TODAY'S DEEP DIVE STORY
How to Get Fans to Save and Play Your Music Daily on Streaming Platforms
Streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer have revolutionized how listeners discover and engage with music. For indie musicians, this presents incredible opportunities—but also immense competition.
Breaking through the noise requires not just great music but smart strategies to encourage listeners to play, save and share your tracks repeatedly.
The Power of Playlists
Playlists are one of the most effective ways to gain exposure on streaming platforms. They act as modern-day mixtapes (I was such a mixtape junkie back in the day - big surprise right?), delivering curated music to eager audiences. There are 3 main types of playlists:
- Editorial Playlists: Curated by platform teams like Spotify’s editorial staff, these are highly sought after but harder to secure, especially for indie artists.
- Independent Playlists: Created by individuals or third-party curators, these playlists cater to niche audiences and can be a goldmine for indie artists.
- Algorithmic Playlists: Created by the algorithm based on the tastes, trends and past behavior of individual listeners.
The more playlists your song is featured on, the more likely it will signal to streaming algorithms that your track is trending. This, in turn, can push your music onto algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Radio, leading to exponential exposure - a perpetual growth system I call The Cycle of Awesomeness (such an official sounding name:)
Indie Success Stories: Playlists and Growth
One example is indie artist mxmtoon, who started releasing music from her bedroom. By targeting niche playlists that fit her lo-fi aesthetic, she saw her songs repeatedly featured on curated playlists. Over time, this consistent presence helped her amass a loyal following and land on Spotify’s algorithmic playlists.
Another case study is BoyWithUke, who leveraged TikTok and playlist placements to skyrocket his streams. By focusing on independently curated playlists in the indie pop and alternative categories, he built a steady stream of listeners before hitting mainstream playlists.
Strategies to Get Fans to Play, Save & Share Your Music
1. Ask Fans Directly to Save Your Songs
Getting fans to save your tracks improves your chances of getting picked up by Spotify’s algorithm. Saved tracks are a strong indicator of listener interest.
Asking is simple and something most artists don't do. But don't just ask, give them a reason to do it. Tell them how it helps you. Psychological experiments have proven that providing a reason to do something (literally any reason) dramatically increases the likelihood that people will follow through with your request.
But don't just ask them to save to their library. Since you're asking, go the extra step to specifically ask them to save it to one of their favorite playlists. It just takes one additional second of their time, but it can mean many more streams for you and a lot more touch points with your fans.
Here’s how you can encourage this:
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Social Media Engagement: Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to ask your followers to save your new release.
- Example caption: “Loving my new track? Don’t forget to save it on Spotify and add it to your favorite personal playlist—it helps me a ton and keeps the music alive!”
- Exclusive Incentives: Offer fans something in return for saving your song, such as behind-the-scenes content or exclusive merch discounts. You can use a gated reward system like Show.co or have fans DM you a screenshot to redeem their reward.
- Email Marketing: Send out an email to your mailing list reminding fans to save your latest track. Include links and step-by-step instructions. Remember, your fans may not be as familiar with the controls and hidden options (especially behind the 3 dots) on streaming platforms as you are.
2. Create and Promote Your Own Playlists
Many indie musicians have found success by curating playlists that feature their own music alongside tracks from similar artists. This positions you as both an artist and a tastemaker.
Why This Works
- Fans are more likely to stumble upon your song in a playlist of their favorite genres.
- Fans get to discover other artists that you like.
- Other featured artists might promote your playlist, expanding its reach.
Steps to Build and Promote Your Playlist
- Curate Thoughtfully: Select a mix of your songs and tracks from artists who share your sound or audience.
- Name Strategically: Use descriptive titles that include relevant keywords. For example, “Chill Indie Nights” or “Acoustic Vibes for Study.”
- Promote Collaboratively: Reach out to the other artists featured and encourage them to share the playlist with their followers.
- Advertise: Use social media ads to promote your playlist, targeting fans of the included genres and artists.
Example in Action
Indie artist Phoebe Bridgers included her tracks in a playlist featuring complementary artists like Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Fans discovered her music while enjoying the playlist, leading to a snowball effect in plays and saves.
