The 14 Greatest Spotify Promotion Companies in 2025 (Actual Information)

Trying to strive Spotify promotion and undecided which providers are value it? I personally tried dozens of firms to see which of them received actual outcomes. Based mostly on these campaigns, listed here are my high (professional) providers:

1. Members Media
2. Indie Music Academy
3. YouGrow Promo
4. Two Story Media
5. Playlist Push
6. Moonstrive Media
7. Daimoon Media
8. Omari MC
9. Playlist-Promotion
10. SubmitHub
11. Spin Promo
12. SoundCampaign
13. SubmitLink
14. Groover

Every of the businesses up there supplied streams from actual folks, not bots. Whereas outcomes will fluctuate, I’d take into account every firm above to be legit.

That mentioned, the checklist is fairly subjective; my ninth-ranked firm may’ve been the first-ranked firm, and so forth. Be at liberty to click on by and examine all of those providers out for your self. Additionally, heads-up that lots of the hyperlinks up there are affiliate hyperlinks, which implies that for those who do click on certainly one of them and take a look at a marketing campaign, I’ll get a small fee.

I’m not going to lie – testing this many Spotify promotion providers was a wild journey.

It was full with some attention-grabbing ups and a few fairly unhappy downs (sure, sadly, a few firms I attempted had been complete scams). Over the remainder of this publish, I’m going to unpack the whole lot I realized. I don’t often present a desk of contents for my posts, however this one is lengthy sufficient that some type of define is required.

Right here’s what I’ll be protecting. (You may click on any of those hyperlinks to leap to the corresponding matter.)

This will likely be sort of so much.

In case you’re considering, “Yeah, that is beginning to really feel like a long-winded recipe weblog publish and I actually simply got here right here to choose an organization that gained’t rip-off me, to not learn your life story,” then be happy to click on a hyperlink above and skip to the half you’re most inquisitive about.

However if you wish to know my life story (and “life story” is simply code for “issues I’ve realized from operating 15 campaigns,” not essentially the whole lot that’s occurred to me since 1992), then thanks – and maintain studying.

Let’s begin with the numbers.

Spotify promotion providers by the numbers

First up, right here’s the information from every marketing campaign that I ran.

An necessary word to remember as you evaluate these numbers is that every promotion ran with a special music from a special artist.

I’m not an information scientist or a health care provider, and this isn’t an educational examine the place the whole lot was completely managed – sort of the alternative, really. So don’t pay an excessive amount of thoughts to minor variances. My objective right here is to indicate the larger image, not essentially to say which firm is finest on the idea of 1 marketing campaign.

With that mentioned, you may scroll by the spreadsheet beneath to see the entire numbers.

(And sorry… I couldn’t discover a prettier technique to embed the Google Sheet. That first column is frozen within the sheet itself, and there are some feedback that aren’t displaying, too. If you wish to test it out for your self in its pure state, right here’s the hyperlink to view it in a brand new tab.)

Semi-important: I’ve put collectively a glossary of phrases to be sure to take the best that means from that spreadsheet.

Click on right here to learn it (worthwhile if you wish to dig into the information and really perceive what it means).

And when you’ve finished that, let’s paint a few footage with the information.

Fascinating, proper?

Admittedly, Playlist-Promotion’s 62,000-stream marketing campaign (which I don’t view fairly as favorably as you may suppose) sort of warps how the information seems; the primary gridline on the Y-axis is at 25,000 streams, and no different firm even got here near that mark. So regardless that Omari MC generated ten instances as many streams as SoundCampaign (1,246 vs. 188), the 2 campaigns seem like they share the identical dot.

Let’s check out the identical graph with out the outlier of the Playlist-Promotion marketing campaign.

You may sort of get a way for the campaigns that actually labored and those that actually didn’t, and you may actually see how they stack up by way of gross value.

Right here’s a view that’s perhaps much more useful:

As I’ll get into shortly, even Value Per Stream doesn’t inform the total story, as a result of that quantity doesn’t take into consideration how related the streams are. You may have an extremely low Value Per Stream, but when it’s as a result of bots, it could really be a adverse factor.

However the chart does allow you to see which campaigns had been inefficient. I believe you can draw the road proper after Omari MC – the whole lot to the left of that was comparatively reasonably priced, and the whole lot on the best of that most likely wasn’t definitely worth the spend (though as I’ll clarify beneath, I believe that due to the mannequin they use, Groover and SoundCampaign even have a reasonably excessive upside).

All proper, you’ve seen the information. Subsequent up, right here’s my checklist of the highest firms.

The highest Spotify promotion firms

Consider, once more, that this checklist is completely subjective. My first-ranked firm will not be the only option for you; I’d advocate clicking by and figuring out for your self which choice you suppose suits your targets. I clearly haven’t ranked these providers by some easy metric like Value Per Stream or Estimated Whole Streams. As an alternative, I’ve simply tried to go by how I really feel about every service given my experiences, accounting for the truth that every marketing campaign used a special music and that there are a number of totally different promotional fashions in play.

Perhaps a greater technique to clarify my methodology: The next checklist evaluations my total perspective on every firm, slightly than providing some tried rating of every one-off marketing campaign.

For every firm, I’ve supplied:

• A short on the corporate as a complete
• Data on the service mannequin they use
• A fast breakdown on how every marketing campaign went
• An image of marketing campaign information (word that I’ve tried and infrequently failed to supply three month intervals and that the pink field is the place the marketing campaign was lively)
• Just a few execs and cons

I’ve additionally written standalone evaluations of most of those providers, in case you’re inquisitive about studying extra a couple of particular one.

Okay, sufficient mentioned. First up:

The temporary on the corporate: These guys was once known as Partnered Tasks, however not too long ago rebranded (the marketing campaign I attempted with them displays the previous identify). I really hadn’t heard of them in any respect till early 2023, when Andrew Southworth informed me that he was working with the group to run advert campaigns in tandem with playlisting campaigns. I’ve received a excessive opinion of Andrew, so I bookmarked these guys to take a look at. I ended up operating a reasonably profitable marketing campaign with them and having a great dialog with Dalton, the founding father of the corporate.

From what I perceive, the company was initially launched by a advertising group geared towards larger-scale artists (suppose: main labels) slightly than indie acts. Dalton confirmed me a few of the greater campaigns they’re operating, and actually, I got here away impressed. However they’ve since expanded to supply providers to indie artists, too.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to a closed community of playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different Spotify promotion fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Members Media: I received a free trial of a marketing campaign that will’ve value $189. It resulted in two playlist placements that generated 10,275 streams at a Value Per Stream of $0.02. It’s exhausting to inform, however I believe the true variety of streams this marketing campaign induced is far larger; the observe was at round 3,000 streams after being out for a yr, and after a month of playlisting, it reached 23,000 streams because of a bunch of non-credited playlist provides.

This marketing campaign is just too current for me to indicate you a three-month timeframe, however right here’s what it seems to be like in Spotify for Artists in the intervening time.

You may learn my full evaluate of the Members Media marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of Members Media

• They’re reasonably priced at a cost-per-stream stage and by way of complete value; packages begin at round $50.
• You don’t pay till they’ve permitted your music. I’m a giant fan of that strategy.
• They provide a minimal assured variety of streams. (They don’t promise particular lists, however they’ll pitch till they get sufficient placements.)

