Last week, Spotify announced some changes in how their editorial playlists work.
From now on, Spotify will begin to personalize some of their editorial playlists, meaning that listeners will hear individual versions of those playlists tailored to their own musical taste. This will make editorial playlists even more important, as in addition to getting your music in front of lots of listeners, they will now put that music in front of listeners who are specifically looking for it. This will definitely drive up engagement.
One other note: this new feature may mean not every version of the playlist will contain your song. However, should you get added to an editorial playlist, Spotify will make available a link you can use to share that playlist with your fans. As a bonus, that link will drive traffic to a playlist in which your song is the lead track. This will be a great way to further engage your listeners and spread your music.
Getting on an editorial playlist is still difficult, and there are no guarantees, but as Spotify refines how they work, they will be of even greater benefit.
For more info about taking advantage of Spotify's playlist features, check out their video:
What does this mean for musicians? You have to play the long game: Spotify is looking for specific kinds of engagement, as well as artists who show they can effectively market themselves on the platform. So build a strategy that takes advantage of what Spotify has to offer!
I wrote an ebook that helps make sense of what Spotify is looking for. Click here to subscribe and download a copy of Listen Up! A Simple Guide To Getting Heard On Spotify. My guide walks you through the basics of marketing your music using Spotify for Artists, an essential tool for success on the platform. Following these steps will help build your audience and increase your streams. Check it out and let me know how it goes!