The Ultimate List of 10 Playlist Curators for Music
I’m a 15-year-old aspiring singer with big dreams of making it in the music industry. Like many of you out there, I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into my music, writing lyrics late into the night, and practicing my vocals until my family begs me to take a break. But here’s the thing – creating amazing music is only half the battle. The real challenge? Getting people to actually hear it!
That’s where playlist curators come in. These musical superheroes have the power to put your tracks in front of thousands, even millions of listeners. But with so many curators out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Trust me, I’ve been there, frantically submitting my latest single to every playlist I could find, hoping for that big break.
After months of research, trial and error, and yes, a few disappointments, I’ve put together this list of the 10 best playlist curators to submit your music to. Whether you’re a bedroom pop prodigy or a future rap icon, these curators could be your ticket to reaching new fans and maybe even catching the eye (or ear) of a record label.
1. Daily Playlists
Daily Playlists is a popular platform that connects artists with playlist curators across various genres. They offer a wide range of playlists covering different moods, styles, and occasions, making it an excellent choice for artists looking to reach diverse audiences. Daily Playlists prides itself on its transparent submission process and provides detailed analytics to help artists track their performance. With a reputation for featuring both emerging and established artists, Daily Playlists has become a go-to resource for musicians seeking to expand their reach on streaming platforms.
2. Playlist Curator
Playlist Curator stands out as one of the most prominent online playlist curators, offering a diverse range of carefully curated playlists across various themes and moods. Their approach to playlist curation is meticulous and thoughtful, designed to create engaging and high-quality playlists that resonate with listeners across different occasions. The platform’s team of experienced curators continuously explores new releases, emerging artists, and timeless classics across multiple genres, ensuring a diverse music selection that stays up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
One of Playlist Curator’s key strengths is its commitment to thematic coherence. Each playlist is crafted around a specific theme, mood, or occasion, with every track carefully selected to contribute to the overall atmosphere and narrative of the playlist. This attention to detail extends to their quality control process, where each track undergoes rigorous evaluation considering factors such as production quality, lyrical content, and overall artistic merit.
For artists looking to submit their music, Playlist Curator offers a straightforward submission process through their website. They welcome submissions for various themed playlists, including popular categories like “Songs About True Love,” “Songs About Soulmates,” and “Songs About the Sun and Sunshine”. However, due to the high volume of submissions they receive, they advise artists to assume rejection if they haven’t heard back within a month.
Playlist Curator distributes its playlists across major streaming platforms, including YouTube Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud, making it easy for listeners to access their curated content. They offer a wide variety of playlists covering themes such as love, life, resilience, travel, and adventure, catering to diverse musical preferences from mainstream hits to indie gems. To enhance user experience, Playlist Curator allows registered users to bookmark their favorite playlists for easy access later.
3. SongRocket
SongRocket stands out as a user-friendly playlist pitching service that caters to both new and established artists. The platform connects musicians with carefully selected Spotify playlist curators and music influencers, offering a streamlined submission process. SongRocket’s approach is unique in that it provides valuable feedback to artists, even if their tracks are not selected for playlists. This feedback mechanism helps musicians understand areas for improvement and refine their craft. With its focus on independent artists and commitment to helping them gain exposure, SongRocket has become a valuable tool for those looking to break into the competitive music industry.
4. Simon Field
Simon Field is not just a playlist curator but also a renowned DJ and producer from Oslo, Norway, known for his expertise in deep, tech vocal house. With over 350 million streams to his name, Field has established himself as a tastemaker in the electronic music scene. His playlists, particularly the popular Ibiza Deep House playlist, have become go-to resources for fans of electronic music. Field’s approach to curation is meticulous, often testing unreleased tracks in live settings to gauge audience reactions before adding them to his playlists. Artists can submit their music to Simon Field’s playlists through a dedicated submission link on his website, ensuring a fair consideration process for all submissions. Field’s industry experience and keen ear for quality make his playlists highly sought-after for both listeners and aspiring artists.
