Guest post by Randi Zimmerman from the Symphonic Blog

With thousands of hopeful artist hitting the market every day, it’s hard to cut through the noise. Without major label connections, independent artists have to turn to other methods of breaking through. One of the most popular methods? Playlists. Third party playlists, to be exact. Here’s a rundown of what they are and how they can help you secure some major recognition.

What is Third Party Playlisting?

Did you know that tracks on major playlists with millions of followers have a higher skip rate? Third-party playlists offer a targeted way to expose your music to dedicated fans who want exactly what you have to offer.

Here’s the rundown…

Major playlists have the potential to provide vast exposure to artists big and small. Official Spotify playlists boast thousands of daily listeners all around the world, but any hopeful artist can’t just hop in on the action. Now, third party playlists created by random users have become popular hubs for getting noticed. — They’re easier to submit to and directly target specific niches with dedicated listeners ready to discover artists just like you.

Target Your Niche

The most dedicated music aficionados spend their time surfing these playlists to find the best music within just about any genre and niche you can think of.

Love deep house music? There’s a playlist for that. Do you have some underground trap music that needs some love? There’s a specially curated playlist just waiting for you to submit to. In addition, songs on these playlists are likely to be shared on affiliated platforms and spread to places that’ll have an even bigger impact.

Increase Streams

Some of these individually run playlists have 50k listeners and more, while some are less saturated with a couple thousand. Whatever level you decide to go for, they can help your music reach their audience and engage new fans who might’ve never found you otherwise.

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It’s not a cure all marketing solution

It’s important to note that securing a spot on a popular playlist shouldn’t be a cure all marketing solution. Third party playlists are simply a useful tool in your arsenal.

Here at Symphonic, we curate some awesome playlists featuring distributed music by some of the best undiscovered artists. Pitch your track and follow these steps to get featured on one of our own Spotify playlists. We’ve got a ton of playlists to choose from, ranging from Underground House all the way to Latin Alternative. Wherever you submit to, being featured offers a huge deal of exposure to help you reach your highest potential.

Beware of Fraudulent Streaming & Bots

All too often, independent artists fall into the trap of fraudulent services promising to help them make it big. In a world that’s obsessed with stats, it’s understandable why. But the issue runs deeper than just buying streams. Even if you decide to work with a service that claims to be legitimate, they might be using illegal methods you’re trying to avoid.

• In this case, it’s up to you to be conscious of scammers, bots, and misinformation. However, we’re here to provide a helping hand.

In Conclusion…

The key to getting accepted is do your research before you submit your tracks. Only submit to playlists that your music truly fits into. Know your sound and seek out playlists accordingly. Sending your Latin/Pop song to a strictly Hip-Hop playlist isn’t going to cut it. In addition, overloading the curator with 20 submissions is just going to annoy them and ruin your chances. Find a happy medium.

We suggest not submitting more than 3 songs and to keep your message short and sweet. If you don’t get a response after a month, respectfully try again. Keep your head up; there are endless opportunities to get yourself featured.

Good luck!