In the ever-evolving music industry, playlist curators have emerged as influential gatekeepers, shaping the way listeners discover and consume new music. With the rise of streaming platforms, playlists have become a powerful tool for artists to reach wider audiences and gain exposure. However, navigating the vast landscape of playlist curators can be a daunting task for independent artists and labels.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the top 11 playlist curators that offer opportunities for artists to submit their music. From established platforms to emerging players, these curators have built a reputation for their ability to connect artists with engaged listeners and tastemakers.
1. Playlist Curator
Playlist Curator is a prominent online platform dedicated to curating and distributing music playlists across various themes and genres. It offers a vast collection of carefully crafted playlists tailored to different moods, occasions, and musical preferences, making it a go-to destination for music enthusiasts and artists alike.
How It Works
Playlist Curator operates as a comprehensive hub for music discovery and promotion. The platform meticulously curates playlists with diverse themes, ranging from love songs and melancholic melodies to upbeat party anthems and chilled vibes. These curated playlists are then distributed across major streaming platforms, including Spotify, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud, ensuring widespread accessibility for listeners.
For artists seeking exposure, Playlist Curator provides a dedicated submission process. Musicians can submit their music to Playlist Curator by filling out a form on the website. The curation team carefully evaluates each submission, adhering to strict criteria to ensure that the selected tracks align with the respective playlist’s theme and maintain a high level of quality that resonates with their audience.
To enhance the user experience, Playlist Curator offers a membership option, allowing registered users to bookmark their favorite playlists and access them conveniently whenever desired. This feature enables listeners to curate their own personalized music collections while exploring the platform’s diverse offerings.
2. iMusician
iMusician is a digital music distribution service that allows artists to submit their music to iMusician’s own curated playlists across genres like electronic, hip-hop, rock and more.
How It Works
iMusician has its own network of curated playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and other platforms. Artists who distribute their music through iMusician can submit tracks for free consideration to these playlists.
Simply log into your iMusician account, go to the “Playlists” section and follow the instructions to pitch your release to the relevant playlist curators. The iMusician team will then review the submissions and add tracks they deem a good fit to the appropriate playlists.
3. Indiemono
Indiemono is a Spanish music company that curates and maintains over 100 playlists on Spotify, covering genres like indie, urban, electronic, pop and more. They offer free playlist submissions for artists.
How It Works
Indiemono has a free online submission form where artists can pitch their music to be considered for Indiemono’s playlists. After submitting, the Indiemono curation team will listen to the tracks and add them to relevant playlists if selected.
With over 3 million total playlist followers on Spotify, Indiemono is one of the largest independent playlist curators. Their playlists are actively updated, making them an attractive option for artists looking to get their music heard by new audiences.
4. MySphera
MySphera is a platform that connects artists with independent Spotify playlist curators and music bloggers/influencers. They offer paid campaigns to pitch music.
How It Works
On MySphera, artists can purchase credits to run a campaign promoting their release to MySphera’s network of over 500 playlist curators and influencers across genres.
After purchasing credits and submitting the track, MySphera’s system analyzes the music and automatically sends it to the most relevant curators based on genre, mood, etc. Curators then listen and decide if they want to add the track to their playlists.
MySphera has different campaign pricing tiers that guarantee a certain number of playlist adds if the music fits the curators’ tastes. There is also a “no features = money back” policy.
5. Rizing Playlists
Rizing Playlists is an independent playlist curator brand that maintains playlists across genres like pop, hip-hop, R&B, country and more on Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms.
How It Works
Artists can submit their music directly to Rizing Playlists for free consideration through an online form on their website. The Rizing Playlists curation team will then listen to all submissions and add tracks they enjoy to their relevant playlists.
In addition to playlisting, Rizing Playlists also offers paid promotional services like playlist marketing and social media promotion for artists interested. But playlist submission alone is free.
6. SubmitHub
SubmitHub is a popular platform that allows artists to submit their music directly to playlist curators, music bloggers, YouTube channels and more across genres.
