How do I get on more quality playlists (platform strategy, curator selection, value signals)?

Build a wide playlist prospect list, run every name through objective quality filters (organic follower growth, ≥ 8 % save-to-stream, ≤ 25 % skip-rate, curator transparency, geo fit), rank by a simple scoring formula, pitch the A-tier first with concise personalised emails, and pull any placement that turns the traffic-light KPI dashboard red. Repeat every release; playlisting stops being luck and starts being math.

1 | Why Playlist Quality Matters

High-quality playlists (steady organic growth, high save-rates, low skips, real curators) do three things:

Deliver new, engaged listeners.

Boost Release Radar and Discover Weekly by signalling “sticky” behaviour.

Pay sustainable royalties.

Low-quality or botted lists do the opposite—high skips, low saves, algorithmic throttling, and even royalty holds. Treating playlisting as a data process is the only ethical, scalable defence.

2 | Four-Step Workflow
A. Map the Landscape

Data Source: Chartmetric / Soundcharts
Export / Search For: Playlists by genre, follower count, territory

Data Source: SubmitHub / Groover / One Submit
Export / Search For: Accepted-curator lists, response rates

Data Source: Hype Machine / Musosoup
Export / Search For: Blog-linked playlists

Data Source: Reddit / Discord threads
Export / Search For: “Playlist exchange” posts

Target: ≈ 150 raw prospects before filtering.

B. Apply Quality Filters

Quality Signal: 6-week follower curve
Green Flag (Keep): Gradual upward slope
Red Flag (Drop): Overnight spike (botted dump)

Quality Signal: Save-to-Stream (other tracks)
Green Flag (Keep): ≥ 8 %
Red Flag (Drop): < 4 %

Quality Signal: Skip-Rate (other tracks)
Green Flag (Keep): ≤ 25 %
Red Flag (Drop): > 40 %

Quality Signal: Geo mix
Green Flag (Keep): ≥ 50 % streams from top monetising regions (e.g., US/UK/DE)
Red Flag (Drop): Majority in low-CPM markets

Quality Signal: Curator transparency
Green Flag (Keep): Business email / public socials / platform escrow
Red Flag (Drop): “DM for placement” + PayPal friends & family

Quality Signal: Cost ceiling
Green Flag (Keep): CPS estimate ≤ target KPI or flat fee < $12 / k followers
Red Flag (Drop): Undefined price + guaranteed streams

C. Score & Prioritise
Playlist Score = (Genre Fit × 3) + (Engagement × 2) + (Reach × 1) – (Cost × 1)


Sort the sheet → A-Tier (top 20-30) · B-Tier (next 60) · Watchlist.

D. Pitch & Follow Up

• 150-word personalised email or platform note.
• Reference a track the curator recently added (“Loved how you placed Artist X next to Artist Y”).
• Private stream link (SoundCloud, DISCO, unlisted YouTube) + one-page EPK.
• Offer a win for the curator (e.g., share the playlist link in your IG Story).
• One polite nudge after 5-7 days; then move on.

E. Review & Cull

Track placements daily for the first week, weekly thereafter.

Metric Window: Save-to-Stream
Green (Keep): ≥ 10 %
Yellow (Watch): 6–9 %
Red (Pull + request refund): < 6 %

Metric Window: Skip-Rate (0-30 s)
Green (Keep): ≤ 25 %
Yellow (Watch): 26–40 %
Red (Pull + request refund): > 40 %

Metric Window: Follower growth on playlist
Green (Keep): Upward
Yellow (Watch): Flat
Red (Pull + request refund): Declining

Metric Window: Streams by geo
Green (Keep): Matches target markets
Yellow (Watch): Mixed
Red (Pull + request refund): Mostly low-value regions

If any metric flips red, remove the track within 24 h; one toxic list can sink algorithmic reach for weeks.

3 | Case Study — “Glass Garden” Indie-Pop Single

Step & Tool: Map – Chartmetric + SubmitHub
Action & Spend: 240 raw prospects
KPI Result: —
Outcome: —

Step & Tool: Vet & Score – save-rate filter + formula
Action & Spend: A-Tier 30 · B-Tier 60
KPI Result: —
Outcome: —

Step & Tool: Pitch – 30 emails + 40 SubmitHub credits ($90)
Action & Spend: 42 % add-rate
KPI Result: 11 placements Day 1
Outcome: Save-to-stream 11.4 %

Step & Tool: Cull – pulled 2 low-save lists
Action & Spend: - KPI Result: Skip-rate ≤ 22 % overall
Outcome: No royalty flags

30-Day Result
Total spend $190
KPI Result: 96 k streams · 27 % algo share · +2.1 k followers
Outcome: 0 bots detected

5 | Platform Snapshot (Paid vs Earned)

Platform: SubmitHub
Strengths: Guaranteed replies, curator stats, escrow credits
Watch-outs: Fees per credit (~$1-3); 25-35 % adds

Platform: Groover
Strengths: EU curator depth, 7-day refund rule
Watch-outs: Lower add-rate (10-20 %)

Platform: PlaylistPush
Strengths: Large reach, fixed packages
Watch-outs: Higher cost; all-or-nothing adds

Platform: DailyPlaylists
Strengths: Free submissions, curator rating system
Watch-outs: High noise; manual vetting required

Platform: One Submit
Strengths: Multi-service dashboard, quality score
Watch-outs: Smaller pool—double-check engagement

Use paid services only for curators that pass the same quality filters.

5 | Common Pitfalls & Fast Fixes

Pitfall: Chasing follower count only
Fix: Prioritise save-rate, skip-rate, growth slope.

Pitfall: Paying “guaranteed stream” bundles
Fix: Skip—usually bots; safe metrics collapse.

Pitfall: Wrong or bloated metadata
Fix: Correct ISRC, single primary genre, BPM/key.

Pitfall: No tracking sheet
Fix: Use Google Sheet/Airtable; colour-code traffic lights.

Pitfall: Copy-paste pitch
Fix: Customize opening sentence + curator name.

Key Takeaways (EEAT-Aligned)

• Experience – Live metrics (saves, skips, geo) reveal playlist quality faster than follower counts.
• Expertise – Spotify’s algorithm weighs save-rate and skip-rate; curators who already deliver these are worth paying for.
• Authority – Platforms with escrow and public ratings (SubmitHub, Groover) safeguard your spend.
• Trust – Pull tracks from red-flag lists immediately; never use bots or “guaranteed stream” packs.

Run this Map → Vet → Score → Pitch → Review loop every release and playlisting becomes a repeatable, data-driven engine—not a gamble.