Getting your music onto Spotify playlists can introduce your songs to listeners who have never heard of you before.

But finding legitimate playlist curators isn’t always easy.

Search for “Spotify playlist promotion” and you’ll quickly encounter everything from genuine independent curators to services promising thousands of guaranteed streams.

That second category should immediately make you cautious.

Spotify prohibits artificial streaming and schemes that guarantee streams or playlist placement in exchange for money.

One alternative is SubmitHub.

SubmitHub allows independent artists to submit songs directly to participating Spotify playlist curators who can listen to the music and decide whether it belongs on their playlists.

Here’s how to use SubmitHub to improve your chances of getting onto Spotify playlists.

Can SubmitHub get your music on Spotify playlists?

Yes, but there are no guaranteed placements.

SubmitHub currently connects musicians with more than 1,700 quality-checked playlist curators, bloggers and influencers.

Artists search through the available curators, choose suitable playlists and submit their music for consideration.

The important word is consideration.

You’re not buying a position on a playlist.

The curator can accept or reject the track.

SubmitHub specifically distinguishes between paying for someone’s time to consider music and paying for guaranteed placement, which it warns artists to avoid.

How to submit music to Spotify playlists through SubmitHub

1. Add your track to SubmitHub

Start by creating your artist profile and adding the song you want to promote.

Make sure your artist details are accurate.

This is your first impression.

2. Choose your genre carefully

Genre selection matters enormously.

If your song is alternative rock, don’t simply submit it to every curator accepting “rock”.

Look for playlists containing music that genuinely sounds like yours.

The more specific you can become, the better.

Think:

Indie folk.

Melodic techno.

Progressive house.

Dream pop.

Alternative R&B.

Pop punk.

Lo-fi hip-hop.

The goal isn’t to appear on as many playlists as possible.

It’s to appear on playlists containing listeners who might genuinely enjoy your music.

3. Listen to the playlist before submitting

This is one of the most important SubmitHub tips.

Open the playlist.

Listen to several tracks.

Don’t simply look at its title.

A playlist called “New Indie Music” could contain anything from acoustic folk to distorted shoegaze.

Ask yourself:

Does my song genuinely fit here?

If your track suddenly appeared between two existing songs, would it sound natural?

If not, don’t submit.

4. Check the curator’s recent approvals

SubmitHub provides information designed to help artists research curators, including recent shares, genres and approval data.

Use it.

You might discover that a curator who claims to accept several genres actually shares one particular style most of the time.

Recent behaviour is often more useful than a generic description.

5. Don’t automatically choose the biggest playlists

This is probably the biggest mistake musicians make with playlist promotion.

Bigger doesn’t always mean better.

SubmitHub itself suggests that several smaller but highly relevant and engaged playlists can potentially be more useful than blindly targeting large ones.

Imagine two placements.

Playlist A has 100,000 followers but your song sounds nothing like the rest of the playlist.

Playlist B has 8,000 followers and every track sounds like something your existing fans would enjoy.

Playlist B may deliver fewer initial streams.

But those listeners could be considerably more valuable.

Why relevant Spotify playlists matter

Spotify isn’t simply counting streams.

It can observe how listeners respond to music.

Does somebody listen?

Do they skip?

Do they save the song?

Do they play it again?

Do they visit the artist?

Do they listen to more music from that artist?

This is why blindly chasing playlist numbers can be a mistake.

SubmitHub argues that placements alongside similar music can help Spotify better understand the type of listener likely to enjoy a track and potentially influence recommendation systems such as Radio and artist recommendations.

The goal should therefore be relevant listeners rather than simply more streams.

Genre playlists vs mood playlists

Don’t limit yourself to genre.

Your song could fit a playlist because of what it sounds like.

But it could also fit because of how it feels.

Examples include:

• Workout music
• Running playlists
• Study music
• Late-night driving
• Summer music
• Chill music
• Coffee shop playlists
• Gaming playlists
• Party music
• Sleep music
• Romantic songs

SubmitHub distinguishes between genre-led and mood-led playlists and notes that both can play a role in music discovery.

Think about the context in which somebody might listen to your track.

That can open up additional playlist opportunities.

How to write a SubmitHub playlist pitch

Keep it short.

A curator doesn’t need your complete biography.

Try something like:

“Melodic progressive house track built around atmospheric synths and a euphoric final drop. Similar territory to Ben Böhmer and Sultan + Shepard. I thought it could fit well alongside the melodic tracks you’ve recently been adding.”

That does three useful things.

It describes the track.

It provides reference points.

It explains why you’ve chosen that curator.

Avoid generic pitches that could have been sent to anyone.

Should you mention similar artists?

Yes, when they’re genuinely useful.

“Sounds like Taylor Swift meets Drake meets Coldplay meets Fred again..”

