How do editorial Spotify playlists work?

In our last blog, we talked about the different types of playlists and how to submit to each one of them. Today, we’re going to talk about how Spotify editorial playlists work (personalized and not personalized), what are algorithmic playlists, and the best practices for boosting your experience on Spotify.

Algorithmic playlists (Discovery Weekly, Release Radar, Your Daily Mix, Radio, On Repeat, Time Capsule, Likes, Year Overview, etc.) are like the holy grail for growing up on the streaming ecosystem when an artistic project is taking its first steps. Spotify has developed a unique algorithm and it has turned into one of their value propositions. 

 

We’re not specialized in programming and neither on the holy bible but everyone knows that an algorithm is constantly learning, changing, and evolving. They have to be programmed to analyze several metrics of your music like Skip Rate Value, Level of Engagement, Monthly Listeners & Streams, Profile & Song Retention, Source of streams, Saves to Collection,  Followers, Lyrics, Acoustic, Music Genre, Level of Traffic, Biography, Social Media Links, SEO, etc.

No one knows what are the exact metrics being analyzed right now (even if they’re working on Spotify) this secret is kept better than the Coca-Cola formula, but we have some hints. We also suspect that the algorithm uses these resources:

• Collaborative Filtering models → common music consumption between several users. 
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) → SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Audio models → Music Variables (Tuning, Armony, Melody, Rhythm, Timbre, Length, Amplitude, Instruments, etc.)

But some editorial playlists are ruled by an algorithm too. Once you’re on Spotify For Artists, you can spot them by the word “personalized” behind their titleOnce your music has reached an editorial playlist (also responding to a good behavior inside it) algorithms automatically spread your music through different editorial playlists based on what main characteristics define the song. 

Several labels have developed their own playlisting channels to hold up activity above artistic projehttps://indiemono.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Captura-de-pantalla-2021-09-08-124737.jpgcts. Playlisting helps with reaching more public but you also need marketing strategies supporting each release.

But they are not the only ones, brands also have developed their own playlisting channels to increase their value proposition throughout the music. Netflix is clearly one of the best companies on this example, developing astonishing marketing strategies, their channel has already reached more than 1.5M followers. Additionally, we’ve found a playlisting channel from a pasta brand where each playlist is based on the minutes you need to boil their products. In the end, concepts can be based on everything, as bizarre as you can imagine. 

We also have to speak about the listener’s own playlists. The major sign of engagement on your artistic project is the number of saves. The more your listeners save your songs, the better for your artist career, but how can we improve this metric?:

Throughout branded content strategies focused on getting a loyal audience avoiding being a lookalike (or soundlike, of course). Possible strategies: Logo, Covers Design, Session Photographies, Clothing, Music Instruments (you can show your audience the kind of tools you use to create your characteristic sound, for example), etc. Finally, all this content has to be coupled with your speech. 

If your music doesn’t reach an editorial placement you can always submit it for free to us 😊