There is one official door to Spotify's editors, and it is free. Here is how to use it properly, in Spotify's own words where it matters.
Get the song to your distributor early enough that it appears in Spotify for Artists as an upcoming release. Then open Music, then Upcoming, choose the song and complete the pitch form. Fill every field. Write a short note that says who, what, why and when.
Do it at least seven days before release. Earlier is better.
Spotify's support page on pitching music to playlist editors gives the path: log in at artists.spotify.com, go to Music, then Upcoming, choose a song and complete the pitch form. It adds that "more detail gives your song a better chance."
If the song does not appear, it has not been delivered yet, or it was delivered without your artist profile attached. Ask your distributor. You cannot pitch a song after it is live.
The same support page says two things about timing. Deliver your music at least 7 days before release "so our editors have time to listen." And if you pitch an unreleased song at least 7 days before release, Spotify adds it to your followers' Release Radar playlists.
Read that carefully. Seven days is the minimum, not the plan. Distribution takes time, and a pitch sent on day seven competes with every other release that week. We pitch as soon as the song shows up in Spotify for Artists, usually three to four weeks out. Our release timeline for independent artists shows where it sits in the whole plan.
From Spotify's support page:
The one-song limit means the focus track matters. On an EP or album, pitch the song you would put on the radio, not the one you like best.
Spotify's support page refers to the form's genre, mood and culture tags. Loop.fans' walkthrough lists the fields in more detail: main genre and subgenre, up to two moods, language and cultural influences, instruments, and a written song story of up to 500 characters.
Genre and subgenre. Pick what the song is, not what is popular. A wrong genre routes your pitch to an editor who will not program it.
Mood and style. Choose the ones a listener would use, not the ones you wish were true.
Instruments, language, culture. Fill them all. These help an editor who covers a specific scene or language find you.
The note. This is where most pitches are lost.
In a Spotify for Artists Q&A with its playlist editors (2020), the editors asked artists to "give us the who, what, why, when, where, and how" of the song, and said: "Whatever you do, we encourage you to NOT leave the note blank!" They named press, music video plans, release schedules and promotions as helpful context, and said the mood and genre answers "are incredibly helpful in surfacing your music to editors."
They also said what does not count. "We don't look at distribution information when listening to new pitches." Followers and monthly listeners "don't factor into our decisions." And "you cannot pay to get on an official Spotify playlist."
So a good note is facts. One line on the song. One line on the story. Then what is happening around the release: a video date, a tour, press already booked, a radio add date, a notable collaborator. Leave out adjectives and stream counts.
A weak note: "A powerful, emotional anthem that will resonate with fans everywhere."
A useful note: "Written the week the artist's father sold the family fishing boat. Produced by Jonah Reyes. Video out release day. Twelve East Coast dates start March 7, with a feature booked at a regional music site." (Fictional artist, for illustration.)
The editors in that Q&A said they watch "signals from our data for songs that are resonating on our platform." That is the part you control after the pitch.
If the song is not picked, the support page notes it may still be discovered later. Pitch the next one.
The pitch form gives editors context. A release week with press, video, radio and live dates gives them context worth reading. That is why LUSIVEX runs playlisting and DSP relations in the same plan as press and radio. For the bigger picture on editorial playlists, read our guide on how to get on Spotify editorial playlists.
Spotify's support page says to deliver at least 7 days before release, and a song pitched at least 7 days before release goes to your followers' Release Radar. Treat seven days as the deadline and pitch as soon as the song appears in Spotify for Artists.
One at a time. Spotify's support page says you can pitch another once the pitched song goes live. Compilations and songs where you are only featured cannot be pitched.
No label is needed. Spotify's editors said in their Q&A that all artists can pitch through the same tool and that they do not look at distribution information. You do need a distributor to get the song onto Spotify at all.
Labels and management companies planning a U.S. release can start on the U.S. launch page.