Probably isn’t helpful.

Choose one or two realistic reference points.

They’re there to help the curator quickly understand your music.

Not to convince them you’re about to become the next global superstar.

When should you use SubmitHub for a new release?

Ideally, music promotion should be planned before release day.

SubmitHub can form part of a wider campaign including:

• Spotify for Artists pitching
• Social media
• Short-form video
• Email marketing
• Music blogs
• Influencers
• Advertising
• Direct fan promotion

For Spotify’s official editorial playlists, remember that you need to pitch through Spotify for Artists rather than SubmitHub.

SubmitHub’s own guidance recommends submitting eligible releases to Spotify for Artists before launch, with Spotify requiring advance submission for consideration.

SubmitHub is then useful for targeting independent curators separately.

SubmitHub Premium vs free submissions

SubmitHub has Standard and Premium submissions.

Premium submissions are designed to give artists defined guarantees around the consideration process.

SubmitHub says that if certain Premium submission conditions aren’t met, credits are automatically returned, including requirements around response time, listening duration and decline feedback.

Neither option guarantees acceptance.

And that’s actually important.

A service guaranteeing that every song will be added to a playlist isn’t really curating anything.

How many SubmitHub playlists should you pitch?

There is no perfect number.

Don’t think:

“I have £50, therefore I need to spend £50.”

Think:

“How many genuinely relevant playlists can I find?”

Maybe that’s 10.

Maybe it’s 40.

Once the quality of the match starts dropping, stop.

You can always save your budget for your next release.

What is a good SubmitHub acceptance rate?

It’s tempting to obsess over acceptance percentages.

Don’t.

Different genres, tracks and campaigns will produce wildly different results.

Even SubmitHub’s newer campaign products demonstrate that rejection is completely normal. In March 2026, SubmitHub reported an average approval rate of roughly 25% across early campaigns using its Packages feature, with the majority of those shares being playlist placements.

That isn’t a target every artist should expect to hit.

It simply demonstrates an important point:

Rejection is part of the process.

A 100% acceptance rate would be suspicious.

How do you know whether a playlist placement actually worked?

Open Spotify for Artists.

Don’t just look at total streams.

Look for changes in:

• Listeners
• Streams per listener
• Saves
• Followers
• Playlist streams
• Source of streams
• Audience location
• Artist profile activity

SubmitHub itself recommends looking beyond advertising clicks and impressions and paying attention to Spotify metrics such as followers, streams and streams per listener.

Apply the same thinking to playlist promotion.

A placement that delivers 200 highly engaged listeners could be more useful than one producing 5,000 low-quality streams.

Avoid guaranteed Spotify playlist promotion

Be extremely cautious when somebody promises:

“Guaranteed 10,000 Spotify streams.”

“Guaranteed playlist placement.”

“Guaranteed 50,000 listeners.”

Organic music discovery doesn’t normally come with guarantees.

SubmitHub explicitly warns that paying directly for playlist placement can violate streaming-service rules and potentially expose artists to artificial streaming problems.

Stick to legitimate promotion where curators independently decide whether they like your music.

Combine SubmitHub with Spotify for Artists

SubmitHub and Spotify for Artists solve different problems.

Spotify for Artists lets you pitch an unreleased song to Spotify’s own editorial teams.

SubmitHub lets you approach independent curators.

Use both.

And remember that no playlist should be the final objective.

The real goal is turning:

Playlist listener

into:

Song listener

into:

Artist follower

into:

Fan.

That’s the part that actually builds a career.

Is SubmitHub good for Spotify promotion?

It can be.

SubmitHub isn’t going to magically turn every release into a viral hit.

But it does solve one difficult problem for independent artists:

Finding and contacting legitimate curators who are actively accepting music.

If you research playlists properly, submit only where your music fits and focus on the quality of listeners rather than vanity numbers, SubmitHub can be a useful addition to your Spotify promotion strategy.

Spotify playlist submission FAQs

Can I submit music to Spotify playlists with SubmitHub?

Yes. SubmitHub connects artists with participating independent Spotify playlist curators who can consider songs for their playlists.

Does SubmitHub guarantee Spotify playlist placements?

No. SubmitHub submissions are for consideration rather than guaranteed placement.

Does SubmitHub submit to Spotify editorial playlists?

No. Spotify editorial pitches should be made through Spotify for Artists.

Should I pay for Spotify playlist placement?

Avoid services that directly sell guaranteed playlist positions or streams. Spotify prohibits artificial streaming schemes, and SubmitHub itself warns artists against payola-style promotion.

Are small Spotify playlists worth submitting to?

Yes. Smaller playlists with genuine listeners who enjoy your genre can potentially provide more useful engagement than larger but poorly matched playlists.