Cons of Members Media

• They reject loads of songs. (They rejected the primary music I attempted to ship them.) This isn’t actually a con by way of outcomes, to be honest, as a result of it ensures they’re solely working with artists they may help. But it surely’s a con to your possibilities of working with them.
• I don’t need to generalize this, as a result of issues fluctuate from marketing campaign to marketing campaign, however I do need to word that the algorithmic traction from my trial marketing campaign has been decrease than I’d anticipated.

The underside line: In case you get accepted by this firm, you’ll get to work with a crew that has a ton of Spotify advertising expertise. These guys are legit. If you wish to give them a shot, right here’s the button:

The temporary on the corporate: Ryan Waczek (the founding father of IMA) works actually exhausting to generate high-engagement playlist placements and preserve an above-average hair aesthetic. His exhausting work exhibits in his ends in each areas.

One factor I actually admire about Indie Music Academy is the corporate’s clear communication about their course of and philosophy. Click on by to lots of the different websites listed right here, and regardless that they could do good work, loads of them don’t talk very nicely about how they do it. Typically, it’s exhausting to find out what’s actual and what’s simply jargon. Ryan’s white paper on his firm’s strategy to playlisting, then again, represents the alternative. It’s top-of-the-line examples of clear considering and transparency that I’ve seen on this house.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to a closed community of Web optimization-built playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different Spotify promotion fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Indie Music Academy: I trialed a $537 marketing campaign that generated 12,079 streams from three highly-engaged playlists for a Value Per Stream of $0.04. Outdoors of credited placements, attribution is tough, however this was an artist that began from near-scratch and ended up with 31,000 actual streams within the month after the marketing campaign. I believe it’s possible that just about all of these resulted from IMA’s work.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of an Indie Music Academy marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of Indie Music Academy

• They place you on extremely engaged, wholesome playlists.
• They’re comparatively reasonably priced on a cost-per-stream foundation.
• They’re very clear and I like the way in which they consider playlisting.
• They provide a assured variety of streams, so any cash you spend will certainly get outcomes. (They don’t promise particular placements, they simply provide a refund in the event that they don’t hit their marketing campaign goal.)

Cons of Indie Music Academy

• Web optimization-based playlists are much less prone to be high-fit by way of style.
• Whereas they do comparatively nicely at a cost-per-stream stage, they’re costly by way of complete value; their entry bundle begins at $297.

The underside line: In case you’re seeking to construct streaming numbers through playlisting and need to be sure to actually are getting natural numbers, Indie Music Academy is a high choice, and Ryan’s a strong man. In case you’re , you may…

The temporary on the corporate: YouGrow’s sort of a do-it-all company; along with their Spotify playlisting, additionally they provide TikTok promotion (which I’ve reviewed right here), YouTube promotion (which I’ve reviewed briefly right here), and Instagram influencer promotion (which I’ve reviewed right here). I’d take into account all of their providers to be professional, however actually, their Spotify promotion is my favourite factor they provide.

They’re good at it.

I’ve run a number of Spotify campaigns with them and have seen persistently strong outcomes. Their playlists are engaged, and whereas they don’t particularly say that they aim Web optimization-built playlists, the overwhelming majority of the placements I’ve gotten with them have proven nicely in Spotify search.

Additionally, I’ve talked to a bunch of individuals on the firm they usually’ve all been good. In order that’s a degree of their favor.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to a closed community of playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different Spotify promotion fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with YouGrow: I’ve run a bunch of campaigns with these guys, however my most up-to-date value $247 and generated 15,797 streams throughout two playlists at a Value Per Stream of $0.02. This artist had some streaming traction already, however the marketing campaign supplied a pleasant bump that hasn’t but died down. A plus was that the playlists had been respectable suits for the style of the music.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of the YouGrow Promo marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of YouGrow

• YouGrow is without doubt one of the most reasonably priced choices on a cost-per-stream foundation and one of many extra reasonably priced choices by way of complete value; their packages begin at simply $77.
• Their playlist community appears to be wholesome and engaged – whereas they don’t declare to deal with Web optimization-built playlists, all of the lists I’ve seen are performing nicely in Spotify search.
• They provide assured streams. (They don’t assure particular placements, however they’ll pitch your music till they get outcomes.)
• Apparently they plant bushes if you purchase from them. I like bushes.

Cons of YouGrow

• The highest location for the music we promoted ended up being Brazil. In case you’re positive with worldwide streams, that’s not likely a con. However for those who’re targeted on so-called “Tier 1” nations, it is perhaps.
• Their campaigns have resulted in streams-per-listener numbers which can be decrease than I’d ideally wish to see. It’s not at a worrisome stage, but it surely could possibly be improved.

The underside line: I’d take into account YouGrow Promo to be an excellent choice for those who’re a playlisting beginner. They don’t have the ceiling of Playlist Push and their playlist community isn’t my absolute favourite, however their lists are wholesome and also you don’t must spend all that a lot to get a pleasant return of assured outcomes. In case you’re so inclined…

The temporary on the corporate: Truthful warning to start out off – that is my firm, so I’m clearly tremendous biased and you must take the whole lot I write beneath with a grain of salt.

With that mentioned… personally, I believe we’re nice, and my mother agrees.

Additionally, we’re markedly totally different than any of the opposite playlisting providers on this checklist in that we don’t pitch your music to a community of curators in any respect. As an alternative, we run Meta advertisements to playlists that artists create themselves.

I really had the concept for this type of service after doing the majority of the analysis for this publish. Having tried a bunch of different campaigns the place I’d had music pitched to curators, I believed to myself, “Huh, wouldn’t or not it’s good if I had been the curator?”

Some great benefits of being your personal curator are fairly simple. First, slightly than seeing your streams spike again down after a marketing campaign, you may maintain your music by yourself playlist for so long as you’d like. Second, you additionally get to make sure that you’re on a playlist that’s an absolute excellent suit your music. Third, you may add a number of songs to your playlist, so you may unfold your promo round your catalog extra simply.

The disadvantage to this strategy is that it tends to not be fairly as cost-effective as working with the most important playlist networks; these providers have already finished the work of constructing massively fashionable playlists, in any case. However the longer-term advantages are fairly interesting.

The mannequin they use: Constructing a well-liked playlist for you with Meta advertisements. (See a breakdown of the totally different Spotify promotion fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Two Story Media: I demoed this technique for my very own observe, “All the things,” constructing a playlist known as “Chill Worship” that value $459 and drove 9,622 for a Value Per Stream of $0.05. Engagement was barely larger than I’ve seen for many different playlisting providers, and streams maintain coming in over time (as a result of I’m not taking my music off of my very own playlist, clearly).

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may see a video breakdown of how the marketing campaign went right here.

Professionals of Two Story Media

• You personal your personal fashionable playlist, which is a pleasant ego enhance
• Longer-term streaming outcomes, since, once more, you personal the playlist and don’t must ever take away your songs
• The playlist is assured to be an ideal match to your music, which tends to result in barely larger engagement charges (though playlists nonetheless are usually passive listening experiences)
• You may add a number of songs to your playlist, so it’s straightforward to unfold your promo throughout your catalogue
• My mother thinks they’re nice

Cons of Two Story Media

• It’s barely extra expensive on a cost-per-stream foundation than the massive playlist networks, particularly within the shorter time period.
• It takes just a little extra work to construct your personal playlist.