5. Indiemono
Indiemono stands out as one of the top independent playlist curators on Spotify, boasting over 3 million playlist followers and more than 100 actively curated playlists. Their approach to curation is refreshingly human-centric, focusing on crafting playlists as an art form rather than relying solely on algorithms. Indiemono prides itself on its integrity, refusing to sell playlist placements or accept payment for inclusions. They offer a free submission system for artists, allowing them to submit their music to genre-specific “boxes” for consideration. While they don’t provide individual feedback due to the high volume of submissions, their commitment to discovering and promoting independent artists makes them a valuable resource for musicians looking to expand their reach.
6. iMusician
iMusician is a comprehensive platform that not only offers music distribution services but also provides opportunities for playlist submissions. They maintain their own set of curated playlists and offer guidance on how to approach other Spotify curators effectively. iMusician emphasizes the importance of building relationships with playlist curators and provides detailed advice on creating personalized playlists to attract followers. Their submission process is straightforward, allowing artists to submit tracks directly through a form on their website. While iMusician may not have the largest network of playlists, their focus on educating artists about playlist strategies and their commitment to supporting independent musicians make them a valuable resource in the music promotion landscape.
7. Playlist Push
Playlist Push has established itself as a leading platform for connecting artists with playlist curators and TikTok creators. They offer a rigorous vetting process for curators to ensure authentic engagement and organic streams. With over 25,000 independent and major label artists using their services, Playlist Push has become a trusted name in the industry. Their AI-powered algorithm matches songs to appropriate playlists and creators, streamlining the submission process. Playlist Push also provides detailed analytics and reporting, allowing artists to track the performance of their submissions. While their services are not free, they offer flexible pricing options to accommodate artists at different stages of their careers. For musicians looking for a comprehensive and data-driven approach to playlist promotion, Playlist Push offers a robust solution.
8. SpinGrey
SpinGrey has established itself as a unique playlist curation service that offers artists a direct line to curators through its Patreon-based submission system. This innovative approach allows musicians to submit their tracks with priority consideration for SpinGrey’s curated Spotify playlists and social media channels. The platform maintains an active presence on social media, particularly Instagram, where they share updates about their playlists and promote new releases. SpinGrey’s collection of curated playlists covers a wide range of genres and moods, increasing the chances for artists to find the perfect fit for their music. This diversity in playlist offerings, combined with their prioritized submission system, makes SpinGrey an attractive option for independent artists looking to gain exposure and grow their listener base.
9. SoundCampaign
SoundCampaign has emerged as a powerful player in the music marketing landscape, offering artists access to over 1,000 verified playlist curators who manage more than 11,000 active Spotify playlists. The platform’s strength lies in its automated matching system, which uses advanced algorithms to pair submitted tracks with the most suitable playlists, eliminating the need for time-consuming negotiations with curators. SoundCampaign stands out for its commitment to fair play and compliance with Spotify’s rules, compensating curators for their time spent reviewing music rather than for playlist placements. This approach ensures that feedback is authentic and based on the quality of the tracks.
Additionally, SoundCampaign offers an Artist Protection Program, providing credit refunds for campaigns that don’t receive feedback, making it a reliable and artist-friendly option for music promotion.
10. Submit Hub
SubmitHub has become one of the largest and most established platforms for connecting musicians with playlist curators, music bloggers, and industry professionals. The platform operates on a credit-based system, offering both free standard credits and paid premium credits. Premium credits guarantee a response within 48 hours and have a higher approval rate of 18% compared to 5% for standard submissions. SubmitHub’s user-friendly interface allows artists to easily upload their music and browse through thousands of curators, filtering by genre, popularity, and other factors. One of SubmitHub’s key features is its commitment to providing feedback, with curators required to listen to at least 20 seconds of a track and explain their decision if they choose not to approve it. This feedback mechanism, combined with detailed analytics on submission performance, makes SubmitHub a valuable tool for artists looking to improve their music and gain industry insights.