As a dancer who’s recently ventured into creating my own music, I’ve quickly realized that getting my tracks heard is no easy feat. After pouring my heart and soul into crafting the perfect beats to move to, I found myself asking, “Now what?” That’s when I discovered the power of playlist curators. These musical tastemakers have become the new gatekeepers of the streaming world, capable of catapulting an unknown artist into the spotlight overnight.
In my quest to get my tracks in front of the right ears, I’ve spent countless hours researching and submitting to various playlist curators. Through trial and error, I’ve identified the cream of the crop – curators who not only have a keen ear for fresh talent but also boast an engaged following that can truly make a difference in an artist’s career. Whether you’re a fellow dancer turned musician or any independent artist looking to boost your streams, I’m excited to share with you the 10 best playlist curators I’ve found to submit your music to.
These curators have the potential to take your tracks from the studio to the dance floor, and maybe even to the top of the charts.
Let’s dive in and explore these game-changing platforms that could be the key to unlocking your music’s potential.
1. SongRocket
SongRocket is a user-friendly platform that connects artists with carefully selected Spotify playlist curators and music influencers. The service simplifies the process of pitching and submitting both new and existing song releases. What sets SongRocket apart is its commitment to providing feedback, even if a track isn’t selected for a playlist. This feature offers valuable insights to artists, helping them understand what they can do to improve their music.
The platform emphasizes the importance of exposure for artists and aims to create meaningful connections between musicians and curators. SongRocket’s approach is particularly beneficial for independent artists, labels, and management services looking for an easy-to-use pitching service that can help them gain traction in the competitive music industry.
2. Playlist Curator
Playlist Curator is a prominent online platform dedicated to curating and distributing high-quality music playlists across various streaming services and their own website. As one of the leading playlist curators on the internet, they offer a diverse range of carefully crafted playlists designed to suit different moods, occasions, and musical preferences.
The platform prides itself on its meticulous approach to playlist curation. Their team of experienced curators employs a rigorous process that includes exploring new releases, emerging artists, and timeless classics across multiple genres. Each playlist is thoughtfully constructed around specific themes or moods, ensuring a cohesive listening experience. Playlist Curator maintains high standards through strict quality control measures, considering factors such as production quality, lyrical content, and overall artistic merit before including tracks in their playlists.
One of Playlist Curator’s standout features is its openness to submissions from artists and musicians. They provide a straightforward submission process for those looking to have their music featured on the platform’s popular playlists. However, due to the high volume of submissions received, they maintain a selective approach, carefully evaluating each track against their strict criteria to ensure only the highest quality music makes it onto their playlists.
3. iMusician
iMusician offers a diverse range of playlists covering various genres, from Rock to Classical and Ska-Punk to Trap. This platform allows artists to submit their new singles to genre-specific playlists, increasing the chances of finding the right audience for their music.
One of iMusician’s standout features is its “i’M Jazz” playlist, which focuses on discovering and promoting new, independent jazz artists from around the world. This specialized approach demonstrates iMusician’s commitment to supporting niche genres and emerging talent. By providing a platform for artists to submit their tracks to carefully curated playlists, iMusician helps musicians gain exposure and connect with listeners who appreciate their specific style of music.
4. Daily Playlists
Daily Playlists is a comprehensive music promotion and marketing platform designed for both independent artists and music curators. The service offers a unique approach to playlist submission by providing artists with free weekly submission credits, allowing them to pitch their music to thousands of curators efficiently.
One of Daily Playlists’ key strengths is its focus on long-term strategy. The platform encourages artists to submit their entire catalog, not just their latest releases, recognizing the importance of promoting an artist’s complete body of work. Daily Playlists also offers premium features, such as their “Artist Pro” plan, which includes tools like pre-save links and smart submission algorithms to enhance an artist’s promotional efforts.
For curators, Daily Playlists provides a streamlined system to manage submissions and grow their playlists. The platform offers opportunities for curators to monetize their efforts through a Premium Curator program, which is available to those with playlists of over 1,000 followers. This mutually beneficial ecosystem helps foster connections between artists and curators while simplifying the often complex process of music promotion.
5. Playlist Push
Playlist Push is a well-established platform that connects artists with playlist curators across various genres. The service uses AI-powered targeting to match submitted tracks with the most relevant curators in their network of over 4,000 playlists. Artists can set their campaign budget, which determines the estimated reach of their submission. Playlist Push offers a streamlined process, allowing artists to fill out a brief application, select genres, and even target playlists that have previously featured their music.