The underside line: I actually suppose it is a nice choice for profiting from the facility of playlisting whereas minimizing a few of the tactic’s drawbacks. It’s legitimately efficient and it really works over the longer-term, which is why I exploit it for my very own music. However – yet another time – I’m closely biased, since that is my firm. That mentioned, for those who’re so inclined…

The temporary on the corporate: Playlist Push has, in my expertise, the best ceiling of any of the Spotify curator submission platforms. The reason being that they pay curators greater than rivals like SubmitHub, so that they’re in a position to entice greater playlists – and, not like fashions that provide assured streams, they gained’t cease pitching once they attain their promised threshold. I’ve run two campaigns with them which have generated actually zero placements, however when a marketing campaign does do nicely, it has the potential to do very nicely.

On a semi-related word, I’ve run a number of campaigns with this firm which have coincided with a rise algorithmic exercise. I believe it’s because, usually, Playlist Push does a reasonably good job of producing high-fit playlist placements.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to an open community of Spotify curators. You pay to undergo curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different Spotify promotion fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Playlist Push: My most up-to-date marketing campaign with these guys value $289 and drove 7,915 streams throughout 13 playlists for a Value Per Stream of $0.04. It was for an artist that already had some streaming traction, which makes it harder to find out attribution, however we did see some Uncover Weekly streams are available shortly after operating the marketing campaign.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of an earlier Playlist Push marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of Playlist Push

• I believe they most likely have the best ceiling out of any firm on this checklist.
• In my expertise, they have a tendency to get high-fit placements.
• I’ve seen a number of campaigns with this firm which have correlated to longer-term algorithmic development.

Cons of Playlist Push

• They provide no assure. The nice facet of that is that they don’t cap outcomes at a sure threshold, however the draw back is that you can spend $300 or extra and get actually nothing again.
• When you can see suggestions, you’ve gotten restricted capacity to work together with curators – not like on SubmitHub or SoundCampaign, you may’t chat with them, so it’s tougher to determine relationships.

The underside line: Playlist Push doesn’t assure any outcomes, however they simply might need the best ceiling out of any firm on this checklist. In case you’ve by no means tried playlisting earlier than, you could need to begin with a lower-stakes spend (like SubmitHub or a mannequin the place a return is assured).

However for those who’re extremely assured that your music will do nicely through playlisting, Playlist Push may give you a ton of bang to your buck. If you wish to give it a shot, use code CXUFDQ2 and also you’ll get 7.5% off your first marketing campaign.

The temporary on the corporate: Moonstrive Media is without doubt one of the newer gamers within the Spotify promotion house (they’ve solely been providing their service underneath this brandname for a few years), however that reality belies their expertise. As Janik from the corporate informed me, the crew at Moonstrive has really been resold by different playlisting firms for some time, because of the power of their Web optimization-based playlist community.

And that’s the important thing worth these guys provide: Moonstrive solely gives placements on Web optimization-built playlists. Different firms on this checklist blur that Web optimization line a bit, however in speaking with Janik, it’s clear that he genuinely believes within the worth of it as a playlisting strategy. I respect that – and I’ve seen it work.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to a closed community of Web optimization-built playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Moonstrive Media: I received a free trial of a bundle that will’ve value $339. It resulted in 16,934 streams throughout 10 playlists for a Value Per Stream of $0.02. Whereas not the entire playlists had been as focused genre-wise as I might’ve preferred, they had been all wholesome and solidly engaged, they usually all ranked in Spotify search outcomes.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of the Moonstrive Media marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of Moonstrive Media

• Their Web optimization-built lists are wholesome and extremely engaged.
• They’re reasonably priced on a cost-per-stream foundation and on a complete value foundation. (Packages begin at $134.)
• They assure you’ll get on playlists which have a sure complete variety of followers. (They don’t assure particular placements.)

Cons of Moonstrive Media

• Web optimization-built playlists are usually less-targeted towards particular genres.
• They’re not the very best at speaking about their work ha. Janik admitted that he thinks that is the most important problem they’re dealing with; he thinks their outcomes examine favorable to anybody, however mentioned that they’ve at all times struggled to market themselves successfully.

The underside line: I like that Janik and his crew follow their weapons in concentrating on Web optimization-built playlists. Whereas I believe the strategy has its drawbacks, I additionally suppose it’s a great way to guarantee that playlists are wholesome. All in all, Moonstrive Media is a strong choice. Right here’s the button to examine them out:

The temporary on the corporate: Daimoon Media is an organization that doesn’t function the phrases “develop” or “playlist” or “promotion” of their identify, which, on this house, is a daring transfer. Don’t fear, although. Daimoon Media does provide playlist pitching (along with YouTube promotion and Soundcloud promotion). And, primarily based on my expertise, they do it nicely.

I are likely to suppose that they’re finest at working with extra mainstream genres – suppose pop, EDM, hip hop, or rock – they usually’re most likely the very best match for artists who want to construct a global viewers. But when these two qualifiers describe you, then they’re value trying out.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to a closed community of playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Daimoon Media: I’m really in progress with my newest marketing campaign, so these stats will most likely be up to date over the following month or so. However, after a couple of month of run-time, the marketing campaign has generated 8,887 streams from three playlists for a Value Per Stream of $0.03.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

Once more, the plan is to replace with extra particulars pending the completion of my most up-to-date marketing campaign. However for now, you may learn my evaluate of a earlier marketing campaign with Daimoon right here.

Professionals of Daimoon Media

• Whereas they don’t particularly goal Web optimization-built lists, a lot of their playlists do carry out nicely in Spotify search outcomes.
• Relatedly, all of the lists I’ve seen from them are wholesome and engaged.
• They’ve reasonably priced entry-level packages (the bottom begins at $57).

Cons of Daimoon Media

• As with different Web optimization-focused firms, they don’t at all times generate the highest-fit placements by way of style.
• They drive a excessive proportion of worldwide streams. My most up-to-date marketing campaign drove probably the most visitors from Mexico. (This isn’t a con for those who’re constructing a global viewers, clearly.)
• I had a bizarre cost subject with them the place their system wouldn’t course of my bank card. I talked to Tom, the founder, and he mentioned that occurs to lower than 1% of shoppers because of the system they use. Their crew ended up taking cost through bill, so it labored out, however I figured I’d word it.

The underside line: Daimoon Media is one other firm that has a strong community of largely Web optimization-built, wholesome lists. In case you’re in a mainstream style and are inquisitive about producing worldwide traction, they’re a strong choice. Hit the button for those who’re inquisitive about giving them a spin.

The temporary on the corporate: It’s possible you’ll be conversant in Omari for those who’ve ever used the web – the man is in all places on-line, and it’s not an accident. Omari’s one of many playlisting OGs. Really, his was the primary Spotify promotion service I ever tried, again after I was satisfied I may rap and play the ukulele. (I’ve since found I can do neither.)

