As a music teacher who’s recently ventured into composing my own songs, I’ve found myself in a familiar yet challenging position. While I’ve spent years guiding students through the intricacies of music theory and performance, I now face the daunting task of promoting my own creations in the vast digital landscape. Like many independent artists, I’ve quickly realized that getting my music heard is just as crucial as creating it.
In my quest to share my compositions with a wider audience, I’ve discovered that playlist curators are the modern-day gatekeepers of music discovery. These curators, with their carefully crafted playlists, have the power to introduce new artists to thousands, sometimes millions, of listeners. But with countless playlists out there, where does an indie artist like myself begin?
After extensive research and some trial and error, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 best playlist curators for submitting music. Whether you’re a fellow music teacher dipping your toes into composition, a student ready to share your first track, or an established indie artist looking to expand your reach, this guide is for you.
1. Daily Playlists
Daily Playlists is a music promotion and marketing platform that connects independent artists with playlist curators. The platform offers two types of submissions: Standard and Premium. Standard submissions are free and allow artists to submit their tracks to curators with playlists of at least 100 followers. Premium submissions, on the other hand, are paid and give artists access to vetted curators with higher-quality playlists.
One of the unique features of Daily Playlists is its curator-centric approach. The platform automates the submission process, allowing curators to review all submissions in one easy-to-use interface. For curators with playlists exceeding 1,000 followers, there’s an opportunity to become a Premium Curator, which comes with benefits such as earning revenue from song submissions and having first access to new features.
2. Playlist Curator
Playlist Curator is a prominent online platform dedicated to curating high-quality music playlists across various themes and moods. Founded by Serena Whitfield, a musician and Oxford graduate, the platform prides itself on its meticulous and professional approach to playlist curation. Unlike many automated services, Playlist Curator relies on the expertise of its team, including professional guitarist Jasper Clarke, to handpick each song for their collections.
The platform’s curation process is rigorous and thoughtful, focusing on diverse music selection, thematic coherence, and strict quality control. They continuously explore new releases, emerging artists, and timeless classics across multiple genres to create engaging and diverse playlists. Each playlist is carefully crafted around a specific theme, mood, or occasion, ensuring that every track contributes to the overall atmosphere and narrative.
Playlist Curator offers a wide range of themed playlists, catering to various musical preferences and occasions. Some of their popular collections include “Songs About the Sun and Sunshine,” “Songs About Hope,” and more unique themes like “Songs About Codependency” and “Songs About Bees”. These playlists are available on major streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud, making them easily accessible to a broad audience.
For artists looking to submit their music, Playlist Curator provides a straightforward submission process. They carefully consider each submission, applying strict criteria to ensure that only high-quality tracks that align with their playlist themes are included. While they receive hundreds of submissions monthly, they maintain a selective approach to maintain the quality of their playlists.
Playlist Curator has achieved significant success, boasting over 100,000 followers across their playlists and more than 500 actively curated collections. Their website attracts over 20,000 visitors monthly, showcasing their growing influence in the music curation space. The platform also offers a user-friendly feature allowing registered members to bookmark their favorite playlists for easy access.
3. Playlist Push
Playlist Push is a platform that focuses on connecting artists with playlist curators who have substantial followings. The service works by sending out songs to curators each time an artist launches a new campaign. Curators only receive songs that match the genres in their playlists, ensuring relevance.
For curators, Playlist Push offers a monetization opportunity. Curators are paid to review new music and decide if it fits their playlist, with compensation ranging from $1.25 to $15 per song reviewed, depending on the curator’s Reputation Score. This score is based on factors such as the number of playlist followers and active listeners, as well as the curator’s activity on the platform.
4. iMusician
iMusician is a music distribution service that also offers playlist submission opportunities for artists. They maintain their own set of genre-specific playlists, allowing artists to submit their music for consideration free of charge.
One of iMusician’s popular playlists is the “i’M Electronic” playlist, which showcases emerging electronic artists. This provides a valuable platform for up-and-coming artists in the electronic genre to gain exposure and potentially attract new listeners.
In addition to their own playlists, iMusician provides resources and guides to help artists navigate the world of playlist promotion. They offer tips on how to find and approach playlist curators, emphasizing the importance of personalized outreach and building relationships with curators.
5. Soundplate
Soundplate is a comprehensive music promotion platform that offers free Spotify playlist submission services for independent artists. The platform hosts a vast network of curators across various genres, allowing artists to discover and submit their music to relevant playlists. One of Soundplate’s unique features is its playlist analyzer tool, which helps artists gain insights into playlist performance and audience engagement.
Soundplate’s submission process is user-friendly and transparent. Artists can easily filter playlists by genre or use the search bar for more specific results. Before submitting, artists are required to follow the playlist curator and their playlist, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. This system is entirely free, making it an attractive option for artists on a tight budget.
The platform also recognizes and promotes high-quality curators. Soundplate regularly analyzes feedback data from artists to identify highly rated playlist curators. These curators are then featured in articles and given more exposure on the Soundplate website, incentivizing curators to maintain high standards and provide value to artists.
