotify for Artists. It must also still be unreleased.
Spotify states that compilations cannot be pitched, and an artist cannot submit a track if they only appear on it as a featured artist. For an EP or album containing several songs, you need to choose the track you want to present to Spotify’s editors.
Only one song can be pitched at a time. Once the pitched track has been released, you can submit another one.
For an EP or album, this means choosing the track that best represents the project or the one that makes the most sense for the release campaign.
How to Submit a Song to Spotify Playlists
Spotify playlist submission is handled directly through Spotify for Artists.
Once you are logged into the artist account:
- open the Music section;
- go to Upcoming;
- select the track you want to pitch;
- open the pitch form;
- complete the requested information;
- review everything and submit the pitch.
If the song does not appear under Upcoming yet, it may simply not have been delivered to Spotify early enough or may not have been correctly matched to the artist profile.
That is why distribution needs to be planned in advance. Sending a track to streaming platforms at the last minute leaves much less time to prepare a Spotify playlist pitch before the release date.
When to Submit Your Spotify Playlist Pitch
Spotify recommends delivering the music early enough for its editorial teams to review it and advises submitting the track at least 7 days before the release date.
That does not mean you should wait until exactly seven days before release to send the pitch. If the release is already prepared, submitting it earlier gives you more time to confirm that it appears correctly in Spotify for Artists, complete the pitch form properly, and make any necessary changes before the song goes live.
Playlist pitching should therefore be built into the release schedule from the distribution stage rather than treated as a last-minute task.
The timing also has another benefit. If an unreleased song is pitched at least seven days before release, Spotify says it will be included in the artist’s followers’ Release Radar.
That benefit is separate from editorial placement, which is never guaranteed simply because a song was submitted.
How to Fill Out Your Spotify Playlist Pitch
The pitch form is not just a place to enter the name of the song. Spotify uses the information provided to help its teams understand the release and route it to editors who may be interested in that kind of music.
Depending on the track, useful information can include:
- the genres that best describe the song;
- the sound and musical characteristics of the track;
- the artist’s hometown or current location;
- any relevant collaborations;
- the context in which the song was created;
- the story or meaning behind the track;
- important details about the project or release.
Spotify allows artists to select up to three genres.
These fields should not be completed mechanically. A clear and specific description gives Spotify’s editors much more useful context than a generic statement saying that the track is “unique,” “amazing,” or guaranteed to become a hit.
How to Write a Good Spotify Playlist Pitch
A good Spotify playlist pitch should make it easy to understand what the song is and why it may be relevant to a specific audience.
Concrete information is more useful than vague promotional language. An artist can explain, for example, that the song came from a particular collaboration, blends two recognizable musical influences, is part of a specific project, or will be supported by a planned promotion campaign.
The goal is not to write a long press release or make promises about results that cannot be predicted. Spotify receives thousands of submissions, so the pitch should help an editor understand the song quickly.
A useful pitch should make the track’s style, musical characteristics, story, contributors, and release context easy to understand.
That kind of information is far more valuable than promotional copy built entirely around superlatives.
Editing Your Spotify Playlist Pitch After Submission
Spotify allows artists to edit a pitch until the day the song is released.
It is still better not to rely on a last-minute correction, because Spotify notes that there is no guarantee its editorial team will see changes made shortly before release.
The best approach is to prepare the information carefully before submitting the pitch for the first time.
Spotify Playlist Submission Does Not Guarantee Placement
Submitting a song through Spotify for Artists does not guarantee placement on an editorial playlist.
Spotify’s editorial teams receive a very large number of tracks and make their selections based on their own editorial decisions. Two artists can submit equally complete pitches and still get very different outcomes.
It is also important to be cautious with services that promise guaranteed Spotify playlist placement or a fixed number of streams in exchange for payment. Spotify’s official editorial pitching process does not work that way.
A release campaign can of course include media outreach, independent curators, social media, and other promotional activity, but buying artificial streams or guaranteed placement should not be confused with Spotify’s official editorial submission process.
What Happens If Spotify Does Not Select Your Song
Not being selected for an editorial playlist does not mean the release is finished.
Playlists are only one way a song can be discovered on Spotify. The platform also uses personalized and algorithmic recommendations, while listeners can save a track, share it, or add it to their own playlists.
Artists can also continue promoting the release after it goes live through social media, their existing audience, video content, and other promotional channels.
Spotify playlist pitching should therefore be treated as one part of a release strategy rather than the only way to generate attention around a song.
Distribute Your Song Before Pitching It to Spotify
A song cannot be pitched until it has been delivered to Spotify and identified as an upcoming release inside Spotify for Artists, so distribution comes first.
Dibsteur allows artists to distribute music to Spotify as well as Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and other partner platforms from one place.
Once the release has been delivered, the artist can use Spotify for Artists to manage Spotify-specific tools, including the artist profile, audience data, and the pitch for an unreleased song.
Our guide on how to upload music to Spotify explains this first step in more detail, from preparing the audio files and metadata to delivering the release to the platform.
