What are best practices for pitching to Spotify/third-party playlists (ideal length, info to include, format, timing)?
TL;DR - A winning playlist pitch is short (≤ 90 words or 500 characters), laser-specific on genre + mood, includes a one-sentence hook + FFO reference, and lands in curators’ inboxes 7-14 days before release - early enough to schedule, but close enough to ride the launch buzz.
1 │ Pitch Length & Structure
Spotify Editorial (in Spotify for Artists): length ≤ 500 characters (~75 words); format single paragraph, no links; tone factual, data-driven.
Third-Party Curators (email / SubmitHub / DailyPlaylists): length ≤ 90 words (~4 bullets); format subject line + 3-4 bullets or short paragraphs; tone personal, playlist-focused.
Ideal Third-Party Layout:
Subject: Indie-R&B | “Moonlight Drive” (FFO Snoh Aalegra)
1-sentence hook - what’s special in 10 words.
One key stat - “25 k pre-saves in 48 h.”
Specific ask - “Fits your Late-Night R&B list; hook @ 0:31.”
FFO/Bio tag - “For fans of Snoh Aalegra x Giveon.”
Note: Spotify editorial pitch also requires internal form fields (genre, mood, instrumental features, marketing notes, etc.).
2 │ Crucial Information to Include
Genre & Sub-Genre - use the curator’s own wording (e.g., “Dreamy Hyperpop”).
Hook Timestamp - “Chorus drops at 0:28” so they can jump straight in.
FFO (Fans-For-Of) - 1-2 comparable artists to frame fit quickly.
One Credible Stat - editorial add, viral clip, pre-save count, press quote.
Specific Ask - reference the curator’s playlist by name and why it fits.
Release Logistics - release date, exclusivity window, clean/explicit tag.
Link or Private Stream - paste a clean URL (no attachments) for third-party pitches.
3 │ Timing Cheat Sheet
Day -28 to -21: distribute track, claim profile, prep assets - give DSPs time to ingest.
Day -14 to -7: pitch Spotify Editorial via Spotify for Artists - Spotify requests ≥ 7 days lead.
Day -10 to -5: email, SubmitHub, or DailyPlaylists Premium pitches - curators can schedule adds for release week.
Release Day: share playlists that added the track, tag curators - drives traffic and goodwill.
Day +7: follow up with any curator who engaged but didn’t add - gentle nudge while track is fresh.
4 │ Format & Delivery Tips
Subject Line - best practice: Genre • Title • FFO. Pitfall: ALL CAPS, emojis, vague hype.
Greeting - best practice: use curator’s name and playlist title. Pitfall: “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Bullets - best practice: keep to 3-4 lines, easy to skim. Pitfall: dense paragraphs.
Links - best practice: paste full Spotify or private SoundCloud URL. Pitfall: attach MP3s or large files.
Follow-Up - best practice: one polite nudge after 5-7 days. Pitfall: daily spammy reminders.
Social Proof - best practice: one impressive metric. Pitfall: laundry list of stats.
5 │ Metrics & Guard-Rails
Playlist Acceptance: green ≥ 30 % | yellow 15-29 % | red < 15 %.
Save-to-Stream: green ≥ 12 % | yellow 6-11 % | red < 6 %.
Cost-per-Stream (if paid): green ≤ $0.06 | yellow $0.07-$0.10 | red > $0.10.
Scale effort on green, refine pitch on yellow, pause and re-evaluate mix/fit on red.
Key Takeaways
Short & Specific Wins - ≤ 90 words, timestamped hook, clear genre tag.
Timing Matters - pitch editorial ≥ 7 days pre-release; third-party curators 5-10 days out.
Personalization Beats Templates - name the curator, playlist, and why your track fits.
Proof Over Hype - one strong stat or milestone outweighs fluffy adjectives.
Engage After Placement - share the playlist, tag the curator, and keep the relationship warm for future releases.
Master these fundamentals and each release builds curator trust, algorithmic momentum, and long-term fan growth.