You've written your song, got it recorded, mixed and mastered, sorted the artwork, uploaded it for online distribution and now it's release day so you just sit back and wait for good things to happen right? Well unfortunately not, this is where the hard work can really begin. Without a label or PR team behind you, it's your job to get your music out there to as many people as possible and give it the push that's needed. Spotify playlists are one of the best ways of reaching new fans and growing your fan base as you release more music. User curated playlists are a massive part of the Spotify listener experience so pitching to as many relevant playlists as possible can allow you to reach a much wider audience. Here's a few tips to think about when writing your next pitch.
First things first....
Make Sure It's Relevant
Before you submit to any playlist, make sure the other artists featured are of a similar style to you. Getting your hardcore band featured on playlist that contains a load of gentle acoustic songs isn't going to gain you any new fans and will also completely mess with your algorithmic growth. Take a listen to the other songs on the playlist and if your music will fit in before making contact.
Update Your Profile
This is an obvious one but make sure your Spotify profile is fully up to date with a well-written bio, several high-res photos, social links etc if you want to be taken seriously. This should be the case for all socials as well.
Ok, now onto the pitch itself...
What Makes You Special?
It's no use just saying "Check out our song, it has the sickest riff!". There are thousands of bands who write sick riffs and it doesn't tell the curator anything about you or why they should be excited to listen to your music over any others. You need to figure out what makes YOU different to the others? What is exciting about you? Learning how to sell yourself will help you grow and open doors for you so you need to figure this out to write a good pitch. Do you have any media quotes you can use, have you done anything of note that is worth shouting about? Remember, playlist curators will have hundreds or even thousands of pitches each week so you need to make yourself stand out from the crowd. If you're having a hard time coming up with the words for this try hiring a freelance music writer who could help do this for you.
Emotion or Curiosity
These are the 2 main ways in which you can describe your song in your pitch. Using emotion to describe how it will make someone feel and relate to it, or make them curious about your description and want to make them check it out. For example; "Our latest single will make you feel like you've just drunk your 5th beer at the best house party of your life!" or "Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Billie Eilish sang for Green Day while high on acid? Well now you don't have to imagine...."
Narrow It Down
Look for different micro-genres or buzz words that will help narrow down your sound. This can help immensely when submitting your Spotify editorial pitch but also help when describing your music. Examples are thing such as Lofi Indie, Candy Metal, Garage Punk etc.
Make Sure It's Good
This one seems obvious but don't rush it for the sake of getting it done. You might only get one shot and so making a good impression is paramount. Try and refine your pitch, write it out in a few different ways and have some people you trust check it over and give feedback.
Adjust per Song
Don't just use the same pitch for every song. Tweak it to suit whatever you're putting out next. Try different things and see if you get any better results using different approaches.
Subscribe!
Don't just pitch and run! Subscribe to the playlists and help grow their numbers and listen to the bands. It helps grow the community and in turn help your music as well.
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