The 3 types of Spotify playlists — and how to get on them

Getting playlisted isn’t about finding one magic pitching strategy. The first step is understanding which type of playlist you’re trying to reach, because each one works differently.

1. Editorial playlists

Editorial playlists are curated by Spotify’s editorial teams. Think New Music Friday, RapCaviar or other genre, mood and market-specific playlists.

The main route to consideration is pitching your unreleased music through Spotify for Artists. Your distributor or label can also play an important role, particularly when they have direct relationships with streaming platforms.

But competition is extremely high. Getting editorial support is valuable, but it shouldn’t be the only measure of whether a release is working.

2. Algorithmic playlists

Discover Weekly, Release Radar and other personalized recommendations work differently: the algorithm decides what to recommend to each listener.

This is where your metadata, release strategy and — most importantly — listener behavior matter.

Streams alone don’t tell the whole story. Saves, playlist adds, repeat listening and other engagement signals can help streaming platforms understand who connects with your music and who they should recommend it to next.

The objective isn’t simply to generate a stream. It’s to create enough genuine engagement around a track for the platform to keep recommending it.

3. Third-party and user-generated playlists

The third category includes playlists created by independent curators, media, brands and Spotify users.

Unlike algorithmic playlists, these often give you the opportunity to actively identify and contact the person behind the playlist.

Platforms such as SubmitHub and Groover can help connect artists with independent curators, but you can also research relevant playlists yourself and approach curators directly.

The key word here is relevance. Don’t pitch every playlist you can find. Look for playlists where your music genuinely fits the genre, audience and editorial direction.

So, how do you get on Spotify playlists?

Don’t build your entire streaming strategy around getting one editorial placement.

Think about the three ecosystems together:

Pitch for editorial consideration.
Build real listener engagement to feed the algorithm.
Identify relevant third-party curators who can help generate discovery.

Ultimately, the strongest playlist strategy isn’t about chasing playlists. It’s about creating enough relevant signals and genuine listener engagement for your music to keep travelling beyond the initial release.