I’ve talked to Omari a number of instances over Zoom, and I’ve at all times come away impressed by his wide selection of music advertising data. His crew works on just about each advertising channel underneath the solar, they usually work with a formidable quantity of shoppers every month. There’s no denying that they know their stuff.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to an open community of playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Omari MC: My most up-to-date marketing campaign with Omari value $147 and resulted in 11 playlist placements and 1,246 streams for a Value Per Stream of $0.12. That’s on the upper finish of the spectrum, particularly for closed-network firms that promise some stage of outcomes. Engagement charges had been just a little beneath common, too, however the playlists had been professional.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my evaluate of an earlier marketing campaign with Omari MC right here.

Professionals of Omari MC

• One of many OGs on this house. This firm has run a ton of campaigns; they know what they’re doing.
• I really feel like Omari just about coined the time period “natural streams” ha, and it’s honest to say that his playlists are wholesome and never constructed with bots.
• They’re comparatively reasonably priced to get began with; their entry-level bundle is $77.

Cons of Omari MC

• Outcomes will fluctuate, however my final three campaigns with Omari have generated comparably excessive prices per stream. None of them has crested 5,000 streams, both.
• They don’t settle for “specific” songs. Actually, I don’t suppose it is a con (I respect that Omari sticks to what he believes) however for those who’re making specific music, it’s a con to your possibilities of working with the corporate.

The underside line: I don’t imply this in an offensive means ha – I take into account Omari MC to be just like the Walmart of Spotify promotion. They’ve been round for some time, they’re not notably thrilling, they provide just a little little bit of the whole lot to lots of people, and the standard perhaps isn’t what you’d get for those who spent twice as a lot.

But in addition, you realize precisely what you’re going to get.

In case you’re occupied with making an attempt promotion for the primary time and need one thing low-risk, these guys are a great choice.

The temporary on the corporate: In case you seemed on the graphics up there, you most likely observed that Playlist-Promotion drove an absurd quantity of streams (about 62,000, which was far and away probably the most from any marketing campaign). They focus primarily on Web optimization-built lists and there’s no denying that they will get tremendous spectacular outcomes – but additionally, some context is critical.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to an open community of playlists. You pay for placements. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Playlist-Promotion: The corporate provided me a free trial of their “100K follower attain” bundle, which might usually have value $350. The marketing campaign resulted in 23 playlist placements that drove 62,939 streams at a Value Per Stream of $0.01. Once more, this was by far probably the most reasonably priced marketing campaign on a per-stream stage, and it was additionally by far probably the most streams I noticed from any marketing campaign.

So yeah… it labored.

However I’m additionally fairly satisfied that the outcomes my marketing campaign acquired aren’t consultant of what artists ought to count on, on common, from this firm.

Right here’s why: The bundle I trialed guarantees 3-10 playlist placements with an estimated supply of 8,000 to twenty,000 streams – but our music was positioned on 23 playlists totaling 1.5M followers. Sometimes, the businesses that work on this mannequin cap a marketing campaign when it reaches the best variety of playlists, however these guys supplied an unbelievable surplus on anticipated supply. And I believe it’s as a result of the corporate knew I’d be writing a evaluate of the expertise. I don’t blame them for proving their chops, however I’m additionally uncertain that my expertise was regular.

Make of it what you’ll. One factor you may’t deny is that these guys have massive playlists that may drive a formidable quantity of streams.

You may learn my full evaluate of the Playlist-Promotion marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of Playlist-Promotion

• As I mentioned, there’s no denying these guys have very lively playlists. All of the lists seemed wholesome, too.
• On a associated word, this firm supplied probably the most streams I’ve ever instantly acquired from a playlisting marketing campaign. Respect.

Cons of Playlist-Promotion

• As talked about a number of instances on this publish, massive Web optimization-based playlists have a tendency to not be the tightest style suits.
• Perhaps this shouldn’t be a con, however the marketing campaign was virtually too good. Whereas these guys actually have the potential to ship, I need to word that you simply most likely shouldn’t count on the identical outcomes that I acquired.

The underside line: Whereas I don’t suppose my unbelievable outcomes from Playlist-Promotion are typical, there’s no denying that these guys have the potential to supply excessive numbers of streams from wholesome playlists. With campaigns beginning at $250, they’re on the higher-priced facet of the spectrum, however they actually have the firepower to again that up. If you wish to examine them out…

The temporary on the corporate: I’ve received SubmitHub down right here at quantity 10, however they’re primary in my coronary heart. In case you’re simply getting began with Spotify playlisting, that is most likely the primary firm I’d strive.

That mentioned, these guys are rather more than a Spotify promotion firm; they’re what I consider as a “music submission platform.” You pay for credit that assure curators will take heed to your music, permitting you to get weblog write-ups, influencer placements, and a bunch of different stuff. (Relatedly, as of 2023, I take into account SubmitHub the gold commonplace for indie press campaigns.)

On the Spotify facet of issues, particularly, they boast a big community of about 800 curators, most of whom run extremely focused playlists slightly than massive, Web optimization-built lists. That’s by design – Jason Grishkoff, the founder, believes that the purpose of playlisting needs to be to coach Spotify’s algorithm with reasonable numbers of focused listens, slightly than to generate massive spikes in streams from a broader viewers and threat muddying your information.

The mannequin they use: Do-it-yourself pitching to an open community of Spotify curators – though Jason needs me to let you know which you could additionally hit a button to make it extra of a done-for-you expertise. You pay to undergo curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with SubmitHub: I’ve run a ton of campaigns on SubmitHub; some have labored rather well and a few have generated subsequent to nothing. However the marketing campaign I’ve listed on the spreadsheet above value $120 and resulted in 9 playlist placements and 1,130 streams for a Value Per Stream of $0.11.

And since I received to hand-select every curator and playlist that I pitched, every of these 9 placements was a really related style match.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn our full evaluate of SubmitHub right here.

Professionals of SubmitHub

• I believe this platform might be the only finest technique to goal high-genre-match playlist placements.
• It’s actually reasonably priced to get began with SubmitHub. Jason recommends making an attempt a small pattern of curators to check whether or not your music will resonate earlier than leaping into an even bigger spend, which implies that, for like $20, you can begin to see outcomes.
• I believe that is most likely probably the most clear playlist pitching platform on the earth. All the things you’d care to see a couple of curator is on show.

Cons of SubmitHub

• The most important knock in opposition to SubmitHub is that the curators with the most important playlists are likely to gravitate towards different platforms, as a result of SubmitHub doesn’t pay as a lot per evaluate as a few of the different networks on this checklist. Which means it’s very uncommon to see a marketing campaign that ends in tens of 1000’s of streams.
• It’s just a little extra time-consuming to pitch on SubmitHub than it’s to pay a done-for-you pitching service. (However for those who care about genre-fit, it’s definitely worth the little bit of additional effort.)

The underside line: That is most likely the very best firm to get began with for those who’ve by no means finished playlist pitching earlier than. It’s additionally most likely the very best playlist pitching platform for coaching Spotify on the style of your music.

That’s as a result of campaigns begin at super-affordable prices, and you may select to focus on solely the lists on which you need to be included. Ethical of the story: In case you can stand to listen to some tone-deaf suggestions from curators, there’s actually no purpose to not give SubmitHub a shot.

The temporary on the corporate: I first heard about Spin Promo after I began getting emails from Matt, their founder. Over the course of a few months on their electronic mail checklist, I got here away satisfied: These guys are actually good at electronic mail advertising, and I needed to pay them cash.

