How To Get Playlisted - Ditto Music
How To Get Playlisted - Ditto Music
How To Get Playlisted - Ditto Music
Playlisted
By Ditto Music
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INTRODUCTION
At Ditto Music, we’ve been helping artists get their
music heard since Daniel Ek first dreamt up Spotify
way back in the mid-2000s. With over one million
artists now on our roster, we want to share what we’ve
learnt with as many emerging artists as possible.
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INTRODUCTION
But it is possible!
Streaming has changed the way that artists look at, consume
and market music. So getting your tunes up on Spotify and the
other major streaming platforms is essential for artists to grow
their fan bases.
67% of global
music industry
revenue comes
from streaming
Source
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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
It’s also important to consider that - while you may get more money
per stream on some streaming platforms than others - it’s the user
numbers that will ultimately drive revenue. Success on the bigger
platforms like Spotify and Apple Music has helped Ditto transform
many part-time artists into full-time musicians, allowing them to
focus completely on the music.
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INTRODUCTION
On top of all of this, fake streams offer no genuine engagement with your
real listeners. Who, at the end of the day, are the very foundation of a
sustainable music career.
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PITCH FOR OFFICIAL
SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
Whatever kind of artist you are, joining Spotify for
Artists and claiming your official artist profile page
is a must.
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PITCH FOR OFFICIAL SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
2 You’ve uploaded your first release to Ditto Music and it’s been
accepted by Spotify ahead of your release date. You’ll know it’s
been accepted when you receive your Ditto Pre-Save SmartLink.
If your music is already live on Spotify: If your music hasn’t gone live on Spotify,
but your first release is in the system:
• Visit artists.spotify.com and click on
“Get Access.” • You can find out your Spotify URL by
• Choose “Artist or Manager” and click emailing [email protected]
“Continue.” after uploading your first release to
us and receiving your Ditto Pre-Save
• Search for your Artist Name or paste SmartLink.
your Spotify Artist Link into the
provided box. • Your Spotify URL should look
something like this: spotify:artist:
• Select your Artist Name and follow 1anyVhU62p31KFi8MEzkbf.
the instructions to verify your profile.
• Follow the previous instructions
• To find your Spotify Artist Link, go to but paste your Spotify URI into the
your profile on Spotify, click the three search box to locate your profile.
dots below your artist name, select
“Share,” and click “Copy Artist Link.”
Tip
It’s best to claim your
Spotify for Artists
account before your
first release date so
you can submit it for
official Spotify playlist
consideration.
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PITCH FOR OFFICIAL SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
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PITCH FOR OFFICIAL SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
3 4
If it’s an album or EP, choose one Complete the playlist submission
track to submit. form, providing as much
information as possible about
the track.
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PITCH FOR OFFICIAL SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
So you’ve got your release ready and you’re about to submit your music.
Take a quick moment to just double-check a few important points:
You can only submit one track at a time. Only after that track has
been released can you submit another unreleased song.
You must submit your track at least 7 days before your release date.
The more time in advance, the better.
Offer as much info and insight into your music as possible. Spotify
wants plenty of data to help them match your music to the right
playlists. Editors will be searching for new music based on the data
you provide, so make life easier for them and give yourself a better
chance by including details on genre, mood, and anything else
relevant to your track.
Keep your release date in mind and factor in your release date timings
into your music marketing strategy.
Tip
Even if you don’t manage to secure a
spot on a Spotify editorial playlist right
away, you’ll still be placed on your
follower’s Release Radar playlists when
your music drops. All the more reason
to encourage your fans and listeners to
follow you on Spotify.
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PITCHING TO INDEPENDENT
PLAYLISTS
Alongside pitching your tracks directly to Spotify yourself,
you should also look to submit your releases to independently
curated playlists.
Some of the best blogs and magazines that want to hear your
music and potentially add your music to their playlists include:
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PITCHING TO INDEPENDENT PLAYLISTS
Tip
Search ‘gmail.com’ or @hotmail.com’ in the Spotify search bar and check
the Playlists tab to find independent playlist owner contact details.
