Spotify’s editorial playlists, curated by an in-house team of genre and culture specialists, can deliver a significant increase in streams and listener reach for artists who secure a placement. Even when a track is not selected, the submission process provides Spotify with descriptive metadata that helps its recommendation systems surface music to new audiences.
How Editorial Playlists Work
Editorial playlists are official, human-curated collections maintained by Spotify’s global editorial staff. The team reviews thousands of artist submissions and programs both established hits and emerging releases, making these playlists a primary discovery channel for millions of listeners.
Placement can rapidly grow an artist’s monthly listeners and create direct pathways to new fans. The metadata supplied during pitching, including genre, mood, and instrumentation, also feeds Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations regardless of whether a track is added to a playlist.
The Pitching Process
Artists can submit unreleased music for editorial consideration through the Spotify for Artists dashboard. A pitch must be submitted at least seven days before the release date, though Spotify recommends pitching four to six weeks in advance to allow sufficient review time. Only one song per upcoming release can be pitched, and the track must be unreleased at the time of submission.
Best Practices for a Strong Pitch
Submitting early is critical because editorial playlists are reviewed by human curators who handle a high volume of weekly submissions. Providing complete and accurate metadata, including instrumentation, mood, and genre, helps editors sort music efficiently and reinforces the written pitch with keywords that align with specific playlist themes.
Artists should research playlists in advance and build a realistic list of targets, focusing on niche and emerging playlists rather than only the most popular ones. Studying where similar-sounding emerging artists have been placed, asking peers for suggestions, and following independent labels and distributors can reveal additional opportunities.
Using the 500-Character Pitch Field
The written pitch is limited to 500 characters. Artists should use this space to highlight key details that distinguish the track, such as unique instrumentation, a notable collaboration, or the specific mood and context that match the targeted playlists. The goal is to give editors a concise, factual snapshot that helps them place the song accurately.
