“How do I get my music on Spotify playlists?” is one of the most common questions we get from independent artists at CD Baby. It’s no surprise — popular playlists like Spotify’s official editorials can skyrocket an artist’s streams overnight. But bad actors have also recognized the power these playlists have — and built an entire industry around faking them. These actors create playlists that use bot activity to drive up their streams. This artificial streaming activity can ruin artists’ algorithmic standing and at worst, get their music removed from the platform.
In this blog, we’ll run through five ways to avoid Spotify playlists that employ artificial streaming and conclude with a bit of perspective on how playlists should fit within your strategy for growing your fan base.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Never pay for guaranteed streams: Legitimate playlist placement is never “bought” — any service promising guaranteed streams or virality for a fee is a red flag for bot activity and playlist scams.
- Watch your Spotify for Artists data: Sudden streaming spikes, unusual listener locations, or high streams-per-listener ratios can signal your music has been swept into a botted playlist without your knowledge.
- Vet curator profiles before trusting a playlist: Generic usernames, fake followers, and profiles mimicking official Spotify editorial branding are common signs of an inauthentic playlist.
- Use Spotify’s own tools first: Pitching directly to Spotify editorial playlists, building your own Artist Playlists, and encouraging fans to playlist your music are all safer, more sustainable ways to grow streams than third-party promotion services.
- Playlists are an acquisition tool, not a growth strategy: Real fan connection (through live shows, email lists, and social media) is key to growing your music career. Playlists help get more ears on your music, but it’s up to you to retain new fans.
1. Use Spotify’s own playlist tools
If you have a release coming up, pitch your music to Spotify’s editorial playlists. (Spotify recommends pitching four weeks out or more to maximize your chances of placement.) You can also create your own playlists — mixing your music with your favorite tracks from friends, influences, and comparable artists. Promote these playlists to your fans and add them to your Spotify artist profile as Artist Playlists to boost your streams.
Lastly, encourage your fans to create playlists of their own with your music — gamify it by awarding a playlist that best captures your influence or fits a certain theme.
2. Do your research before using a playlist promotion service
As a categorical rule, never use a service that guarantees streams in exchange for payment. In general, if a service sounds too good to be true, it isn’t legitimate.
Here are some other signs a service is a scam or using botted traffic:
- No contactable human providing the service
- No real information about how the service promotes your music or examples of the playlists they use
- Unrealistic promises like virality or guaranteed streaming counts
- Cold or unsolicited outreach over emails or social media
- Requests for a “donation” or “fee” to keep your music on a playlist
- No signs of verified legitimacy from reputable sources (other artists, online reviews, etc.)
3. Monitor your streaming activity in Spotify for Artists
Your music can get swept up in bot traffic without your consent — and you can still be penalized for it. That’s why it’s crucial to stay on top of your streaming data in Spotify for Artists and watch for suspicious activity.
A few metrics worth monitoring closely:
- Top playlists: Treat any unexpected placement on a large playlist with caution. (More on how to evaluate playlist legitimacy in the next section.)
- Streams over time: An unexpected spike in listenership can signal a new playlist placement or bot activity. Drill down to see where those listeners are actually coming from and take stock of your own promo efforts — have you run ads or played major shows that could account for the spike?
- Listeners per location: Unexplained spikes in areas you haven’t been promoting are suspicious — particularly any low population areas with disproportionately high streaming numbers.
- Streams per listener: This can vary naturally — especially for new artists who might be encouraging their same inner circle to listen multiple times — but watch out for suspicious ratios (i.e. anything more than the casual 3-5 times per listener).
4. Investigate the playlists your music appears on
Routinely check your top playlist placements in Spotify for Artists to verify the authenticity of the playlists and the curators. You can use this same criteria for checking the legitimacy of playlists that a third-party promo service uses as well, but be aware that even if everything seems to check out, these platforms still carry risks. If you suspect your music has been placed on a botted playlist, report it to Spotify.
Here’s what to look out for at the playlist level:
- Curator profile: Look out for generic profiles with inauthentic profile photos, nonsense usernames, and approximately the same amount of saves on every playlist they own.
- Curator followers: Real accounts should have mostly real followers. If an account is generic and also has fake followers (nonsense usernames, no profile photos, and no user activity), steer clear.
- Playlist curation: Be wary of user-generated playlists that mimic the look of official editorial playlists — with a Spotify logo in the top left, the same Spotify font, and lifestyle imagery. They’re trying to mislead you. Also avoid playlists that don’t have any clear curational vision or coherency and a robotic or nonsense description.
5. Focus on real fan connection
If you’re an emerging artist, build a solid foundation for your fans before you chase playlist placements. That means claiming and optimizing profiles across streaming and social platforms, planning a well-rounded release strategy, and doubling down on the channels where you connect best with fans — live performances, online forums, email newsletters, and social media. Streams you gain from a strong playlist placement won’t necessarily earn you loyal fans if you don’t have a strong strategy to retain new listeners. Treat playlists as an acquisition tool — not your entire playbook.
If you do land on your dream playlist, make it count. When a curious new listener clicks through from the playlist to your profile — then to your social media — that’s your chance to make a strong first impression. That listener is looking to learn more about you, spot shared followers and similar artists, and see that you’re active and serious about your music. All of that work lies beyond chasing playlists.
The truth: Fan growth is hard work
Playlists are attractive for fast and easy streaming growth, but never put your music at risk by employing a predatory service or by taking unexpected spikes in listenership at face value. Follow the tips in this blog to protect your music and focus on building systems to genuinely connect with fans. Building a strong foundation of die-hard fans will always be more valuable than amassing a transient audience through playlisting alone.
CD Baby is a Spotify Preferred Partner — meaning we distribute your music to meet optimal Spotify requirements and make it easy to claim and optimize your Spotify profile. If you’re looking to get your music on Spotify, sign up for a free CD Baby account today.