Make sure that your message is polite and friendly, but also
informative and to the point. Your message needs to contain clear
links to all of your tracks on Spotify and include your artist info
and contact details. Link your social media handles too.
CUSTOM GRAPHICS
+ VIDEOS AD CAMPAIGNS
Release Radar
If you’ve built up a good amount of followers, then the good news is that
every time you release something, these people get notified by Spotify.
Spotify also sends emails to its users based on their listening preferences.
So if someone is regularly listening to your tunes, it’s likely they’ll receive a
Spotify notification letting them know you have new music out.
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LAND ON ALGORITHMIC SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
Discover Weekly
Here’s what Spotify execs themselves have to say about their algorithm:
“ “We look at what you’ve been listening to. And what are the
songs playing around these songs that you’ve been jamming
on, but that we know you haven’t heard yet on Spotify.”
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LAND ON ALGORITHMIC SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
Viral Charts
Spotify Viral Charts however are entirely data-driven and only capture
the hottest songs gaining the most buzz on Spotify. Viral Charts
placement is based on a few different internal and external factors:
If you are trying to hit the charts, the main thing to remember is
to direct as much traffic as possible to these music platforms.
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LAND ON ALGORITHMIC SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
This positive data will encourage them to support you on the spaces
they curate. The higher the demand for a song, the easier it becomes
for them justify your case for inclusion on playlists.
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SUBMIT FOR DITTO
MUSIC PLAYLISTS
At Ditto, we also love showcasing the best independent and
emerging artists through our very own exclusive Spotify playlists.
We’re also an Official Spotify Tastemaker, so our in-house
playlists help lead the way for new music discovery.
Whatever your music style, our team listens to all your track
submissions, with our favourites being featured on our Spotify
playlists - each with thousands of followers worldwide.
Submit
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WHAT SHOULD YOU RELEASE?
There’s no special trick or hack that guarantees you a spot on
Spotify’s playlists and keeps you there all year long. But there are
certainly ways you can better your chances of placement.
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WHAT SHOULD YOU RELEASE?
These tips might help you get on – and stay on – some playlists,
but only follow them if you’re comfortable doing so. Remember,
you should still be making the music that you want to make. Your
music is YOURS!
cl iCk to play
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HOW TO STAY ON PLAYLISTS
While the majority of initial playlist additions are based on the
curator’s knowledge of a genre and how a track fits within a
particular playlist, editorial teams are open about the fact that a
song’s performance is ultimately the most important factor in its
inclusion.
This doesn’t mean it’s a bad song though. Not in the slightest. It
just means that the other songs on that playlist – or songs on the
consideration pile – are performing better.
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HOW TO STAY ON PLAYLISTS
If you’re in your car and a new song comes on the radio, you may
find yourself switching off after 30 seconds or halfway through.
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PLAYLISTING ON
OTHER PLATFORMS
Depending on where you’re based, there are several
options for playlisting other than Spotify. Apple Music,
Amazon Music and Deezer are all good options, with
Pandora and Tidal also offering amazing platforms
for you to build up your online fan base.
Apple Music
Unlike Spotify, Apple Music doesn’t offer you the chance to pitch
your own music. The Apple playlists that you see have all been
hand-picked by their team of editors.
So it’s pretty tricky to get your tracks featured - unless you have a
mate on their editorial team. It’s not all doom and gloom though.
There are still things you can do to improve your chances of
snagging a spot on one of Apple’s playlists.
cl iCk
to play
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Playlisting on other platforms
Amazon Music
As with the other platforms, you’ll want to
make sure you’ve verified your Amazon
artist profile. This’ll give you access to a
full range of analytics and data about your
music’s performance, as well as giving your
account a more professional look.
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THAT’S A WRAP!
Thousands of new tracks are uploaded to Spotify every
single day, so try not to get too disheartened if you don’t
land a playlist spot right away. Instead, make sure you’re
following all of our advice laid out in this e-book and keep
on chipping away. You’ve got this.
For more tips and tricks on making the most out of your
music career, check out the Unsigned Advice musician blog
and the Ditto Music Instagram.
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Make sure to also check out the
Independent Artist’s Handbook and
learn how to get your music heard.
Download now
dittomusic.com