From all the tutorials and advice I’ve read, Spotify playlisting is often touted as one of the best ways for an independent music producer to get their music heard. The goal is simple: get your tracks onto as many Spotify playlists as possible, especially the big ones, and the stream counts will surely follow.
One of the most accessible platforms for this, at a relatively low cost, is Submithub. While it’s well-known that the chances of being selected are quite low, there’s always that slim percentage. Another popular option is DailyPlaylists. The basic advice is to find playlists that feature songs similar to your own style, increasing your chances of acceptance. Well, let me just say, dedicated Eurodance playlists on these platforms are practically non-existent. Even if I find some that accept general Dance or Pop tracks, it’s simply not the same. I’ve also tried pitching to Melodic Techno or broader EDM genres.
The Rejection Cycle and The “Generic” Trap
The responses are almost universally rejections. So often, I hear that the music is good, that they really like it, but it “just doesn’t fit the playlist.” Others dismiss it with vague, seemingly arbitrary reasons: “the intro is too long,” “the low end is too quiet,” or “the vocal is too loud” (or even too quiet!). It often feels like every playlist curator is also a mixing and mastering engineer in disguise. My experience has been that if your song isn’t completely generic, universally digestible, and in a well-known style, it simply won’t fit these playlists.
This, however, directly contradicts the common advice that to be successful, you need to create something new. “Don’t try to sell the same song that a hundred others have made a hundred times.” This makes perfect sense to me; we shouldn’t dilute platforms with the same flat, boring progressive techno or chill EDM monotony. I genuinely feel that Eurodawn’s style is quite unique in this regard (though I’m sure every producer says that about their own music!).
Discovery vs. Background Noise
Unfortunately, this uniqueness seems incompatible with playlisting, where my impression is that the entire point is for your song to blend seamlessly with the others. I believe this is because people listen to Spotify playlists precisely because they don’t want to discover new songs, new sounds, or new styles. They want background music that doesn’t demand attention. While this can certainly rack up some stream counts, what’s the chance that a casual listener, while passively enjoying a playlist, will notice your song, bother to check the artist, and decide they’re genuinely interested in exploring more of your work? Almost none. This makes true music discovery through these channels challenging.
The Real Placements (and the Not-So-Real Ones)
In cases where my songs were added to playlists, many curators asked for money or a share in return. Sometimes, my tracks landed on lists I didn’t even know about, leading to a sudden surge of hundreds of streams for a few days. These were clearly bot-driven lists, purely for promotional purposes on their end.
However, I must also mention that some of my songs have been added to playlists organically, purely because a curator was genuinely interested. These typically happen without me asking or paying. So, my best playlist placements occurred exactly as anyone would wish: someone discovered my song and added it to their own list, unprompted. For these, I am incredibly grateful.
In summary, my experience with playlisting as a music promotion strategy is that it’s effective for boosting stream counts, but less so for cultivating a truly organic fanbase or finding dedicated active listeners. The artist’s journey is about more than just numbers.