6. SoundCampaign
SoundCampaign is a Spotify promotion service that connects artists with playlist curators. The platform operates on a credit-based system, where artists pay for submissions to curators. One of SoundCampaign’s strengths is its focus on legitimate playlists, avoiding bot-built lists or sketchy advertising methods.
For curators, SoundCampaign offers a monetization opportunity. To qualify as a curator, one must have a playlist with at least 20 tracks and 1,000 genuine followers. Curators are paid to review new music, with compensation ranging from $1 to $14 per review, depending on their ranking within the platform’s 15-position system.
SoundCampaign’s model has the potential for high-impact results. Unlike closed-network agencies, SoundCampaign allows for the possibility of getting placed on multiple engaged, highly impactful playlists. However, results can be inconsistent. Some users have reported uninspiring results, with high cost-per-stream ratios, while others have had more success.
7. SubmitHub
SubmitHub is a well-established music submission platform founded in 2015 by music blogger Jason Grishkoff. It serves as a bridge between artists and curators, including playlist curators, music bloggers, and industry professionals. The platform uses a credit system for submissions, offering both free (standard) and paid (premium) options.
One of SubmitHub’s key features is its filtering system, which helps artists target the right curators for their music. This system benefits both parties: artists can reach relevant audiences, while curators receive music that aligns with their preferences. The platform also incorporates a “Genre Match” feature, which attempts to match songs with curators based on their historical preferences and selected genres.
SubmitHub provides detailed feedback to artists, with curators required to listen to at least 20 seconds of each submitted track and provide reasons for rejection if applicable. The platform boasts an 18% approval rate for premium submissions and a 5% rate for standard submissions, reflecting the competitive nature of the industry. SubmitHub also offers a chat function, allowing direct communication between artists and curators, which can be valuable for networking and gaining industry insights.
8. Indiemono
Indiemono is a prominent independent playlist curator and music promotion platform that has established itself as one of the top 10 influential playlist channels worldwide. With over 3 million playlist followers across more than 100 actively curated playlists, Indiemono has a significant presence in the music streaming ecosystem. They pride themselves on their concept-driven playlisting approach, emphasizing respect for users and thoughtful curation over algorithms and automation.
One of Indiemono’s key features is its free submission system, allowing artists to submit their music for consideration in their editorial selections. The platform organizes submissions by genre “boxes” to maintain a consistent vibe during the curation process, but they consider tracks for placement across all relevant playlists. Indiemono maintains a strict policy against paid placements, ensuring that their curation remains unbiased and focused on music quality.
In addition to playlist curation, Indiemono offers playlist management services for brands, record labels, artists, and events. Their services include playlist curation and management, new playlist hypothesis development, product positioning, SEO optimization for profiles and playlists, and cover art design. This comprehensive approach has helped Indiemono compete with playlists managed by large companies and official platform playlists in terms of listener numbers.
9. Rizing Playlists
Rizing Playlists is a Denmark-based Spotify playlist curator known for its diverse range of contemporary music playlists. The curator manages 29 playlists under the “Rizing” series, covering genres such as Pop, Indie, Rave, Rap, and Classical, among others. These playlists have collectively amassed over 177,000 followers, making Rizing Playlists a significant player in the independent playlist curation space.
What sets Rizing Playlists apart is their dedication to discovering and promoting up-and-coming artists. This focus makes them an ideal target for independent artists looking to expand their listenership and gain exposure in their respective genres. Rizing Playlists maintains an active update schedule, regularly refreshing their playlists with new tracks to keep the content current and engaging for listeners.
For artists interested in submitting their music to Rizing Playlists, the process is straightforward. They offer an online submission form where artists can pitch their tracks for consideration. This accessibility, combined with their commitment to showcasing emerging talent, makes Rizing Playlists a valuable resource for independent artists seeking to grow their audience on Spotify.
10. MySphera
MySphera is a unique platform that positions itself as a “matchmaker between your music and tastemakers”. Launched in 2018, MySphera operates as a freemium Spotify playlisting service that connects artists with playlist curators. The platform offers both free and paid submission options, catering to artists with different budgets and promotional needs.
One of MySphera’s standout features is its dual approach to submissions. Artists can submit their music for free through curator contact forms or opt for a paid campaign where MySphera pitches the song to “best-fit” curators. The paid campaigns offer access to a larger pool of curators – about a thousand more than those available through free submissions.
MySphera’s curator network spans a wide range of genres, with particular strength in Hip-hop, EDM, Lofi, and Electronic music. For artists considering a paid campaign, it’s important to note that success rates may vary depending on the genre of the submitted track. The platform uses a “reach potential” model based on playlist follower counts rather than guaranteed streams, which is a common approach among playlisting services.
While MySphera can be a useful tool for generating buzz and potentially landing spots on algorithmic Spotify playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar, it’s worth considering as part of a broader promotional strategy rather than a standalone solution. The platform’s effectiveness can vary based on factors such as genre and campaign type, so artists should carefully evaluate their goals and budget before engaging with MySphera’s services.
