As an independent musician, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to get your music heard in today’s saturated digital landscape. After countless hours perfecting my tracks in the studio, I found myself asking the same question many of us do: “How do I get my music in front of the right audience?” That’s when I discovered the power of playlist curation.
Playlists have become the new mixtapes, shaping how listeners discover and enjoy music. But with millions of playlists out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the 10 best playlist curators to submit your music to. These curators have proven track records of supporting independent artists and have the potential to significantly boost your streams and fanbase.
1. Indiemono
Indiemono is one of the most prominent independent playlist curators on Spotify, with over 3 million followers across their 100+ actively curated playlists. They pride themselves on hand-crafting playlists as a “craft, over algorithms and automation,” likening their approach to creating mixtapes for friends. Indiemono accepts free music submissions through their website, where artists can submit tracks to genre-specific boxes for consideration. Importantly, Indiemono does not sell playlist placements or accept payment for inclusion, maintaining their curatorial integrity. With an official curator channel on Apple Music and a presence across major streaming platforms, Indiemono offers artists exposure to a large and engaged audience of indie music fans.
2. Playlist Curator
Playlist Curator stands out as a prominent and professional playlist curation service, offering a diverse range of carefully crafted playlists across major streaming platforms including Spotify, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud. Founded by Serena Whitfield, a musician with a distinguished background in music from the University of Oxford, the platform prides itself on its meticulous approach to playlist creation.
Unlike many automated services, Playlist Curator emphasizes a human touch in their curation process. Their team, which includes professional musicians like guitarist Jasper Clarke, listens to and evaluates thousands of songs before selecting the best ones for their playlists. This hands-on approach ensures that each playlist maintains a high standard of quality and thematic coherence, catering to various moods, occasions, and musical preferences.
The platform boasts an impressive reach, with over 100,000 followers across more than 500 actively curated playlists. Playlist Curator offers a wide array of themed collections, from “Songs About the Sun and Sunshine” to more niche topics like “Songs About Codependency,” ensuring there’s something for every listener.
For artists looking to submit their music, Playlist Curator provides a straightforward submission process through their website. While they receive hundreds of submissions monthly, they maintain strict criteria for selection, focusing on quality and thematic fit. This commitment to quality has helped them build a reputation as a trusted source for music discovery.
3. Boost Collective
Boost Collective has evolved from a Spotify playlist promotion service into a comprehensive music distribution and promotion platform. They offer artists free distribution to over 150 music stores, with the option to use credits earned from releases on additional services like Spotify promotion, music mastering, and graphic design. While Boost Collective still provides playlist promotion, they now focus on placing tracks on playlists they’ve created and manage themselves. This approach allows them to retain more control over campaigns, though some argue curator-built playlists may be of higher quality. With over 37,000 campaigns completed for both emerging and established artists, Boost Collective has demonstrated its ability to drive real streams and listener growth.
4. SongRocket
SongRocket positions itself as one of the easiest ways for artists to get their music on playlists. Launched in 2021, the platform streamlines the playlist pitching process by connecting artists directly with a network of over 170 curators who collectively reach more than 11 million listeners. Artists can start a campaign for as little as $6, simply by uploading their track information and selecting relevant genres. SongRocket’s founder, Lukas, brings his experience as a DJ and music producer to the platform, aiming to create a service that truly understands artists’ needs. The company emphasizes building a quality network of playlists, avoiding what they consider less reputable options like TV show-themed playlists. For artists looking for a straightforward, affordable way to reach playlist curators, SongRocket offers a compelling option.
5. SpinGrey
SpinGrey is a playlist curation service that offers artists a unique approach to music promotion through a Patreon-based system. This model allows artists to submit their music with priority consideration for SpinGrey’s curated playlists and social media channels. By maintaining an active presence on platforms like Instagram, SpinGrey creates additional promotional opportunities for featured artists. The company curates a diverse collection of Spotify playlists covering various genres and moods, enabling artists to find the most suitable playlists for their style of music. SpinGrey’s focus on direct communication between artists and curators sets it apart from many other playlist submission services, potentially leading to more personalized and effective promotion strategies.
6. iMusician
While iMusician is primarily known as a digital music distribution service, they also offer valuable insights and resources for artists looking to leverage playlists in their music marketing strategies. iMusician emphasizes the importance of playlists in lengthening traditional album campaigns and driving music discovery. They advise artists to consider creating their own playlists featuring their music alongside tracks from other artists their fans might enjoy. iMusician also highlights the value of building “playlist destinations” by consistently updating playlists and engaging with followers. For artists seeking to maximize their playlist presence, iMusician suggests utilizing back catalog tracks that might fit well in existing themed playlists and emphasizes the importance of quality curation over quantity when managing multiple playlists.
7. SoundCampaign
SoundCampaign is a Spotify promotion service that focuses on playlist pitching and curator feedback. The platform operates on a credit-based system where artists purchase credits to fund their campaigns. To start a campaign, artists upload a track, select relevant genres, and choose a budget. SoundCampaign’s system then matches the track with appropriate curators from their network. What sets SoundCampaign apart is their emphasis on detailed feedback from curators. Artists receive comprehensive responses from curators, along with the option for playlist addition, all viewable through a user-friendly dashboard. SoundCampaign prioritizes curator quality and meaningful feedback over sheer quantity of playlists, aiming to provide artists with valuable insights alongside potential playlist placements. This approach can be particularly beneficial for artists looking to refine their music and understand their audience better while seeking playlist opportunities.
8. Soundplate
Soundplate is a free platform that connects artists with playlist curators across various genres. The service allows artists to search through a database of playlists using filters like genre, mood, or keywords to find curators that best fit their music. Submitting music through Soundplate is straightforward: artists simply click the “Submit Music” button on a playlist page and enter their track details. While submissions are free, artists are required to follow the curator’s playlist on Spotify as part of the process. This approach helps grow the curator’s audience while giving artists a chance at playlist inclusion. Soundplate’s curators review submissions and add tracks they like to their playlists. However, it’s important to note that Soundplate does not guarantee responses or placements, maintaining the curator’s autonomy in selection.
9. For the Love of Bands
For the Love of Bands is a dedicated playlist curator that focuses on promoting music from bands across various rock-oriented genres. This curator specializes in Rock, Alternative, Americana, Country, Folk/Roots, Punk, and Ska/Reggae music. Their commitment to these specific genres makes them an excellent choice for bands looking to reach audiences who appreciate guitar-driven music and authentic songwriting.
Artists can submit their music directly to For the Love of Bands through their website, where they can choose the submission option that best fits their needs. This curator’s targeted approach ensures that bands have a higher chance of being featured on playlists that align with their style, potentially leading to increased exposure among listeners who are already fans of similar music.
10. SubmitHub
SubmitHub is a popular platform that connects artists with a wide range of music industry professionals, including playlist curators, bloggers, record labels, and radio stations. The platform offers both free and premium submission options. With the premium option, artists pay a small fee per submission, which guarantees feedback from the curator. SubmitHub’s unique selling point is its transparency – artists can see detailed statistics about each curator, including their acceptance rates and average response times. This information helps artists make informed decisions about where to submit their music. The platform also enforces quick response times from curators, usually within 48 hours, ensuring that artists receive timely feedback. While SubmitHub doesn’t guarantee placements, it provides a streamlined way for artists to reach a large number of curators and industry professionals, potentially leading to playlist inclusions, blog features, and other promotional opportunities.