A part of the attraction was that, on the service mannequin facet of issues, the corporate advertises an attention-grabbing tactic: Spotify advertisements retargeting playlist listeners. Right here’s how they put it: “Run native Spotify advertisements to retarget your largest listeners, primarily based on stay playlist viewers information.”

The upshot is that they get you playlist placements after which do a bit of labor to translate these placements into longer-term engagement. Fairly cool-sounding concept, proper? I believed so, a minimum of.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to an open community of Spotify curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Spin Promo: I ran a $299 marketing campaign and noticed my music positioned on two playlists that drove a complete of 5,862 streams for a Value Per Stream of $0.05.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of Spin Promo right here.

Professionals of Spin Promo

• As an idea, I believed the retargeting factor was actually cool.
• The playlists they added the observe to had been legit – good follower development, good engagement, and a wholesome variety of streams.

Cons of Spin Promo

• Actually, I used to be disillusioned within the precise outcomes of the retargeting. I simply couldn’t see any type of impression within the information. My speculation, as I wrote in my evaluate is that Spotify advertisements simply aren’t a brilliant efficient tactic, regardless that the concept is cool in precept.
• I used to be additionally barely underwhelmed by their customer support. They don’t have a portal to trace outcomes (as of this writing, a minimum of), and whereas they provided to reply for assist by electronic mail, I didn’t hear again from them after a attain out.

The underside line: I believe these guys are professional, however I additionally suppose they’re nonetheless understanding a few of the kinks of their enterprise mannequin. The thought of retargeting is basically interesting, though it didn’t translate to notable ends in actuality. I’ve received them penciled in to strive within the close to future. Within the meantime, they do have some engaged playlists… and once more, their electronic mail advertising is on level.

If you wish to give them a shot…

The temporary on the corporate: SoundCampaign is an up-and-coming playlist pitching firm constructed on the open community idea.

I hadn’t heard of them earlier than 2022, however I’ve heard a good bit of hype on them extra not too long ago, so I made a decision to provide them a spin as a part of my experiment. Nadav, the founding father of the corporate, has reached out to me a few instances, however we haven’t been in a position to join but. From what I’ve seen from the skin and as a buyer, although, I like their strategy.

Whereas I don’t have them within the high half of the checklist in the intervening time, it is a firm I believe might be value watching over the following few years.

The mannequin they use: Finished-for-you pitching to an open community of Spotify curators. You pay to undergo curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with SoundCampaign: I spent $188 on SoundCampaign to focus on an estimated 21 curators. That yielded two playlist placements that drove 188 streams for a Value Per Stream of $0.82 (which was the best Value Per Stream out of the entire firms I attempted).

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

The outcomes had been mediocre, however I believe this firm has potential as a result of their mannequin is robust. You may see my full evaluate of the SoundCampaign expertise right here.

Professionals of SoundCampaign

• Their playlists look like legit – wholesome and constructed with actual listeners.
• There’s the potential to hit a homerun with this playlisting mannequin.
• I like which you could reply to curator suggestions on this platform. It’s a pleasant step towards extra significant relationships.

Cons of SoundCampaign

• I don’t suppose my mediocre outcomes needs to be taken as some overarching verdict on the platform, as a result of issues fluctuate wildly from music to music – however nonetheless, my outcomes had been fairly mediocre, in order that’s received to be a con.

The underside line: As with different open-network platforms, SoundCampaign provides the possibility to hit a homerun with a playlisting marketing campaign, since they (ostensibly) gained’t cap your pitches when you hit a sure variety of placements. As a result of my very own marketing campaign outcomes had been mediocre, I’ve a tough time rating them alongside business heavyweights like Playlist Push. However nonetheless, I like this firm, and I believe they’re value maintaining a tally of. If you wish to trial them your self, right here’s the hyperlink:

The temporary on the corporate: If SoundCampaign and Orion Promotion are challengers to Playlist Push, then SubmitLink is a challenger to SubmitHub. Consider it as SubmitHub Lite, however geared particularly towards Spotify playlist curators. As on SubmitHub, you pay for credit and get to handpick which curators you need to ship your music to, with the assure that they’ll hear and reply.

Whereas it’s not a giant participant within the house but, I’m a fan of SubmitLink, partly as a result of I’ve talked to Aaron, the founder on the firm, and admire his ethos. Like Jason at SubmitHub, it’s clear that Aaron is engaged on this as a labor of affection. He’s consistently making enhancements and soliciting suggestions, and it exhibits within the development of the platform over the previous a number of years.

The mannequin they use: Do-it-yourself pitching to an open community of Spotify curators. You pay to undergo curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with SubmitLink: This was my most cost-effective marketing campaign by way of complete value; I paid $27 and acquired two playlist placements that introduced in 467 streams at a Value Per Stream of $0.06. We received a good bump in algorithmic traction after the marketing campaign, too.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

In case you’re inquisitive about listening to extra about my expertise with SubmitLink, I wrote a full evaluate of the marketing campaign right here.

Professionals of SubmitLink

• Like with SubmitHub, you may handpick which curators you pitch, so you may make sure you get high-genre-match placements.
• It’s tremendous reasonably priced to get began – my marketing campaign value $27.
• This can be a very clear platform; you get loads of element on the curators and playlists.

Cons of SubmitLink

• The most important con is that SubmitLink’s curator community simply isn’t that massive but. You may solely pitch so many individuals right here, and there aren’t as many area of interest style suits as there are on SubmitHub. However the platform is rising, so that is turning into much less of a weak point over time.

The underside line: That is one other nice choice for those who’re getting began with playlisting, since you don’t must pay a lot and also you get to handpick the curators to which you’re pitched, so the chance of unhealthy information is low. Think about using this as a complement to a SubmitHub marketing campaign; spend $20 on each platforms and also you’ll nonetheless come out beneath what you’d spend with most different firms on this checklist.

The temporary on the corporate: Groover is one other music submission platform the place you should purchase credit to submit your music to blogs, playlist curators, and music business professionals. Two Euros will get you two credit, that are good for one submission. The corporate was based in 2018, they usually’ve grown quickly since then, with an particularly spectacular presence of curators in Europe.

As with SubmitHub, I used to be initially hesitant to qualify Groover as a service, seeing as they function on an identical credit-based mannequin. However, as earlier than, I’ve determined to screw the semantics.

The mannequin they use: Do-it-yourself pitching to an open community of Spotify curators – though you too can use pre-sets that make it extra of a done-for-you expertise. You pay to undergo curators. (See a breakdown of the totally different fashions right here.)

The temporary on my marketing campaign with Groover: I’ve run a number of campaigns with Groover, however my most up-to-date marketing campaign value $273.59 and resulted in 18 playlist placements and 460 streams for a Value Per Stream of $0.59.

Right here’s what it seemed like in Spotify for Artists.

You may learn my full evaluate of a earlier Groover marketing campaign right here.

One word on the expertise: Within the aftermath of the marketing campaign, the music received auto-added to a playlist by WAVR.AI that seems to be constructed with bots (that’s that bizarre spike after the marketing campaign within the picture above). This isn’t Groover’s fault; the 2 firms aren’t affiliated in any means. For what it’s value, WAVR appears to be an organization that scrapes different playlists to be a focus for artists by boosting their streams. Extra on them later.

