Discovery Mode is a feature offered by Spotify. For music distributed through Proton, the guide below explains how to opt tracks into Discovery Mode through your Proton account — it does not apply outside of Proton's platform, where opt-ins may work differently.
Unsure what Discovery Mode is and want to learn more? Head over to our Discovery Mode FAQ.
Step 1: Opt In to Discovery Mode
If this is your first time, you'll be guided through an onboarding flow explaining how the feature works. Once you complete onboarding, you can immediately view and schedule eligible tracks.
IMPORTANT: Every artist, remix artist, and label credited on a track must opt-in before it can be scheduled. If a collaborator hasn't opted in, they'll need to do so through their own account settings — Proton cannot opt in on their behalf.
There is no limit on the number of tracks you can opt in — every eligible track can be scheduled.
For label managers: Proton can send one invite to a collaborator on your behalf. You can also share a direct invite link by clicking "Manage Opt Ins" on any track that shows pending opt-ins.
For artists: If you don't respond to an invite within 7 days, you'll be automatically opted in. You can opt out at any time — before or after auto opt-in — using the steps below.
You can opt out at any time by visiting your Discovery Mode opt-out settings (go to your username → Account → Discovery Mode and switch the opt-out toggle off).
Note: The scheduling window opens on the 14th of each month and closes on the 25th. Outside of this window the dashboard will be in a read-only state.
Step 2: Check Track Eligibility
The dashboard becomes active with scheduling abilities once Spotify provides us with eligible tracks for the upcoming campaign. This typically happens around the 14th or 15th of the month, give or take a few business days.
In the Upcoming Campaign tab, you'll see which tracks qualify for the next month's campaign. A track is eligible when it meets all four criteria:
Released at least 30 days ago
At least 20 streams in Discovery Mode contexts in the past 28 days
At least 1,000 plays in the past 12 months (Spotify's monetization threshold)
All collaborators opted in (automatically or manually)
Each eligible track will show one of these statuses:
🟢 Ready — fully eligible, can be scheduled
🟡 All parties not opted in — waiting on collaborator opt-ins
✅ Scheduled by you
❎ Scheduled by someone else — you cannot unschedule these; you'd need to opt out, or ask the collaborator to unschedule it
Step 3: Schedule Tracks for the Campaign
In the Upcoming Campaign tab, use the artist dropdown to filter by the relevant artist or label
Tracks that are fully eligible will show a "Ready" badge
Click Schedule next to the tracks you want to enroll
You have until the deadline shown (e.g. "Schedule by Wednesday, March 25th") to make your selections
💡 You can filter tracks by status using the All Tracks dropdown: Ready Now, Requires Opt Ins, Scheduled By You, or Scheduled By Others.
Step 4: Review Your Campaign Results
Switch to the Current Campaign tab to view running campaigns. You'll see:
Track name and release
Who scheduled the track
Intent Rate (a Spotify engagement metric — see our [Intent Rate explainer article)
Campaign status (e.g., Running)
Note: Campaign stats are updated once results are received from Spotify — they are not live or real-time.
Tracks that meet Spotify's performance criteria are automatically re-enrolled each month. To stop re-enrollment, toggle off auto-renew in the Current Campaign tab. The track will finish its current campaign but won't be scheduled again.
FAQ Highlights
Does Discovery Mode guarantee streams? No, it increases the likelihood of being recommended in algorithmic playlists, but doesn't guarantee placement.
Which playlists does Discovery Mode affect? Spotify Radio, Autoplay, Daily Mixes, Artist Mixes, Mood Mixes, Decade Mixes, and Genre Mixes.
What happens if a collaborator is opted out? The track will show a "Not Opted In" status and cannot be scheduled until all parties opt in.
Where can I learn more? See our full Spotify Discovery Mode FAQ for more details.