Playlisting, explained properly. There are three kinds of playlists, they work in completely different ways, and the last section of this article is the part nobody says out loud.
01Editorial Playlists
Curated by the streaming platforms' own teams. You reach them one way: pitch through Spotify for Artists (or the platform's equivalent) at least four weeks before release, with the song already delivered by your distributor. A strong pitch is specific — genre, mood, story, and why now.
02Algorithmic Playlists
Release Radar, Discover Weekly, Radio — nobody picks these. The algorithm does, based on how listeners react to your song: saves, repeats, playlist adds, low skip rates. You don't pitch the algorithm; you feed it engagement.
03Curator Playlists
Independent playlists run by people. Legitimate curator outreach is research plus a personal, respectful pitch. And a warning: if anyone offers you a "guaranteed placement" for money — run. Paid placements on botted playlists can get your music flagged and your streams wiped.
04The Truth Nobody Tells You
Playlists amplify momentum — they don't create it. A song that's already connecting gets picked up, pushed, and re-added. A song with no audience activity gets a placement, a spike, and then silence. Build real listeners first; playlists multiply what's already there.
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