As an indie musician, getting your music heard by the right audience and gaining exposure is pretty much the number one goal. One effective way to achieve this is through music submissions to genuine blogs and playlisters. Big ones are great, but you may actually gain more from multiple smaller, yet engaged and fitting ones. Let's look into the art of submitting music the right way, from making informed decisions to getting more fitting approvals on SubmitHub, while teaching the Spotify algorithm about your music the right way.
Sending your music out there can, but doesn't have to, make quite a difference for your music. Whether by email, social media, or on a platform like ours, being considered and potentially placed by curators (if the fit is right) can amplify your reach and connect you with new audiences.
However, don't pursue this blindly. Consider the time and effort the curator makes – do your own research and, if possible, invest those few bucks in curators who your research shows are right for your music.
Paying for someone's time and consideration and paying for a guaranteed placement (= payola) are two totally different things. Watch out and never pay for a placement as it's against Spotify's (and other streaming platforms') terms of service and can get your music fined, banned, or get you bot streams.
If you want your song to make the maximum possible impact with curators, you'll need to make informed decisions. As the first and most transparent platform for music submissions, we at SubmitHub strongly advocate for a data-driven approach. Thorough research of all the available data becomes your ally as you identify blogs and playlisters that align with your musical style and genre. This protects you from blind placements by shady pitching services and potentially from fake playlists.
There are many ways to do this, and it's one of SubmitHub's strongest points – we show you as much data as possible, from playlist genres and approval rates to previewing songs and recent shares right on the site. So take a minute or two to verify your song actually fits the vibe you're submitting to. An approval for a (good) playlist that is way too far from your song's style will harm you more than it will help, possibly increasing the skip rate of your song and skewing your Fans also like section.
You can also use our Playlist checker tool (it’s free) – and not only for the playlists on SubmitHub. Check especially those playlists you are submitting to outside of SubmitHub (as we vet our curators thoroughly), looking at the growth curves for potential spikes that might indicate a botted playlist.
When submitting your music, consider factors such as the curator's reach, audience engagement, and, especially, the style and genre match to your own music. By making strategic choices, you can optimize your opportunities, target the right audience for your music, and increase your chances of getting approval.
Have you checked the playlist or blog and feel your song is a great fit for it? Awesome! Don't forget to tell the curator that! A good quick pitch stating where exactly you fit and why will make the decline that much harder and can turn a maybe into a yes more often than not.
Understanding the basics of the Spotify algorithm can make all the difference for your future algorithmic boosts and possible editorial placements. The algorithm analyzes various factors, including listener engagement, streaming numbers, and the metadata of the playlists you are or were in. Being in playlists with songs similar to yours, with a quality song that listeners tend to save (as opposed to skip), will teach the algorithm about your music and where it belongs.
Rather than focusing on sheer numbers and trying to get on the biggest playlist possible, focus on building a listener base that aligns with your music style, even if the playlists are smaller and more niche. Multiple good matches will impact your Radio, song/artist recommendations, and ultimately the listener-to-stream ratio and your "Fans also like" section.
Pro tip: Make sure to add mood(s) and at least 3 similar artists when uploading a song to be submitted. It helps even more with genre match filtering, thus finding the right curators for your song.
Additionally, leveraging approvals, declines, and data from one campaign can provide valuable insights into your audience demographics, allowing you to refine your approach in the next campaigns and tailor your submissions to the algorithm's preferences.
All the data from your campaigns can provide valuable insights into your music and guide your next steps. Don’t take the feedback too personally, but do try to extract what is useful for you, such as quotes for your press and socials, genres and similar sounds/artists recommendations, and audience demographics (who’s listening to the playlists you were approved for?). If you can get over your ego, all the information provided allows you to refine your approach in future campaigns and understand who's most likely to enjoy your music, even outside of playlisting and blogging worlds (great for a better ad setup, for example).
Strategic music submissions offer long-term benefits that extend beyond immediate playlist placements. Apart from building your SEO, the algorithmic boost, and the right triggers and references it offers, building relationships with bloggers or playlisters creates opportunities for ongoing support and collaborations. If they liked one of your songs, it’s much more likely they’ll enjoy the next one if it’s of similar quality and style (especially if you remind them of that in the quick pitch 😉) – and don't forget some of them have a label they might one day invite you to join.
And it doesn't end there. Try networking within the music industry – also with fellow artists you can find on Reddit or in SubmitHub's chatrooms, openining doors to exciting projects and partnerships.
While sharing and submitting music can get very competitive, with a solid song and a careful, informed approach, you can be much more successful, whether you’re an independent musician or not, and both on and off SubmitHub. Our platform offers numerous tools to help your music, even beyond curator submissions. From setting up ads with SubmitHub Links landing pages to using the What's my genre feature to better understand where your song fits, or getting fellow artists' opinions in Hot or Not, you simply need to find what works for you by putting in the effort.
With enough experience and better decision-making, you'll start feeding the Spotify algorithm and nurturing long-term connections, which will significantly help your music. However, don't expect quick success. The path will not always be easy, and the journey will take time – but we can promise that with time and experience, you'll get better and better at it.