Once more, not Groover’s duty (I’ve seen DistroKid artists who haven’t used Groover get added to WAVR lists, too) but it surely’s an annoyance value noting. Right here’s hoping Spotify takes WAVR down quickly.

Professionals of Groover

• Their submission course of is basically streamlined. In case you’re the sort of one who finds SubmitHub’s filter complicated, you could like Groover’s course of higher. The management is rather less granular, but it surely’s a really fast and clear setup.
• There are good curators on the platform – and there are so much of curators on the platform. (I’m not fully positive, however in talking with lots of the firms on this checklist, I believe that by way of the sheer variety of curators Groover is probably going the biggest submission platform on the earth.)

Cons of Groover

• As I famous with SubmitHub, these platforms don’t pay curators as a lot per evaluate, so greater curators usually go elsewhere.
• You don’t have loads of capacity to filter by the style of your music. When you can nonetheless comb by for good playlist suits, this makes it just a little tougher.
• The curator community leans European, which, after all, shouldn’t technically be a con, however needs to be meals for thought for those who’re in search of development in different geographies.

The underside line: I’d use Groover for those who’re a European-based artist in search of focused placements or for those who’re seeking to complement a SubmitHub marketing campaign and attain different curators.

Whereas this isn’t my high choice for a excessive variety of streams, it is a rising platform that has all kinds of curators, and you will get began with a small spend and little threat. If you wish to strive it, use the code TWOSTORYMELODYVIP to get a ten% low cost on credit.

Bonus: Two Free Playlisting Platforms

Let’s wrap up the checklist with a few free choices, in case you’re not able to put down cash (which is comprehensible). Notice: Whereas you will get placements with the providers beneath, I’ve been informed that lots of the lists on free providers get few if any streams; I believe that it’s most likely as a result of, for curators, the incentives for constructing wholesome lists aren’t as robust (and a few curators could even be making an attempt to make use of these platforms as stepping stones to paid networks).

Price being conscious of, however doesn’t imply submission isn’t value it.

Soundplate

With Soundplate, you submit your tracks to playlists and anticipate the playlist curators to provide the massive thumbs up or down. It’s value mentioning that your tracks aren’t assured to land on the playlists to which you submit. In case you take the bulk-approach and undergo a bunch of viable playlists, chances are high your tracks will safely arrive on a minimum of a number of playlists.

However be warned: this service is free, and for a number of good causes. Soundplate doesn’t provide any steering, assist, or session for those who determine to make use of their platform. The submission course of can also be recognized to be clunky at instances. However for those who like free stuff, it’s value a great ole’ school strive.

Each day Playlists

Each day Playlists, like Soundplate, is free. Merely add your music’s Spotify URL, manually choose the a number of playlists you need to undergo, and comply with these playlists to finalize your submissions.

It’s free, painless, and could end in further performs, followers, and all-around publicity. Or not.

However once more, it’s free.

Firms You Ought to In all probability Keep away from

As I discussed on the high of this text, the unhappy fact is that there are some complete scams on the market. As you most likely know, a subsection of promo firms depend on bots and click on farms to drive streams; in early 2021, these providers possible contributed to a bunch of songs being de-listed from Spotify. Watch out. Even worse, there are some pages arrange that may take your cash and ship nothing.

Right here’s a fast suggestion: Don’t pay for a service till you’ve had communication with that service. Be sure you hear again from an individual earlier than you ship them your cash. (This isn’t at all times doable, however for my part, it’s the best.) And with that in thoughts, I need to provide a number of extra particular warnings.

These are Spotify promotion firms you must keep away from:

Music Diffusion

This firm was one of many 15 I attempted initially of 2023. Sadly, they had been by far the obvious rip-off I’ve seen out of any marketing campaign I’ve run thus far.

I’ve received a full evaluate of the expertise up right here, however right here’s the abstract: The music I examined was positioned on 5 playlists. The entire lists had been owned by Music Diffusion, they usually all confirmed indicators of bot exercise. Worst of all, the streaming information that our placements generated in Spotify for Artists seemed completely pretend.

We ended up cancelling the marketing campaign a couple of week after we began it to attempt to decrease the injury. I’d advocate you cancel yours proper now, earlier than you begin.

Musicvertising

This firm was additionally one of many 15 I attempted, they usually had been by far probably the most complicated.

Lengthy-story-short, the marketing campaign we ran with them resulted in super-suspicious spikes in Spotify followers. Streams didn’t fluctuate all that a lot, however for a interval of a couple of week, followers jumped up by the very same quantity every day. Then a number of weeks later, they spiked again down, step-by-step.

In case you’re questioning, that’s not what regular follower development seems to be like.

The streaming information wasn’t as clearly pretend as Music Diffusion’s outcomes, so I really went forwards and backwards with them just a little bit to strive to determine what was occurring. The rep from the corporate insinuated that they use Taboola advertisements to drive visitors to Spotify. I’m not fully positive, however my guess is that they’re utilizing the broadest geographic goal, in order that impressions get funneled to nations the place the clicks are the most affordable – and often the place the clicks are the most affordable, there are bot farms.

If this what they’re doing, then though they declare that they’re utilizing a legit type of promoting (and I suppose it’s doable that they may not be operating botted Spotify accounts themselves), the end result is mainly the identical.

If it’s not what they’re doing… nicely, I don’t know what’s occurring, however clearly it’s sketchy.

Both means, you must most likely keep away from them.

Artist Push

An earlier model of this text listed Artist Push, however I’ve gotten a number of feedback suggesting that they’ve did not ship on campaigns (see beneath within the feedback ha). I haven’t had private expertise with this firm, however primarily based on what I’ve heard, I’d say proceed with warning – most likely get in contact with somebody earlier than paying, a minimum of.

Artist Sounds

I’ve solely gotten one electronic mail criticizing Artist Sounds, however that’s nonetheless an excessive amount of for me to advocate them as a service (and their course of seems to be sketchy, anyway). In case you’ve had an identical (or a special and extra optimistic) expertise with this firm, attain out and let me know.

Orion Promotion

A earlier model of this text additionally listed Orion Promotion as a really helpful firm (and also you’ll nonetheless see them within the Canva charts up there). That was primarily based on an actual marketing campaign that I ran with them, however sadly, within the months since, I’ve had confirmed from a number of sources that this service has turn into untrustworthy (and sometimes simply completely unresponsive).

I gained’t get into the entire particulars right here, however the brief model is that they’ve been very sketchy in paying their curators, which has snowballed into the whole lot else. Right here’s a TrustPilot evaluate that will get into a few of it.

Anyway, I’d advocate passing on this firm at the moment.

The various kinds of Spotify promotion

Nonetheless right here? Props. Hold studying, as a result of on this part, I’m going to unpack how the businesses I’ve listed above match into the broad scope of Spotify promotion. I believe that’ll be useful as you take into account your choices.