How It Works
On SubmitHub, artists can purchase “credits” to submit their tracks to curators they choose from the extensive list on the platform. Curators then listen to the submissions and decide if they want to add the track to their playlists, blog about it, etc.
SubmitHub has a credit system – curators charge between 1-3 credits per submission, with premium credits guaranteeing the curator will listen to at least 30-60 seconds. The platform’s data helps artists identify the most relevant curators for their music.
Artists get to see feedback from curators and can directly communicate with those interested in their music. SubmitHub is a paid service but allows artists to directly access a vast network of curators.
7. Soundplate
Soundplate is a playlisting platform that connects independent playlist curators from around the world with artists looking to promote their music. It offers a vast library of playlists across various genres, providing a marketplace where artists can submit their tracks for consideration.
How It Works
Soundplate allows artists to freely submit their music to hundreds of playlists. The submission process involves selecting the appropriate genre and playlist, then sending the track for review. Curators on Soundplate are responsible for approving or rejecting submissions based on their playlist’s criteria. While the platform does not guarantee placements, it provides a valuable opportunity for artists to reach dedicated and genre-specific audiences. Soundplate also offers tools for curators to manage their playlists and submissions, ensuring a streamlined process for both parties.
8. Daily Playlists
Daily Playlists is a music curation and promotion platform that simplifies the process of submitting music to playlist curators. It supports both artists and curators by providing tools to manage submissions and grow their audiences.
How It Works
Artists can submit their music to over 18,000 active playlists on Daily Playlists, spanning more than 90 genres. The platform offers a free tier that allows artists to submit up to 25 tracks per week, making it accessible for those with limited budgets. Curators receive submissions that match their playlist genres and can review and add tracks as they see fit.
Daily Playlists also provides advanced features for Artist Pro subscribers, including deeper engagement tools and automatic submission technology. This ensures that both artists and curators can efficiently manage their music promotion efforts.
9. Playlist Push
Playlist Push is a platform that connects independent artists with Spotify playlist curators. It aims to help artists increase their streams and followers by getting their music featured on popular playlists.
How It Works
To use Playlist Push, artists need to upload and tag their tracks, which are then sent to a targeted group of playlist curators. Curators review the submissions and decide whether to add the tracks to their playlists. Curators are paid for each review, with the amount depending on the size and engagement of their audience. Playlist Push ensures that curators maintain 100% creative control, meaning they are not required or incentivized to add tracks they do not like. This model helps maintain the quality and integrity of the playlists while providing artists with valuable feedback and potential placements.
10. SongRocket
SongRocket is an AI-powered playlist promotion platform designed to help artists, labels, and agencies submit their music to playlist curators. It aims to provide real music promotion by connecting artists with top music influencers and playlists.
How It Works
Launched in April 2021, SongRocket allows artists to pitch their music to over 350 curators with a combined reach of more than 22 million playlist followers. The platform uses AI to match songs with the most suitable curators, ensuring that submissions are relevant and have a higher chance of being accepted. SongRocket focuses on building a community of quality curators and collaborates with record labels to enhance the network. This approach helps artists get their music heard by a wider audience and potentially included in influential playlists.
11. SoundCampaign
SoundCampaign is a music promotion platform that connects artists with playlist curators to help them reach a wider audience and grow their fan base. It offers features such as playlist pitching, feedback, and analytics to support artists in their promotional efforts.
How It Works
Artists can create a SoundCampaign account and choose between two types of campaigns: playlist pitching and feedback. In a playlist pitching campaign, artists submit their music to curators who are looking for new songs to add to their playlists. Curators provide feedback on the submissions, which can help artists improve their music.
SoundCampaign also offers analytics to track the performance of campaigns, allowing artists to see which playlists are generating the most streams. This data helps artists refine their promotion strategies and optimize their results. Curators on Sound Campaign are paid to review submissions, with the amount depending on the size and engagement of their playlists.
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