Mission Playlist Submission

Recently I’ve been creating themed Spotify playlists to bring various artists together that might not otherwise be on one playlist, provide independent artists that may not fall into traditional popular categories the opportunity for plays, and broaden my own reach and network. I chose Spotify because it’s well-known, and while it pays only a pittance, those who are on Spotify have accepted this for now and are often seeking additional plays. (We are not debating the benefits or evils of Spotify with this post though.) All-in-all the experience has been positive. I’ve heard a lot of new music, met some very talented artists, and hopefully made a little bit of an impact for those artists as well.

As I promised my Twitter pals, I’m going to break down a few things I’ve learned that may help other  artists submitting music. Some of these tips are also things I’ve learned from submitting to shows, lists, blogs, etc. For my own playlists I usually ask for submissions via Twitter and give specific rules around format, genres or themes, etc. Based on the responses and my experiences I have compiled some guidance for artists submitting music not just for my playlists but for other playlists, blogs, etc. This is by no means meant to call anyone out but more of a live-and-learn thing.

• Be mindful of the format. If the format for consideration is a specific type of link (in my case Spotify) or file format, you could be automatically disqualified from the opportunity should you send the wrong type of file. Due to volume of entries, many curators, hosts, and writers may ignore your entry completely. If you’re unsure, ask.
• Don’t make me hunt for a song. I probably have been guilty of this myself in the past, but being on the other side of it is maddening. Sending me a webpage or entire catalogue with no direction and inviting me to pick through your latest album will take up far too much time. I can listen to a dozen artists and find several good songs for the list  or I can listen to a dozen of yours and maybe end up with maybe one. 
• Be deliberate in submissions with content criteria. Often this is genre or theme but could also be time signature, inclusion of a specific word or phrase, instrumentation, etc. Blindly submitting for every opportunity or submitting knowing you don’t fit the requirements may sour a potential relationship, possibly disqualifying you for future submissions. I’m not talking about just being slightly off the mark either. I sometimes include music that isn’t  exactly what I am looking for but close enough if I like the piece. Despite this, I ultimately throw out several submissions that are completely wrong for the playlist.
• When criteria are communicated (such as theme, instrumentation, etc), be sure that your submission clearly demonstrates meeting that criteria either by a (brief) explanation of how it meets it or it’s reasonably clear that it meets it by listening to the first 20-30 seconds. While it would be wonderful to have each submission listened to all the way through, when some submissions are ten minutes long or I’m receiving dozens a day (I work too), I’m not going to listen to everything long enough to pick up on the theme being met in the back half or third or outtro of the song.
• Be aware of the audience of the feature (blog, playlist, review, etc). Most of the opportunities I submit to have an ultimate target audience of genre-fans, music-lovers, casual listeners, etc. Therefore it’s imperative that you understand that a rejection isn’t personal. (Yes it still hurts, and sometimes it still feels personal regardless of the reason for rejection.) Your submission may fit other criteria but not be right for the intended audience from the viewpoint of the host. While I accept a range of genres, there are certain types of music that will not fit well or play well against the rest of the music. It doesn’t make the host small-minded, it means they know their audience.
• Some types of features are friendlier to long form projects than others. Knowing how your music fits within the framework of the feature shows an awareness to how your music fits within the overal landscape of the audio world. If your single piece is well beyond 5 or 6 minutes or could even take up half a pop playlist, you may be barking up the wrong tree.
• If criteria are fuzzy or you aren’t sure if your piece would fit, research other features by the curator/host, look for an FAQ (if it’s on a web-page), or ask. If you notice the host has never accepted anything remotely close to your music, you probably aren’t going to be that magic submission that changes their musical tastes or sway them from catering to their target audience.
• Some common courtesy goes a long way, such as a personal message and thank you. Beyond that, if your submission is successful, a retweet or other sharing of the feature (playlist, blog, etc) helps you as the artist reach more ears, helps fellow artists if it’s some type of compilation, boosts your credibility with your current fans, and is appreciated by the host.

Some of these things may seem like common sense to many of you, but for those artists newer to submitting music, they can be hard lessons learned. It’s frustrating to submit to opportunities and rarely land a spot, an interview, or acknowledgment. Keeping these things in mind will minimize rejections that are pretty avoidable. Rejections at some point are inevitable, and music is subjective. There’s no magic formula to guarantee acceptance, but paying attention to criteria, having some self-awareness, and building that network increases your chances.