💡✍️ ADN #032: How To Get Editorial Playlisting As An Independent Artist

artist artist development artist development newsletter editorial independent playlistiing Jul 02, 2023

Hey Friends -

Welcome to the Artist Development Newsletter.

Every Sunday, I send an email providing actionable tips for artists and industry on one area of the music business.

Last week we talked about 8 steps to writing your next great song.

You can re-read last week’s newsletter here if you want to refresh.

Today we will unlock how to get editorial playlisting as an independent artist.

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Getting editorial playlisting as an independent artist can feel daunting.

Let’s start by breaking down the basics.

Here are 5 simple questions you should start by asking yourself -

Do I have a competitive song and recording for the genre & playlists I want to target?
Do I have art for my release?
Have my DSP (Digital Service Provider) artist accounts been set up?
Do I have distribution for my song?
Do I have a marketing plan with a reasonable timeline to promote my release?

Now, let’s break these questions down in more detail -

#1: Do I Have A Competitive Song And Recording?

Before you upload your song to be released, take the time to listen to the playlists you believe would be your targets.

Place your song in between others on the playlist and make sure you feel like the song, recording, and mix are competitive with the other tracks.

If the answer is yes, list the playlists you think your tune would fit and store it away while we move on to #2.

#2: Do I Have Art For My Release?

Before telling any DSPs about your new release, ensure you have approved cover art.

This only needs to be a front cover for a digital release.

Once you have art you are happy with, bounce out a 3000x3000 PNG and JPEG.

This size will keep you out of trouble when uploading your artwork.

You must have a PNG or JPEG for submission, depending on your distribution partner.

You can have a designer do this or go the DIY route and use a tool like Canva to design and provide the correct files.

#3: Are My DSP Artist Accounts Setup?

Setting up your “Artist” accounts for each DSP is essential.

Here are quick links to get started with the top 5 DSPs -

Setting up these accounts will allow you to track how your song is performing and give you access to each DSPs unique tools. You can pitch your song directly for playlist consideration for Spotify and Amazon Music.

#4: Do I Have Distribution For My Song?

Whether you’ve released several songs or this is your first time, you’ll need a distribution partner to deliver your music to all DSPs.

If you want to self-release for a small fee, I recommend a service like Tunecore or Distrokid.

You can read more thoughts on positioning and releasing your independent music here.

If you’d like some additional help marketing and promoting your record, there are companies that, for a higher % of earnings, will help pitch your song to DSPs.

This % will typically be between 10 and 20% of your song earnings.

A few examples of these kinds of companies are:

#5: Do I Have A Marketing Plan With A Reasonable Timeline To Promote My Release?

A good rule of thumb when releasing your music is to aim to have a new song out every 6–8 weeks.

With that in mind, it also makes sense that you would have your follow-up song ready for upload 10–12 weeks before its release to afford yourself time for any delays in your recording, mixing, art creation, video creation, upload, pitching, etc.

I’ve never known a release that wouldn’t have benefitted from a few more days rather than a few fewer.

When pitching your music to DSPs, I would consider 3 weeks the minimum. As you develop relationships with DSPs directly or have an album project, allowing up to 16 weeks to explore all the opportunities to activate your new song or album can be beneficial.

For maximum awareness and opportunity, aim to:

Release a new single every 6–8 weeks
Have your follow-up single ready 10–12 weeks ahead of its release
Allow 16 weeks or more for album launch conversations with DSPs

“Life rewards action, not intelligence.

Many brilliant people talk themselves out of getting started, and being smart doesn’t help much without the courage to act.

You can’t win if you’re not in the game.”

That quote by James Clear speaks to the biggest hurdle you will face on your journey to getting editorial playlisting as an independent artist.

The harsh reality is that you shouldn’t expect to get editorial playlisting on your first release.

It may take many releases.

Let’s talk about how to go from zero editorial playlisting to your first playlist.

Now that you have your:

Song recorded
Art
DSP artist accounts
Distribution & Marketing Plan

Let’s get into how to position yourself to land your first playlist.

Narrative

Before sending cold emails to DSP curators you’ve found via a Google search, ensure you have a story worth telling.

With 100k songs being uploaded almost every day, it’s IMPERATIVE that your music and the narrative around your music be compelling.

Your target playlists might slot in 15–20 new songs a week; often, it’s less than that.

An easy way to work through your narrative is to practice filling out your pitch in one of the DSP artist tools you can now access, like Spotify For Artists or Amazon Music For Artists.

They often allow 500–1500 characters.

With little room for fluff, you need to get straight to “WHY” your song should be given consideration.

Does your song have a unique story?
Has your song gone viral on social media?
Do you have any press coming in conjunction with the release?
Any notable tour dates?
Music video?
Does your song have a feature?

Hard work combined with narrative is your biggest asset in growing your DSP streaming presence.

Over time you’ll have enough momentum that your pitch will write itself.

Networking

It’s never too soon to make a new friend.

Why?

Friends become fans; they invest in your narrative and keep tabs on your progress.

Most anybody working in the music industry began as a music fan.

Through hard work and their narrative, they rose through the ranks to the job they have now.

This is true of record label executives, booking agents, managers, AND DSP teams.

Each DSP handles artist relations differently when it comes to email.

Some reply and some don’t.

Developing direct relationships is still the best way to get from zero to your first playlist.

You have an unfair advantage if you live in NYC, LA, Nashville, or a major city overseas like London.

DSP curators and employees live in these cities because they are music industry hubs.

This presents an opportunity to develop direct relationships that are much harder to make from far away.

If you’re in one of these major markets, ensure you’re out and about.

Go to industry parties, other artists’ shows, coffee shops, bars, etc.

“Get to know the world around you and support it.

It will support you back.”

If you don’t live in one of these markets, all hope is not lost.

Your approach WILL need to be different.

Instead of constantly being out and about, your in-town availability is precious.

You may only visit the major music cities once or twice a year.

As an artist and chief narrator of your career, your job is to ensure DSP partners know when you’re coming to town with enough time to plan to see your show or grab a coffee or drink.

In doing so, you can catch them up on all your progress since your last connection or release.