Playlist Pitching: The Complete Guide

Getting your music on the right playlists can feel like a daunting task. Where do you go, how do you do it? We have all the tips and tricks to get the most out of your release. 

‍

The Three Types of Playlists

We can break down playlist pitching into 3 main categories; Editorial, Algorithmic and Independent & Third-Party Playlists. A strong release should have all three of these working together. 

‍

1. Editorial Playlists

Curated by the DSPs - usually via editors. 

How to get featured:

• Pitch directly to DSPs at least 4 weeks before your release date. Miss that window and you’re probably better waiting for the next single.
• Platforms that allow direct pitching via their artist portal: Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, Tidal, and Audiomack.
• If using G.Y.R.O.’s paid pitching service, apply 6–8 weeks before release. We pitch to all major DSPs including those without artist/manager portals, using our direct contacts with editorial teams. 

‍

2. Algorithmic & Algotorial Playlists

These are based purely from your fans' listening habits. Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Spotify Radio. The algorithm reads engagement as a signal to push your music to more people. You don’t pitch here, you earn it.

‍

Algorithmic playlists (e.g. Discover Weekly) are personalised for each listener, driven by saves, skips, and repeat plays. Algotorial playlists (e.g. Just Chill) are a hybrid of human curation and machine learning.

‍

How to boost your algorithmic performance:

• Encourage pre-saves, playlist adds, and engagement before and at release.
• Release regularly, as consistency gives the algorithm better data to work with.
• High retention rate (low skips) signals to platforms to push your song further.
• Drive real interaction from real fans. The algorithm rewards genuine engagement.

‍

3. Independent & Third-Party Playlists

Curated by bloggers, brands, influencers, DJs, and community radio. Wildly varied in size and influence but at times can be more accessible than dsp owned editorial playlists. 

‍

Why they matter:

• More genre-specific and engaged audiences.
• Good for building credibility before editorial support arrives.
• Can spark organic algorithmic growth.

How to get featured:

• Pitch directly via email, social media, or platforms like Groover.
• Engage before asking -  support their playlist, follow, comment.
• Target playlists aligned with your sound and audience.
• Be cautious of any playlisters who ask for money to add your song, or marketing companies that guarantee streams.
• Upload to triple j Unearthed
• Find independent Australian playlists on Spotify that feature artists in your world. Curators may put contact details in the playlist description.

‍

The Spotify for Artists Pitch 

This next easy box tick to do as soon as your release is delivered, pitch it to Spotify directly. Once your track is in the Spotify system (ideally no less than four weeks out)  log into Spotify for Artists and pitch it.

‍

Don’t just list your stats. Tell them what the song is, where it came from, what mood it lives in, what your plan is around the release. Be specific with genres and moods because that’s how the algorithm decides who to show it to.

‍

Important: Tag a heavy rock song as Chill and it’ll land in front of the wrong people, get skipped immediately, and the algorithm will quietly stop pushing it. Get the metadata right.

‍

‍

Write your pitch to be concise. Aim for under 500 characters. 

Your pitch should include:

• What the song is about and the mood it lives in.
• Career successes and upcoming activities.
• Your plan for the release: press, touring, social campaigns.
• Any first plays, media support, or notable support acts.

Submit your pitch via Spotify for Artists, then also head to Deezer for Creators, Tidal for Artists, Pandora AMP, and Amazon for Artists.

‍

‍

Tracking Your Playlist Placements

‍

Playlist placements aren’t just about streams, they help to shape your release strategy. Knowing where your music features is key to expanding your reach and growing your fanbase.

‍

Check your placements via DSP dashboards

• Spotify for Artists
• Apple Music for Artists
• Amazon Music for Artists
• Deezer for Creators
• Tidal Artist Home

These platforms update in real time and are essential for understanding how your music is moving.

‍

‍

Go beyond the DSP dashboards

• Chartmetric and Soundcharts track playlist placements across multiple streaming services, with detailed analytics on playlist growth, listener trends, and potential impact.
• Manually search for your song on streaming platforms. This helps you spot independent and third-party playlist adds.
• Set up Google Alerts to track mentions of your music in new playlists, blogs, and media.

‍

Audience Insights: Use playlist data to see where your music is landing and who’s listening.

‍

Better Marketing: Tailor your promotional efforts based on playlist exposure and the audiences you’re reaching.

‍

Industry Credibility: Playlisting can attract other partners and media.

‍

‍

Share Your Wins & Build Momentum

Landing on a playlist is just the beginning, now let’s turn it into long-term growth.

• Announce it on social media with screenshots and direct links. Tag curators and streaming platforms to foster connections.
• Encourage fans to listen, save, and share. Strong engagement keeps your song circulating.
• Monitor performance and refine your strategy for future releases.
• Once the track is out, use your data (streams, saves, playlist adds) to show independent curators it’s already moving. Give them a reason to add something that’s clearly working.

Pro Tip: High engagement signals demand. The more your song is saved and played, the better its chances of staying on playlists or getting added to new ones. Keep the momentum going.

‍

Things That’ll Quietly Kill Your Chances

• Uploading late. If your release is Friday and you’re pitching Monday, the editorial window is gone. This one is completely avoidable.
• Stale branding. If your profile photo is three years old and your sound has moved on, editors notice. It reads as inactive. Keep all artist profiles claimed and up to date.
• Buying streams. Bot services will get you banned from DSPs and blacklisted by real curators. Not worth it under any circumstances.
• Stopping at release day. Pitching is ongoing. Use your data to keep approaching new curators after the release.‍
• Wrong genre and mood tags. Metadata accuracy directly affects who the algorithm serves your music to.