As you could or could not know, there are a number of alternative ways to advertise music on Spotify. I’d break issues down into three classes:

1. Spotify’s Promoting Instruments

One of these promoting might be the most secure technique to construct a presence on Spotify, since you’re utilizing the instruments that the platform itself gives for artists. This contains issues like:

• Marquee (you pay to indicate a brand new launch to your personal followers once they open the app)
• Showcase (you pay to indicate a launch to customers in a featured space on Spotify’s residence display)
• Discovery Mode (you conform to let Spotify maintain an even bigger proportion of your streaming royalties, they promise to indicate your music to extra folks)
• Editorial playlist pitching (you ship your music to Spotify’s playlist editors and virtually at all times get rejected, however for those who get accepted you get a bunch of streams)

These instruments are okay, however for my part, they’re sort of restricted.

Marquee, for instance, gained’t put you in entrance of latest ears; it’s simply Spotify charging to indicate you to individuals who ought to already be conversant in your music. (I get why they do that, however I don’t find it irresistible.) Discovery Mode is… positive. Editorial playlist pitching is sort of a free lottery ticket; it’s received an superior ceiling, but it surely’s nothing you must financial institution on.

I believe that, usually, it’s powerful to develop on Spotify for those who rely solely on their proprietary advertising instruments.

2. Off-Platform Promoting

One other technique to develop on Spotify is to make use of off-platform promoting. As of immediately, the most typical technique of doing that is to run Fb and Instagram advertisements that ship folks to your music on Spotify. TikTok and YouTube are various platforms for this, however from what I’ve seen, they are usually much less environment friendly.

I’m a giant fan of this sort of Spotify promotion. As you will have observed, it’s the kind of promotion I present at my very own company.

I do know that many indie artists aren’t precisely drowning in money, however when you have the price range, I’d advocate utilizing Fb and Instagram advertisements in tandem with playlisting. I believe this pairing provides you the very best of each worlds. Advertisements are rather more costly than playlisting at a cost-per-stream stage, however their profit is that they drive extremely engaged streams, as a result of customers click on them with an lively curiosity to listen to particular music.

I’d advocate trying out Andrew Southworth’s YouTube channel for those who’re inquisitive about studying extra about how this strategy works. And I suppose I’ll additionally provide this shameless plug: I’ve a Spotify advertising course that covers each advertisements and playlists if you wish to get going your self.

3. Spotify Playlisting

And, lastly, you’ve received Spotify playlisting, which generally means pitching music to unbiased playlist curators. That is the first technique utilized by the businesses on the checklist above.

There are two causes this technique of promotion is so fashionable:

First, it’s straightforward to instantly impression. When you solely get one shot at an editorial playlist pitch per music, you may pitch 1000’s of unbiased playlist curators. And for those who do pitch a bunch of curators, you’ll virtually actually get one thing out of it.

Second, playlisting is probably the most reasonably priced kind of Spotify promotion on a cost-per-stream foundation, since you don’t must pay to modify folks from one platform to a different. Spotify is constructed for playlists; consequently, it’s fairly widespread to get tens of 1000’s of actual streams for a number of hundred bucks. (For reference, for those who spend a pair hundred bucks on a brand new advert marketing campaign, you’ll be lucky to interrupt 1,000 streams.)

The draw back of playlisting is that it tends to end result within the lowest engagement charges. That’s as a result of playlist listeners usually aren’t locked in and actively partaking with each single music; playlists are sometimes used as background music.

So, with that mentioned, is playlist promotion value it?

Nice query. My reply, as it’s to so many issues, is that it is dependent upon what you’re in search of.

If you wish to instantly recoup your advertising spend in streaming royalties, then playlisting is certainly not value it. Don’t count on to make your a reimbursement instantly on a playlisting spend; for those who make a return on funding, it’ll be long-tail over time and myriad channels.

If you wish to lastly crest the >1,000 streams mark subsequent to a music on Spotify in order that random folks suppose you’re extra legit, then playlisting undoubtedly is value it. As I’ve mentioned, it’s probably the most cost-efficient technique to get streams.

If you wish to preserve excessive ranges of engagement in your Spotify profile, then playlisting is most likely not value it. Some extremely focused playlists are fairly engaged, however most will dampen your Viewers Engagement stats.

If you wish to practice Spotify’s algorithm on the kind of music you make, then playlisting could also be value it – however you’ll want to decide on a platform that focuses on high-genre match playlists slightly than utilizing an Web optimization-focused service.

If you would like a bunch of individuals to listen to your music, then playlisting might be value it. It’s probably the most simple means towards that finish.

The underside line reply:

Personally, given the price range, I’ll at all times run a playlisting marketing campaign and an advert marketing campaign in tandem for each music an artist releases. However for those who’re like most of us and have to choose one or the opposite, suppose by what you’re prioritizing and select accordingly.

Spotify promotion service fashions

In case you do determine that you simply’d wish to strive Spotify playlist promotion, it’s useful to know the way these firms work. There are a selection of service fashions that I categorize on the idea of 4 most important components: 1) Exclusivity of the curator community, 2) kind of playlists, 3) pitching technique, and 4) what you pay for.

(Oh, and outdoors of all of those, there’s my very own service mannequin, the place we construct you your personal fashionable playlist. It doesn’t actually match the paradigms beneath, but it surely’s nonetheless a type of playlisting.)

Learn this if you wish to know what you’re getting.

1. Exclusivity of the curator community

Open curator networks: These are the businesses that permit any playlist curator to use for inclusion of their community. Once you go to certainly one of these firms’ web sites, you’ll see a button to use as a curator or to submit your personal playlist.

Firms which have open curator networks are likely to have extra playlists. Nonetheless, high quality management is tougher, they usually could battle to retain massive playlists. Campaigns to open networks have a tendency to supply higher-fit placements however fewer streams when put next in opposition to closed curator networks.

Closed curator networks: These firms have non-public relationships with playlist curators; they’ll search out high curators to affix their community, however they haven’t any open software for curators to use.

Firms which have closed curator networks are likely to have fewer playlists. Nonetheless, they usually function very fashionable, engaged playlists. Campaigns with these firms have a tendency to supply extra streams from much less focused playlists when put next in opposition to open curator networks.

2. Kind of playlists included on the community

Web optimization playlists solely: These firms solely function playlists that seem in Spotify’s search outcomes. The good thing about this strategy is that Web optimization playlists are just about assured to not have bots and to drive loads of streams. The disadvantage of this strategy is that these lists are sometimes broader and fewer genre-targeted.

Web optimization playlist focus: These firms lean closely towards Web optimization playlists, however may function playlists that don’t seem in Spotify’s search outcomes.

Style playlist focus: These firms lean closely towards playlists which can be genre-targeted, though they could function a number of broad playlists as nicely. Campaigns with these firms are likely to drive fewer streams, however could end in larger engagement charges.

3. Pitching technique

Finished-for-you: These firms deal with the complete pitching course of when you submit a marketing campaign. It’s possible you’ll present some details about the style of your music and your very best viewers, however you gained’t choose which curators obtain the pitch.

Do-it-yourself: These firms mean you can choose the curators you’d like your music to be pitched to. They could have presets accessible to information your choice, however you’ll have the ultimate say.

4. What you pay for

To be pitched to a sure variety of curators: You’re paying to achieve curators together with your music, not for some variety of placements. You’ll pay extra to ship your music to extra curators.

A lot of the firms utilizing this mannequin don’t assure that you simply’ll obtain any placements; nevertheless, they gained’t cap your marketing campaign at a sure variety of placements, both. In different phrases, this mannequin has a excessive ceiling however a low ground.

