In the Age of Curation, playlists reign supreme. And while it might be easy to look at some of the greatest Spotify playlists of 2023 and think that the best time to start one of your own has passed, know that the second best time to start a playlist is right now.
And with the release of his brand new course on Spotify playlisting and music streaming – out now via Production Music Live – we invited one of the most successful playlisters in the world of underground dance music to drop his wisdom on the topic. UOAK has built up multiple playlists that have not only furthered his career but also helped expose the music of thousands of up-and-coming artists to the masses.
It’s safe to say he’s an expert on the topic, so give his playlist(s) a follow before diving into how you can start your playlist today.
Where is the best place to start promoting your music on Spotify?
In one word? Playlists. Let me elaborate.
Spotify is a unique system that completely changed the music industry and how we consume music. I believe its playlisting system made the platform so successful. I use it myself to listen to music daily, and so do millions of people worldwide. Curated & algorithmic playlists are how users discover new music on Spotify, so growing your playlists to share with your fans would be the first step.
In terms of general promotion, however, it isn’t very different from how things have been done for decades…
It starts with good music; even though that’s subjective, we can all tell when a song is well-written and produced. Then it’s a matter of finding the right connections to get your music heard by pitching it to the right people; in Spotify’s case, these are playlisters or curators, either at Spotify or independent users.
Some artists use a record label that has already established connections or branding, some hire a PR agency to spread the word and essentially pay for someone else’s connections, and another breed of artists that are rapidly rising are taking matters into their own hands and pitch and build those relationships and connections themselves.
Curious about Spotify’s playlist magic? Uncover ‘How Spotify’s Editorial Team Makes Their Playlists Using a Mix of Human Curation and Machine Learning’ – explore the blend here.
What realistic expectations should one expect when they start getting into music promotion?
When I started years ago, a significant milestone was when I hit my first 1000 streams and grew over the <1000 mark. This is a special moment for every artist, knowing that people listen to your music.
Nowadays, all of my and Sekora’s releases break the 1000 streams mark in hours. So expectations change, but it’s a personal journey for everyone. I always tend to remind myself of those early days, and tend to be grateful for anyone listening to my music. It generally lowers expectations, and you’ll be more pleasantly surprised when a song performs well.
Submit your music to Sekora and see similar numbers here
What I’m trying to say here is that, especially when you’re starting, you shouldn’t have any expectations at all, don’t compare yourself to others since you have no idea how things are set up behind the scenes. Focus on getting your first listeners, and if you can convince them your music is worth listening to, so will others when they find your music. Everyone starts at 0, and we all have our own story to tell; what matters is that you take action and do whatever you can to improve the listening experience for your fans and listeners. Then the numbers will come.
Thinking of buying Spotify plays? Consider ‘Is Buying Plays on Spotify Worth It? The Dangers of Botted Streams, Fans, and Followers’ – learn the risks here. ⚠️⚠️⚠️
When should you start the Spotify promo process? How early is too early?
There is this saying: “the best time to start is yesterday; the second best time is today.” Even if your song is scheduled to release in 2 months or you don’t have any music ready at all, you can already make the necessary preparations right now to build an audience on Spotify by, for example, starting and building a playlist with music that you like and want to share as an artist.
I have many friends who started as curators, to eventually make and release music themselves or start a record label. There is never an excuse to wait, so just do it.
How can you tell when your music is ready to start being promoted on Spotify?
Like I’ve said before, good music is subjective, but you can tell by the reactions from other musicians, producers, label A&Rs or just regular music listeners like friends & family if your song is liked or not. Feedback can feel harsh sometimes, but as an artist you also need to be realistic and open to criticism if you want to improve the quality of your music. I know exactly how it feels because it’s something personal you made, but the sooner you learn and understand that most people, especially those close to you, have the best intentions in helping you progress, the better. I’d say when there is a positive response from either aforementioned parties, you’re pretty much ready to promote your music effectively.
Do note the “promote effectively” because the time to start can be any time you want, so don’t let it be an excuse to procrastinate. But when your music is not being received well, because it simply isn’t good or catchy enough yet, you’ll notice this when you’re promoting your track. You’ll get declined by curators, labels or anyone else you pitch it to, thus not making your efforts “effective.” You can hire the best PR company in the world, but if you don’t have a good song or product to present, they won’t be able to do much with it.
So while you can technically start at any time, be honest with yourself; otherwise, you might be spending a lot of hard-working hours promoting your music while you should’ve been spending it making better music and honing your craft.
Ready to boost your Spotify presence? Dive into ‘How to Start Promoting Music on Spotify: Top Playlister UOAK Shares How to Grow a Mass Following on Indie Playlists’ – amplify your reach here.
What are the small things most producers get wrong about Spotify promotion?
1. They think “good music is enough or should speak for itself.”
By getting their music up on Spotify, they think they will magically get discovered and heard if it’s good enough.
I’d say good music is about half of the equation. The rest is good promotion, marketing, and PR. (The hits you hear today sometimes have insane marketing budgets for example). If you’re partnering up or getting signed to a good label that can take care of the promotion part, that’s great, but not a given. And even then, you should take matters into your own hands instead of being utterly dependent on someone else.
Curious about radio’s role in today’s music scene? Discover ‘Why Radio Airplay Still Matters: The Undervalued Significance of Radio Support in the Age of Digital Music’ – explore the impact here.
2. Artists think that if they spam curators with generic unsolicited DMs or e-mails, they’ll get added to playlists.
As if artists (or labels & PR companies) expect to get added just because they were able to find a Spotify curator’s e-mail or Instagram.
Prominent curators get thousands of submissions every week; that’s a lot of music to listen to, that curators don’t HAVE to listen to. With Spotify, it’s their job to listen to pitches; with independent playlisters, it’s not.
I’m already thankful if a curator takes the time to even listen to my music, let alone consider it for their playlist. Even when I send it to my curator friends I’ve known for years. Staying humble, grateful, and respectful and building a personal connection and relationship with other curators is the best way to get HEARD. If they like your song and it fits their list, a good curator will add it. However, there’s never a guarantee to get added.
Additional great ways to get curators to listen to your songs are through platforms like Submithub. You pay a curator for their time listening to a track, thus forcing them to listen. Otherwise, they don’t get paid. This way, you can make sure a curator listens, and if they like your track, there is a good chance of getting added. It’s a great way when you’re starting, and we still use this service to get our releases heard.
Submit Your Music To UOAK With A 10% Discount Here
3. There’s an art to building and curating a great list.
Throwing a bunch of tracks together with a generic picture and calling it a day doesn’t cut it. You might get lucky, but if you want to grow a successful playlist, you’ll have to put in serious effort. It’s like making a DJ mix or creating a song. It needs to catch people’s attention, hook them in, and offer a great experience, so they keep listening and coming back.
Bonus points if there’s a meaning behind your playlist.
In my Music Streaming course on Production Music Live, I go more in-depth about these topics and explain the process and system of getting heard on Spotify. I’ve collected all this information through years of hands-on experience working in the music business, being an artist, and curator, running a record label and talking to music industry professionals at the most prominent labels, agencies, artist teams, and even Spotify themselves.
Wondering how to unearth hidden gems on Spotify for your DJ sets? Learn from ‘How to Find New Music on Spotify to DJ: Crate Digging Tips for the World’s Largest Streaming Platform’ – enhance your playlist here.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
