How To Pitch to Spotify Editorial Playlists (2025)
How-to Guide
How To Pitch to Spotify Editorial Playlists (2025)
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Pitch one unreleased track via Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release, tag it accurately, and ship momentum signals. Editorial is not guaranteed—build what you can control.
Getting on a Spotify editorial playlist is never guaranteed, but your odds improve when you control the parts you can: timing, accuracy, and momentum. This guide shows exactly how to prepare, submit, and read results—without myths or pay-for-placement traps.
What Spotify actually allows
You can pitch exactly one unreleased track per release in Spotify for Artists.
Pitching at least 7 days before release helps route the right song to your followers’ Release Radar on launch week.
Editors may still add tracks after release based on performance and fit, but you cannot pitch that same track again once it is released.
There is no official acceptance rate and no way to pay for editorial. Anyone “selling” placement is violating policy.
The non-negotiable timeline
Days before release
What to do
Why it matters
–28 to –21
Deliver to your distributor
Gives stores time to ingest assets and metadata
–21 to –14
Confirm the track appears in Spotify for Artists
You can’t pitch until the song is visible in your dashboard
–14 to –7
Submit your pitch
Ideal window for consideration and Release Radar routing
–7 (last chance)
Final checks on tags and copy
Minimum window so your followers get the right track
Release day
Publish your best clip and email your list
Early signals can still influence later editorial decisions
Missed the pitch window? Release a remix, acoustic, or feature version later—those are new recordings with a new pitch opportunity.
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Audio is final (pro mix/master; loudness consistent with your genre).
Metadata is clean (credits, language, version type, explicit flag).
Profile is current (photo, bio, socials, Artist Pick).
Visuals ready (cover, Canvas/Clips).
Signals in motion (shorts/teasers posted, email list primed, creator posts lined up).
The pitch form: fields that actually move the needle
Primary genre & sub-style
Be specific and honest. If your lane is “indie folk ballad,” don’t call it “pop” to chase bigger lists. Mislabeling triggers the wrong curators and the wrong audience.
Mood, culture, instruments, language, era
These tags are routing. If you feature strings and Spanish lyrics, tag them. If it’s a cover, mark it. Precision helps the right editors see it.
Territory context (in your description)
If the track or artist has real traction in a market (press, tours, radio, creator moments), mention it succinctly. Editors program by market as well as by genre.
Your description (short and useful)
Treat it like a great subject line—context, not a life story. Avoid begging, avoid clichés, avoid long lists of influences.
Blurb templates (copy and adapt):
“New single following a sold-out Austin release show; reflective indie folk with pedal steel and live strings. Spanish/English lyric blend. Touring TX/OK in October; a fit for intimate acoustic and modern folk lists.”
“Club-leaning alt-R&B with chopped vocal samples and live sax. Rising on short-form with 2 creator trends. Strong fit for late-night R&B/electronic crossover lists.”
“Guitar-driven hyperpop collab with [Artist]; fast hook up front, clean radio edit. UK/London press support and student radio adds. Looking for Gen-Z alt crossover.”
What editors tend to care about (and what they don’t)
Market story (tour dates, local press, meaningful creator moments)
Clear lane (it’s obvious where the track belongs)
Less helpful
Long biographies, unrelated achievements, or name-dropping
Inflated stats or guarantees (“going viral tomorrow”)
Genre-stuffing to appear in more lanes
Advanced tactics (that are still ethical)
Feature leverage: If a featured artist has stronger momentum, have the release set up to highlight that artist appropriately—their followers’ Release Radar may help first-week traction.
Multi-market note: If you sing in multiple languages or have local traction abroad, add one sentence of relevant context in the blurb.
Re-version strategy: A legitimate remix/alternate version can earn a new pitch window; don’t re-upload the same master.
Reading the tea leaves after submission
Good early signs: saves > plays ratio improving, repeat listens rising, user playlists adding you near the top rows, Release Radar plays look healthy.
Neutral: small adds, stable but modest saves; keep feeding the best audiences for another week.
Fix it: early skips climb, save rate lags your median—tighten the intro, retarget, refresh creative. Editorial can still come later if the behavior improves.
Common pitch mistakes (and the fix)
Mistake
Why it hurts
Fix
Calling everything “pop”
Wrong editors and wrong audience
Pick the lane you truly live in
Genre/mood stuffing
Confuses routing
Only the most accurate tags
Long, vague descriptions
Editors skim
Lead with momentum + fit in 2–3 sentences
Weak first 10 seconds
High early skips
Front-load the payoff/hook
No pre-release build
No signals to evaluate
Prime short-form + email before release
FAQ
Can I pitch multiple tracks from the same release?
You can submit one unreleased track per release. Followers generally see one song per artist per week in Release Radar; choose the strongest cut.
Can editors add my track after release if I didn’t pitch?
Yes. Editors sometimes add songs later based on performance and fit. Keep building saves and low-skip listening.
Should I message editors directly?
No. There’s no public inbox for editor outreach, and off-platform solicitation won’t help. Use the official pitch and ship real momentum.
Do Canvas/Clips affect editorial decisions?
They’re not a guarantee, but strong visuals help fans share and can lift overall engagement—use them.
Bottom line: Control what you can—timing, accuracy, and momentum. Submit a precise, honest pitch at least 7 days ahead, front-load the hook, and keep building the behavior (saves up, skips down) that makes editors confident adding you now—or later.
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