To obtain a sure variety of placements: You’re paying to be positioned on playlists, often with some assure that you simply’ll attain a threshold of streams or get in entrance of a complete variety of playlist followers. You’ll pay extra to obtain extra streams.

A lot of the firms that use this mannequin will cap your marketing campaign when you attain the desired variety of placements. In different phrases, you’ll hardly ever outperform what you’ve paid for. (For this reason I’m barely cynical about my Playlist-Promotion outcomes – I’ve a hunch they deliberately overdelivered for me.)

Fascinating issues I’ve realized from making an attempt a bunch of Spotify promotion providers

Whether or not you’ve learn so far otherwise you’ve simply skimmed down, I’m happy to announce that that is the ultimate part of this obnoxiously lengthy publish.

I’m together with this part as a result of a) I realized loads of random issues operating a bunch of Spotify campaigns that I believe you must know, and b) I couldn’t discover an suave technique to work these things into the publish earlier. Sorry.

Listed here are 5 random nuggets of knowledge to file away for the following time you strive a Spotify promotion.

1. Most Spotify promotion campaigns don’t have an enormous long-term impression.

The perfect final result from a Spotify promotion is that you simply pay for a short-term bump after which have your attain settle at a brand new regular, because of new followers and algorithmic traction. Right here’s what that appears like:

I consider it like stepping up stairs; if you are able to do this a number of instances, you may stage up your viewers dramatically.

Sadly, that is hardly ever what occurs. Most frequently, if you run a playlisting marketing campaign, you get a spike, after which issues settle again to proper round the place they had been earlier than. Out of the 13 professional playlisting campaigns I ran in early 2023…

• 3 supplied what I might outline as longer-term viewers development
• 10 supplied little or no long-term viewers development

The ethical of the story is that you simply ought to count on streams, however you shouldn’t typically count on them to final. Rely it as a present once they do.

2. After a promotion, Radio streams are the primary algorithmic bump.

Practically each professional Spotify promotion I’ve ever run has coincided with a rise in Radio streams. Generally its a really notable enhance; extra usually, it’s not.

However that is the primary algorithmic enhance you’ll get, and you must count on to see one thing from it just about any time you run a marketing campaign.

3. Radio streams can come from bots.

Okay, right here’s a indisputable fact that made me uncomfortable – the obvious rip-off promotion I ran (with Music Diffusion) really resulted in a major bump in Spotify’s Radio streams.

Botted playlists drove about 9,000 streams for that observe; the opposite ~1,000 of the observe’s complete streams got here from Spotify’s Radio playlists.

I’m undecided how this occurred, however my guess is that the bot accounts are set to autoplay by a given checklist and that they simply maintain spinning after they undergo the entire songs, throughout which era they rack up streams of “Advisable” songs.

The underside line: You’d wish to suppose algorithmic performs couldn’t be faked, proper? But it surely seems to be like Radio streams, a minimum of, could be. (Relatedly, if you wish to be secure, you must put on a titanium go well with and steer clear of the whole lot and everybody.)

4. You need to be careful for “scraped” lists.

One other bizarre factor that reinforces the concept you shouldn’t belief anybody is that, even for those who run a totally professional promotion, you’ve gotten the possibility of getting added to a scraped playlist which may drive botted streams.

Right here’s the way it works: Some firms scrape different playlists for songs, then add them to their very own playlists within the hopes of catching indie artists as shoppers. The thought is that for those who, as an artist, see your music getting streams from a random playlist, you’ll click on by to test it out – and if you see that the curator provides promotional providers, you is perhaps impressed to pony up money for extra performs.

(DistroKid’s Wheel of Playlist usually will get scraped, for instance, as a result of firms know that indie artists who use the platform are in search of methods to get traction.)

This occurred most notably through the marketing campaign I ran on Groover. Our observe was added to a bunch of professional playlists. Then, shortly after the Groover marketing campaign closed, we began getting a bit of streams from a mysterious checklist known as WAVR.AI.

That is bizarre in loads of alternative ways – for one factor, the playlist has over 1,900 songs on it, so it’s not prefer it’s curated in any significant sense of the phrase. After which the entire AI factor is unusual; for those who click on by to the corporate’s web site (listed within the playlist description), you’ll see that they declare to supply Spotify promotion by AI tech-based playlisting in small companies. I don’t actually know what meaning (however then once more, I’m not a pc scientist or a health care provider).

However probably the most troubling factor is that the playlist has seen drops in followers over the previous few months. Right here’s a red-flag-level dip in early Could, for instance:

It’s not big, so perhaps that dip wasn’t as a result of bots; I don’t know for positive. But it surely’s actually not good, both.

WAVR.AI isn’t the one firm I’ve seen doing this; there are others taking some variation of this similar strategy. Sadly, as an artist, there isn’t a lot you are able to do to keep away from it. Whereas it does appear that playlisting will increase your odds of getting added to one thing like this, I’ve additionally seen artists who haven’t run playlisting campaigns find yourself on WAVR.AI, too. And if you report certainly one of these lists to Spotify, they’ll often reply by saying that they will’t mess with customers’ private accounts.

So there’s no takeaway for this one; largely it’s just a bit informational nugget to file away as you construct your doomsday shelter and conceal from the world.

5. Playlists can develop the streams from “Listeners’ personal playlists and library.”

Let’s finish on a extra encouraging word: It’s not all concerning the algorithm.

⬆️ That’s the information from a music for which I ran a playlisting marketing campaign earlier this yr. You’ll discover that there was hardly something of an algorithmic bump (7% is sort of brutal), however you’ll additionally see {that a} sizable chunk of streams are coming from “Listeners’ personal playlists and libraries.”

We entrepreneurs wish to make a giant fuss about getting algorithmic traction. And whereas it’s true that getting an algorithmic bump is sweet information, as a result of it’s an indication that Spotify likes you, it’s additionally true that discovering residing, respiratory followers is sweet information, too.

Playlisting isn’t as extremely focused as direct advertisements, however if you get on a great checklist, you will discover individuals who will take an actual curiosity in your music. I’ve seen it occur a number of instances.

And it’s fairly superior.

Ultimate ideas on Spotify promotion providers

In case you’ve learn this far, congratulations – you’re both extremely devoted to getting your music heard or you’ve gotten an excessive amount of time in your fingers. Perhaps each. Regardless, I admire you, and I hope the data above is useful as you take into account Spotify promotion to your personal music.

Two last issues:

First, as technique of a short recap, right here’s my checklist of high firms once more.

1. Members Media
2. Indie Music Academy
3. YouGrow Promo
4. Two Story Media
5. Playlist Push
6. Moonstrive Media
7. Daimoon Media
8. Omari MC
9. Playlist-Promotion
10. SubmitHub
11. Spin Promo
12. SoundCampaign
13. SubmitLink
14. Groover

Second (and final!), I’d love to listen to your ideas on these things. Go away a remark beneath and let me know for those who’ve had a notable expertise (good or unhealthy) with an organization on this checklist. And let me know if there’s a service I ought to take a look at that’s not listed right here. I’ll examine again and attempt to maintain this publish decently updated as a result of I believe these things is necessary – as a result of I believe music issues.

As you navigate the complicated world of Spotify promotion, right here’s hoping you don’t lose sight of that.

And, as at all times, right here’s wishing you good luck.