Glossary / Streaming

Industry terms

Playlist pitching

Playlist pitching is sending an unreleased song to playlist editors or curators, with a short description, so they can consider it for a playlist.

Also called: pitching to playlists, Spotify pitch

By Aulto · Last reviewed

When should you pitch?

Before release. Spotify for Artists lets you pitch one unreleased song per release, and the earlier you pitch, the more time editors have; at least a week ahead is the minimum, a few weeks is better.

What makes a good pitch?

Specifics: the genre and sub-genre, the mood, the language, the instruments, what the song is about and what you're doing to promote it. Editors are matching songs to playlists, so help them match.

What about independent curators?

Many accept submissions directly. Be wary of anyone charging for guaranteed placements, which can break the services' rules.

Example

"Malayalam indie-folk, acoustic guitar and strings, about leaving home for a city job. Releasing with a music video and a pre-save campaign."

  • Editorial playlist

    An editorial playlist is a playlist picked by a streaming service's own team of editors, as opposed to one generated by its algorithm or made by users.

  • Algorithmic playlist

    An algorithmic playlist is made automatically for each listener from what they play, like Spotify's Release Radar and Discover Weekly.

  • Metadata

    Metadata is the information attached to a release: title, artist names, credits, language, genre, release date and codes like the ISRC and UPC.

  • 30-second rule

    On Spotify, a play counts as a stream once someone has listened to a track for 30 seconds or more.

  • DSP

    DSP (digital service provider) is the industry's name for streaming services and digital stores, like Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Music and YouTube Music.

  • ISRC

    An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character code that identifies one specific recording, so its plays and sales can be tracked and paid.

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