3. Levrage A Tool like PlaylistSupply to Identify Playlist Curators
​PlaylistSupply is a powerful tool that helps you find independent playlists and their curators. With it, you can:
- Search for playlists by genre, mood, or keywords.
- Extract contact information for curators.
- Build a personalized outreach strategy.
- Search for playlists relevant to your music.
- Compile a list of curators and their contact details.
- Craft a personalized pitch that includes your track link and explains why it fits their playlist.
Outreach Tips
- Keep it concise and professional.
- Include a short bio, a streaming link (if your song isn't out yet, put it on a hidden page of your website - DO NOT send a file attachment), and a reason your track fits their playlist.
- Follow up politely if you don’t hear back within a week or two.
4. Use Connector Sites Like Groover and Submithub
Platforms like Groover and Submithub streamline the process of connecting with playlist creators, bloggers, and influencers.
How They Work
- You pay a small fee to submit your music for consideration.
- Curators provide guaranteed feedback.
Why Use These Services?
- They save time compared to cold emailing curators.
- Your track gets a fair shot at being reviewed and added to relevant playlists because the platform makes it easy for curators and your track won't get lost in the inbox among a sea of submissions.
- The curator is getting a small compensation for considering your music so they' incentivized to respond.
Pro Tip: Focus on curators whose playlists have active engagement. Look for playlists with followers who match your target audience. These sites have a really tight vetting process to protect artists, but it's still good to do research before submitting.
5. Engage Your Fans Through Personalized Outreach
Fan engagement is the backbone of sustainable growth. The more your fans feel connected to you, the more likely they are to save and play your music.
Direct Communication
- Use Instagram DMs, TikTok comments, or email to thank fans for their support and encourage them to save your tracks. You can even go the extra mile and send voice or video memos to them. It will make a lasting impression!
- Host Q&A sessions or live streams to foster deeper connections.
Create Challenges or Campaigns
- For example, launch a TikTok or IG Reels challenge where fans create videos using your track. This not only boosts plays but also increases shares and saves.
6. Create more opportunities to get discovered
When I discover a new song I like, I'm in the habit of immediately adding it to one of my personal playlists so I don't lose track of it. I'm betting there are tons of other music lovers who do the same thing.
So how can you get discovered by music lovers in the wild?
- Submit to curated music Podcasts like Women of Substance (shameless plug). There are many shows where music lovers share their favorite Indie tracks.
- Connect with influencers who will use your music in their video content. New audiences will hear your song on YouTube, TikTok or Reels and follow the credit links to add your track. My favorite platform to find these opportunities is Thematic. I use it for my own original music.
7. Build Momentum with Algorithmic Playlists
Every play, save, and playlist addition contributes to your track’s momentum. The streaming algorithm will start adding your track to radio and personal mixes, offering it up when a playlist of similar music ends, etc.
And for those new listeners, it'll also carve out a place in Release Radar and Discover Weekly for your new and past releases.
Here’s how to maximize algorithmic playlist placement:
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Optimize Your Release Strategy:
- Schedule releases for Fridays, when Spotify editorial teams refresh playlists.
- Pitch your song through Spotify for Artists’ playlist submission tool.
- Research perfect-fit playlists using PlaylistSupply before release and ask if the curator will add your song on release day.
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Encourage Pre-Saves:
- Platforms like DistroKid and ToneDen allow fans to pre-save your track. This signals early interest to algorithms.
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Consistent Releases:
- Regularly releasing music keeps you top of mind with fans and algorithms alike.
- I'll also add holiday releases here because when you get on holiday playlists, your song can "come back to life" every year for that holiday.
Final Thoughts: The Long Game
Gaining traction on streaming platforms requires patience, persistence, and creativity. By getting your fans to save your tracks, leveraging playlists, and strategically using tools and social platforms, you can amplify your music’s reach and keep the snowball constantly growing.
The key takeaway is that playlist momentum feeds into algorithmic growth, creating a virtuous cycle of exposure and engagement (cycle of awesomeness!). Start small by targeting niche playlists, and as your fanbase grows, so too will your opportunities for larger placements.