What is playlisting? 

Playlisting is the process of getting your song added to a curated playlist on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. These playlists can be editorial (curated by the platform or music professionals) or algorithmic (generated by streaming algorithms like Spotify's Release Radar). 

All in all, curated playlists are a mix of songs from various artists of one genre, mood, or theme. Playlisting can help artists gain exposure, reach a larger audience, grow their fanbase, and generate revenue through streams and downloads. 

As streaming becomes the main way most people consume music, playlisting is a vital tool for career growth in the music industry. For new music artists, it might be a goal in their career strategy.

Why does playlisting matter?

Playlisting can help you build a fanbase and gain recognition. When a track is added to a popular playlist, it can trigger the algorithm to recommend your song to more users, amplifying your reach. Being featured on playlists is great for your exposure.

It’s also true that playlists have dedicated followings. Being added to a high-traffic playlist can expose your music to listeners who may not otherwise have discovered it. Listeners might share or discuss your track. The more engagement it receives, the more likely it will be recommended to other users by streaming platform algorithms.

For example, Spotify will recommend tracks to users based on their listening history and preferences. This is central to how all digital playlists work–editorial or algorithmic. 

Naturally, this increases your visibility and engagement, potentially leading to more streams and fan growth. When a song is added to a popular playlist, algorithms can push it to even more users through personalized recommendations. This helps you generate revenue through royalties and boost your overall profile on the streaming platform. 

How does playlisting work?

Playlists are often made by music curators with strong connections in the music industry. Upload your music to a distributor like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. These services distribute your music to major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, making your tracks eligible for playlist consideration. 

Without this step, your music won’t be accessible to playlist curators or streaming platforms, as they only consider music that’s available through their catalog.

Once your music is distributed, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music make it easy for curators to find new releases through their catalog. This is how your tracks can get added to editorial or algorithmic playlists.

Some distributors, like DistroKid, offer features for artists to submit tracks directly to editorial playlists. For example, DistroKid provides access to "Spotify for Artists," where you can submit music for playlist consideration on Spotify. Although it’s never promised that you’ll make it onto one, this is a direct route to editorial teams who pick tracks for high-traffic playlists.

To land on algorithmic playlists like Spotify's "Release Radar," "Discover Weekly," and "Daily Mixes," you need enough streams and engagement to be visible. The better your engagement, the higher your chances of being recommended. Getting on editorial playlists can be your gateway to algorithmic playlists. 

Also, getting placed on algorithmic playlists (like "Release Radar" or "Discover Weekly") does require significant engagement: streams, saves, and shares. The better the engagement, the higher your chance of landing on these playlists.

You can also submit your music to independent playlist services like SubmitHub or Daily Playlists. These platforms allow you to connect with playlist curators directly, increasing the chances of your song being featured on niche or user-curated playlists. These platforms connect artists with curators who may have smaller but highly engaged audiences. Submitting to these services can increase an artist’s chances of getting placed on playlists that might not be accessible through the larger platforms alone.

Playlisting is an essential part of music marketing, offering new artists the opportunity to grow their audience, boost engagement, and earn revenue through streaming. By distributing your music through a platform like DistroKid and submitting your tracks to curators and playlist services, you can increase your chances of getting featured on playlists to elevate your music career. 

Being added to a respected playlist can open doors to collaborations, media coverage, and other opportunities to accelerate your career. Playlisting can be a game-changer in your journey to success as a music artist.