Spotify editorial pitch or independent curators: which to use

1. The two routes side by side

The Spotify editorial pitch and the independent curator route differ in where you send the song, when, and who decides. The left column below is Spotify's own rules, each with its source. The right column describes how independent curators usually work.

Spotify has no official page about independent curators. The right column is PlaylistLookup's own view, not a Spotify rule.

2. How the editorial pitch works

The Spotify editorial pitch is a form inside Spotify for Artists, where you describe an upcoming song for Spotify's playlist editors. Spotify for Artists is the only way to submit new music for playlisting, and every artist and team uses the same tool.

• You pitch one unreleased song at a time. Once the pitched song goes live, you can pitch another.
• The pitch has to go in at least 7 days before release, so the editors have time to listen.
• Once a song is live, it is no longer eligible for pitching.
• Compilations and songs where you are only a featured artist cannot be pitched.

Sources: Spotify for Artists: pitching music to playlist editors and Spotify for Artists: playlisting. A pitch is a request, not a booking: the editors decide whether the song goes on a playlist.

3. How the independent route works

Independent curators are people and small brands who run their own Spotify playlists, outside Spotify's editorial team. Most of the ones open to submissions publish a way to reach them in the playlist description or on their profile: an email address, an Instagram account or a submission form.

You write to them directly. Name the playlist, put your Spotify link near the top and say in one or two sentences why the song fits. Listen to the playlist first, and follow the rules the curator lists, such as genres they do not take. The guide on how to pitch Spotify playlist curators covers the message line by line.

Curators are not obliged to answer, so a reply is never certain. Send one short follow-up at most, then move on to the next playlist.

4. What Spotify says about paying for placement

Spotify does not allow paying a third party for streams or playlist placement that are promised in exchange for money. Spotify Support says such services violate its terms and should not be used, and it treats the resulting plays as artificial streaming. Confirmed cases can lead to withheld royalties, corrected stream counts and removal from playlists (Spotify for Artists: artificial streaming and paid 3rd-party services that guarantee streams).

PlaylistLookup does not sell placement. It shows only the contact details curators published themselves, and it cannot promise that a curator replies or adds a song.

5. What the index shows about independent curators

PlaylistLookup tracks Spotify playlists whose curators publish a contact. These four figures describe that index, not all of Spotify.

Many playlists list both an email address and an Instagram account, so those two figures overlap. Data as of October 20, 2026. What is counted, and how the figures are rounded, is explained on how our data works.

6. A sensible order around a release

Pitching Spotify's editors and pitching independent curators fit into one release plan, in this order:

1. At least 7 days before release: the editorial pitch

   Pitch the unreleased song in Spotify for Artists. After release it can no longer be pitched.Spotify Support

2. Before release: build your curator list

   Pick independent playlists that match the genre, check that they are still active, and write each curator a short message, ready to send.Our view

3. Release day and after: send and follow up

   Send your messages once the song is live, and follow up once with curators who take released songs.Our view

7. Example message to a curator

A short pitch to an independent curator names the playlist, links the song early and says why it fits. The artist, song and playlist below are made up.