Top 10 Playlist Curators for Music Submission

As someone who’s poured their heart into writing a few songs for their wife, I know firsthand the desire to share that music with the world. After spending countless hours perfecting lyrics and melodies, it’s only natural to want your creations to reach a wider audience. That’s where playlist curators come in – these musical gatekeepers can be the key to unlocking a whole new level of exposure for your heartfelt tunes.

I’ve been on a mission to get my love-inspired tracks featured on playlists, and let me tell you, navigating the world of playlist curation can be both exciting and overwhelming. There are so many options out there, each with its own unique approach to discovering and promoting new music. To help fellow independent artists like myself, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 best playlist curators to submit your music to. 

Whether you’re a seasoned musician or a newcomer like me, these platforms offer a chance to get your songs in front of eager listeners and potentially kickstart your musical journey.

1. Submit Hub

SubmitHub is one of the largest and most established platforms for connecting artists with playlist curators, music bloggers, and industry professionals. Artists can create a profile and upload their tracks to SubmitHub, then browse through thousands of curators to find the best matches based on genre, popularity, and other factors. The platform uses a credit-based system, where artists can use free standard credits or purchase premium credits for guaranteed responses. Curators listen to submissions and provide feedback, choosing whether to approve or reject the track. If approved, curators share the track on their playlist or blog. SubmitHub provides detailed analytics on submission performance, allowing artists to track their progress and refine their strategies.

2. Playlist Curator

Playlist Curator is one of the most prominent online playlist curators, offering a diverse range of carefully curated playlists across various themes and moods. Their team of experienced curators meticulously selects tracks from new releases, emerging artists, and timeless classics across multiple genres. Each playlist is crafted with a specific theme or occasion in mind, ensuring a cohesive listening experience that resonates with their audience.

The platform takes pride in its rigorous quality control process. Before a track is added to a playlist, it undergoes a thorough evaluation considering factors such as production quality, lyrical content, and overall artistic merit1. This commitment to quality ensures that listeners consistently enjoy high-standard music across all playlists.

Playlist Curator distributes its playlists on major streaming platforms, including YouTube Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud, making it easy for listeners to access their curated content. The platform offers a wide variety of themed playlists, ranging from “Songs About the Sun and Sunshine” to more unique collections like “Songs About Codependency” and “Songs About Bees”.

For artists looking to submit their music, Playlist Curator provides a straightforward submission process. Musicians can fill out a form on the website, specifying which playlists they’re applying for. The curators carefully consider each submission before including it in their popular playlists, adhering to strict criteria to ensure the music aligns with the playlist themes and meets their quality standards.

3. SoundCampaign

SoundCampaign is a Spotify promotion service that focuses on playlist pitching and curator feedback. Artists create campaigns by uploading a track, selecting genres, and choosing a budget. The platform’s system then sends the track to relevant curators in their network. Curators listen and provide detailed feedback, along with the option to add the track to their playlist. SoundCampaign emphasizes curator quality and feedback over quantity of playlists. Artists can view all curator responses and analytics through their dashboard, helping them understand how their music is being received. The platform uses a credit-based system where artists purchase credits to fund campaigns, allowing for flexible promotion strategies.

4. Soundplate

Soundplate is a free platform that connects artists with playlist curators across various genres. Artists can search Soundplate’s extensive database of playlists by genre, mood, or keywords to find relevant curators. The submission process is straightforward – artists simply click the “Submit Music” button on a playlist page and enter their track details. While submissions are free, artists are required to follow the curator’s playlist on Spotify as part of the process. Curators review submissions and add tracks they like to their playlists. Soundplate does not guarantee responses or placements, but it offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of playlist options for artists to explore.

5. iMusician

iMusician is a digital music distribution service that also offers playlist pitching opportunities for artists. Through their platform, musicians who distribute their music via iMusician can access a dedicated playlist submission tool. Artists can browse through curated playlists across various genres and submit their tracks directly to playlist owners. The submission process is free, but artists must have their music distributed through iMusician to be eligible. While iMusician does not guarantee placements, it provides a direct connection to curators, increasing the chances of getting featured. The service emphasizes its commitment to helping independent artists grow their audience and increase their streams through playlist exposure.

6. Simon Field

Simon Field is an independent Spotify playlist curator with a growing following in the electronic music scene, particularly in deep house and related genres. Artists can submit their music to Simon Field’s playlists through a dedicated submission link on his website. Field emphasizes the importance of relevance, advising artists to listen to his playlists before submitting to ensure their music fits the vibe. While he listens to every submission, he is unable to provide individual feedback due to the volume of requests. For DJ promotions, Simon Field also accepts submissions through the INFLYTE distribution platform. His curated playlists offer an opportunity for electronic music producers to reach a dedicated audience of deep house enthusiasts.

7. MySphera

MySphera is a freemium Spotify playlisting service that has been operating since 2018. The platform aims to connect artists with playlist curators across various genres, with a particular focus on Hip-hop, EDM, Lofi, and Electronic music. Artists can submit their tracks for free through curator contact forms or opt for a paid campaign where MySphera pitches the song to “best-fit” curators. The paid campaigns offer features such as a minimum potential reach, weekly updates, and social media promotion on MySphera’s accounts. While results can vary, MySphera positions itself as a tool to help artists generate buzz and potentially land on algorithmic Spotify playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar. However, as with any paid promotion service, artists should carefully consider their marketing strategy and budget before investing in a campaign.

8. Boost Collective

Boost Collective is a legitimate Spotify promotion service that focuses on organic playlist growth and artist promotion. They manage their own network of in-house playlists, giving them full control over playlist curation and growth strategies. Boost Collective operates essentially as an ad studio, optimizing their ad spend to create and grow engaged playlists at scale. Their approach involves hyper-targeted advertising to build authentic listener bases for their playlists. Artists who work with Boost Collective can expect their music to be added to these organically grown playlists, potentially reaching genuine, engaged audiences. The service has been verified by third-party analysis tools as using legitimate methods, with their playlists passing bot checks and showing organic growth patterns.

9. SongRocket

SongRocket is a music promotion platform that specializes in Spotify playlist pitching. Artists can create campaigns by selecting a track and setting a budget. The platform’s system then matches the submitted track to relevant playlist curators in their network based on genre and other factors. Curators listen to submissions and provide feedback, choosing whether to add the track to their playlists or not. SongRocket offers a user-friendly interface where artists can view detailed campaign analytics and communicate with curators through the platform. The service uses a credit-based system, allowing artists to purchase credits to fund their campaigns. SongRocket aims to streamline the playlist pitching process, making it easier for independent artists to connect with curators and potentially gain playlist placements.

10. For The Love Of Bands

For The Love Of Bands is an indie music blog and Spotify playlist curator based in the Netherlands, launched in 2016. They focus primarily on independent music, covering a variety of indie, upcoming, and emerging bands and artists. Their playlists have a significant following, with over 49,000 followers on Spotify. For The Love Of Bands accepts submissions in genres such as alternative rock, pop punk, indie rock, and singer-songwriter, but they specifically state that they only accept tracks with English lyrics and do not consider EDM, dancehall, or commercial music. They also have a strong preference against the use of autotune. Artists can submit their music to For The Love Of Bands through platforms like Groover, where they offer services such as playlist addition, interviews, and detailed feedback. Their approach emphasizes authenticity and a genuine passion for indie music, making them a valuable curator for artists in the alternative and indie rock scenes.