This guide is written for Artists that want to submit feature requests directly to Spotify via Spotify for Artists. If you're a label manager, please check our guide here.
If you're an artist with an upcoming release, this guide will help you pitch your music to Spotify's curators for consideration in their official playlists.
How does it work?
Artists can submit feature requests directly themselves via Spotify for Artists.
If you don't have an account on Spotify for Artists yet, sign up now -- it's free!
With this pitching tool, artists can guarantee that the track of their choice will be featured in the New Release Radar playlist of their fans -- as long as you submit the pitch more than 7 days in advance of the release date.
Once you have access to Spotify for Artists, sign in and go to the Music tab, then look for the Upcoming sub tab. If you have an upcoming release, it will appear here with the option to SUBMIT A SONG to Spotify's editors:
NOTE: A release will not appear in the "Upcoming" tab until 2-3 business days after your label manager has scheduled the release date. If you don't see the release here, speak to your label manager. It may take a few days to appear.
When should I submit my feature request? Is there a deadline?
Artists can submit a feature request any time before the release date. However, if you want the selected track included in you fan's Release Radar playlists, then you need to submit at least 7 days in advance! If you can, submit at least 7 days in advance.
Pro Tips for Success
Submitting a pitch to Spotify will NOT guarantee placement in any playlist except Release Radar, but there are a few pro tips we've learned that might increase your chances.
ORIGINALS ONLY!
Spotify generally does NOT feature remixes in their playlists. For example, Techno Bunker has over 60 tracks but rarely more than 6 remixes featured. Maximize your chances by only submitting pitches for original tracks.
KNOW YOUR PLAYLISTS!
It can help to mention up to 3 specific playlists you're aiming for, as this will help get your pitch to the right curators. This won't guarantee placement in these playlists or even that the curators will see it, but we've had some success doing it this way. If you've been previously featured in specific playlists, mention those playlists by name! For an overview of the most popular electronic music playlists on Spotify, click here.
GROWTH FACTS!
Spotify is very interested in knowing how fast you're growing in popularity, not just on Spotify, but other platforms like Instagram or SoundCloud. If you have gained a significant number of followers recently, then this is a good metric to share. For example, if you gained 1000 followers in the past month on SoundCloud, etc. Maximize your success here by listing specific facts about the rate of change. Don't tell Spotify how many followers you have, but how many you gained over a specific period of time.
Important things to know...
Compilations Cannot Be Pitched - If your track is featured in a compilation, then unfortunately you CANNOT pitch your track. This is a limitation of Spotify's system.
Only 1 song can be selected for a feature request from your release. Even if your release is an artist album, you can only select just 1 song!
You can only have 1 feature request active at any given time. This means if you have 2 upcoming releases, you must pick the release you want to pitch. After the release comes out you'd be able to pitch another track.
Guaranteed Placement in Release Radar: The track selected for a feature request will be guaranteed placement in Spotify's personalized "Release Radar" playlist for fans of the original artist. At this time, it's not clear if fans of the remix artist will see the track in their playlist - let us know if you find out!
You're not the only one who can submit feature requests for your release. Label Managers and Distributors also have the ability to submit feature requests for their release. If the label or distributor submits a feature request before you do, then you may not be able to also pitch your track.
If you make a mistake, you can edit your submission. To do this, hover over your submission in "Upcoming Releases" and click "View Submission" and then "Edit". If you change the selected song within 7 days of release, the change will likely not be reflected on Release Radar playlists.
Still have questions? Check Spotify's Official FAQ on feature requests!
Spotify's feature request process is evolving. Let us know if you see anything out of date on this page or have more questions.