One of Playlist Push’s key strengths is its focus on curator quality. The platform vets its curators to ensure legitimacy, helping artists avoid potentially harmful placements on low-quality or bot-driven playlists. Additionally, Playlist Push provides artists with valuable feedback from curators, offering insights that can help improve future releases and marketing strategies.
6. Soundplate
Soundplate is a London-based independent record label and music platform that offers a user-friendly system for submitting music to Spotify playlists. The platform features playlists created by Soundplate itself as well as those curated by independent playlist owners. Artists can easily browse playlists by genre or use the search function to find suitable playlists for their music.
What sets Soundplate apart is its straightforward submission process. Artists simply need to find an appropriate playlist, click the “Submit Music” button, and follow the curator’s playlist. This approach ensures that artists engage with the playlists they’re submitting to, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between artists and curators. Soundplate also provides helpful tips for artists, emphasizing the importance of targeting the right playlists and submitting only one track at a time to avoid overwhelming curators.
7. Tunemunk
Tunemunk is a platform designed to bridge the gap between artists and playlist curators. The service operates on a simple principle: playlist curators submit their playlists to the platform, and artists can then submit their music to these curators through Tunemunk’s submission gate. This system ensures that curators receive submissions from artists who have engaged with their playlists, creating a more meaningful connection.
One of Tunemunk’s strengths is its focus on fostering genuine relationships between artists and curators. By requiring artists to follow playlists before submitting, it encourages a more organic growth of playlist followership. This approach can lead to more authentic playlist placements and potentially longer-lasting relationships with curators. Tunemunk caters to various genres, making it a versatile platform for artists across different musical styles looking to expand their reach on Spotify.
8. SubmitHub
SubmitHub is a widely-used platform that connects artists with music industry professionals, including playlist curators, bloggers, and record labels. Founded in 2015 by Jason Grishkoff, the platform aims to streamline the music submission process for both artists and curators. SubmitHub operates on a credit-based system, offering both free standard credits and paid premium credits. Premium submissions guarantee a response within 48 hours and require curators to provide feedback if they decline a track.
One of SubmitHub’s key strengths is its user-friendly interface and transparency. Artists can easily track their submissions, see how long curators listened to their tracks, and receive detailed feedback. The platform also offers a vast directory of curators across various genres, making it easier for artists to find suitable outlets for their music. However, the high volume of submissions can lead to short listening times and sometimes generic feedback from curators. Despite this, SubmitHub remains a popular choice for independent artists looking to gain exposure and connect with industry professionals.
9. Indiemono
Indiemono is a unique playlist curation service that focuses on promoting independent artists across various genres. What sets Indiemono apart is its free submission system, which allows artists to submit their music to genre-specific “boxes” for consideration. This approach simplifies the submission process for artists while allowing curators to focus on specific vibes when reviewing submissions.
One of Indiemono’s strengths is its commitment to discovering and promoting new talent. The platform emphasizes that artists only need to submit their song once, as curators will consider it for placement across all relevant playlists. While Indiemono doesn’t provide individual feedback on submissions due to the high volume of tracks received, they maintain an efficient system that allows them to focus on listening and playlist curation. For artists looking for a straightforward, no-cost option to submit their music to curated playlists, Indiemono offers an accessible platform with potential for meaningful exposure.
10. SoundCampaign
SoundCampaign is a music promotion service that connects artists with Spotify playlist curators and TikTok content creators. The platform boasts access to over 1,000 verified playlist curators managing more than 11,000 active Spotify playlists, as well as over 5,700 TikTok content creators. SoundCampaign uses an automated matching system to pair artists’ submissions with suitable curators based on genre preferences.
One of SoundCampaign’s notable features is its review process for submitted tracks, which aims to maintain a certain quality standard for curators. The platform also offers an Artist Protection Program, which provides credit refunds if curators fail to provide feedback. However, SoundCampaign’s services come at a higher price point compared to some competitors, with campaigns starting at $80. While some artists have reported moderate success with the platform, the lack of guaranteed playlist placement and the relatively high cost have led to mixed reviews. For artists considering SoundCampaign, it’s important to weigh the potential for exposure against the financial investment required.
