A Spotify pitch is how you submit an unreleased song to Spotify's editorial playlist team, through Spotify for Artists. Spotify's release checklist recommends pitching at least two weeks before release, and seven days is the minimum that still lets you pick the song your followers get in Release Radar. One song at a time. Specific beats enthusiastic.
Playlist pitching through Spotify for Artists is the only official way to reach Spotify's editorial team. There is no email address, no contact form, no back channel. If you want editorial consideration, this is the path.
The pitch process is straightforward. The execution is where most artists fail. They submit late, write generic descriptions, or misunderstand what curators actually want to know. This article covers how to use the pitching tool effectively, from timing to the song description that determines whether a curator gives your song a real listen.
For broader playlist strategy including user playlists and algorithmic playlists, see How to Get on Spotify Playlists (2026 Guide). For understanding your Spotify data before and after pitching, see the Spotify for Artists Analytics: What to Track.
How the Pitch Tool Works
The pitch tool appears in Spotify for Artists once your distributor has delivered an unreleased track. Log in, go to Music, then Upcoming, select the unreleased track, and click "Pitch a Song." Eligibility runs on release status rather than the calendar, so a song stays pitchable until it goes live. You also need Admin or Editor access, because Reader accounts cannot pitch.
The Pitch Window
Timing | What you get |
|---|---|
7 or more days before release | Spotify's stated minimum. Editors get time to listen, and you choose your Release Radar song |
Fewer than 7 days before release | Still pitchable, but you lose the Release Radar song choice and give editors less time |
Already released | Not eligible. Once a song goes live it can no longer be pitched |
Spotify's support page sets seven days as the minimum for editor lead time and Release Radar selection, while Spotify's current release checklist recommends pitching at least two weeks before release. Earlier is still fine and gives editors more room. The deadline that actually bites is delivery, because your distributor has to get the track to Spotify before you can pitch it at all.
What You Submit
Spotify's current help page does not publish the full field list, and the form changes over time. What it does confirm is that a pitch carries genre, mood and culture tags alongside a free-text description of the song. Expect to pick a primary genre and a few subgenres, add mood and style descriptors, name the instruments, and say where you are based. Fill in every field you are offered, because Spotify states that more detail gives your song a better chance.
What Curators Look For
Spotify's editorial team is organized by genre and works through a heavy volume of pitches. Understanding what they need helps you write better ones.
Context Over Hype
Curators do not care that you think your song is amazing. They care about three things.
Mood and setting. When and where should someone listen to this? "Late-night driving" is useful. "This song will blow your mind" is not.
Sonic description. What does it sound like? Reference points help. "Minimalist production with reverb-heavy vocals, similar to early Bon Iver" gives them something to work with. A genre label alone does not.
Story context. Is there something interesting about the song's creation or meaning? "Written during a year of insomnia about exhaustion without resolution" provides emotional context. "Recorded in my bedroom" does not.
Limited Time, Specific Goal
Curators decide fast, often within the opening moments of a track. Your pitch should front-load the most relevant information. They manage specific playlists and are asking one question: "Does this song fit any playlist I manage?" Help them answer yes by describing where your song belongs.
How to Write the Spotify Pitch Description
The Structure
Sentence 1: What the song sounds like. Sonic description, mood, tempo, key reference points.
Sentence 2: What the song is about or the context behind it. Story, meaning, creation background.
Sentence 3: Where it fits. Suggested playlist context or listening scenario.
Copy This Template
Fill in the brackets, delete whatever does not apply, and paste the result into the description field.
[Genre] with [two or three production or instrument details], in the range of [reference artist] and [reference artist]. [One sentence on what the song is about or how it was made]. Best in [listening moment], next to playlists like [playlist] and [playlist]. Out [release date], [label or self-released].
Four sentences is plenty. Every clause should tell a curator something they can act on, and anything that would be true of any song is wasted space.
Weak Pitch Example
"This is our best song yet. We worked really hard on it and we think it could be huge. It has great production and the vocals are really strong. Please consider it for your playlists."
This fails because it contains no sonic description, no context, no mood. A curator learns nothing useful about the track or where it fits.
Strong Pitch Example
"Downtempo electronic with pitched-down vocals and sparse piano, drawing from James Blake and Burial. Written after a year of insomnia, the lyrics explore exhaustion without resolution. Fits late-night contemplative moods, playlists like Pollen or Chill Instrumental Beats."
This works because it gives specific sonic references, emotional context, and concrete playlist suggestions. A curator can immediately assess fit.
A Second Strong Example
Same template, different genre, so you can see the shape hold:
Indie folk built on fingerpicked acoustic guitar, brushed drums and close two-part harmony, in the range of Big Thief and Andy Shauf. Written on a cross-country drive after leaving home, about the version of yourself you cannot take with you. Best in slow Sunday and contemplative acoustic moments, next to playlists like Fresh Folk and Morning Acoustic. Out March 14, self-released.
Sound, story, fit, and the release fact a curator needs in order to schedule around it. No adjectives about how hard you worked.
Pitch Framework
Section | What to Include | Example |
|---|---|---|
Sound | Genre, tempo, production style, references | "Indie folk with fingerpicked acoustic guitar and layered harmonies" |
Context | Story, meaning, creation background | "Written during a cross-country road trip about leaving home" |
Fit | Mood, setting, playlist suggestions | "Fits contemplative acoustic playlists, Sunday morning moods" |
Selecting Tags and Descriptors
The tags you select affect which curators see your pitch. Choose the genre that most accurately describes your music, not the genre you wish you fit. If your music genuinely blends genres, acknowledge that through your primary and secondary selections. If it fits cleanly into one genre, do not stretch it.
For mood and style tags, select what matches the actual song, not your aspirations for it. Selecting "energetic" for a mid-tempo track because you want it on workout playlists will not work. Curators notice the mismatch immediately. Listen with fresh ears and select 2-3 descriptors that honestly match.
Timing Your Pitch
The pitch window opens when your distributor delivers the track to Spotify with a future release date.
4 weeks before release: Deliver to your distributor with the release date set. Delivery speed varies by distributor.
2 to 3 weeks out: The track appears in Spotify for Artists under Upcoming. Pitch it here, in line with Spotify's recommendation to pitch at least two weeks out.
7 days out: Spotify's stated minimum, and the cutoff for choosing your own Release Radar song. Pitch before this even if everything else slipped.
Release day: The song goes live and is no longer pitchable. If an editor picked it up, it appears on the playlist.
Miss the seven-day mark and you can still pitch, but Spotify picks your Release Radar song instead of you. Miss release day and the song is not eligible at all. See How to Plan a Music Release: Step-by-Step Checklist for the full release timeline, and How Far in Advance to Submit to Spotify for the delivery side.
After You Submit
Once submitted, the pitch is in the queue. You can edit it up to release day, though Spotify does not promise editors will see changes made late. What you cannot do is pitch a second song while that one is pending. One active pitch at a time, and the next slot opens when the pitched song goes live.
There is no decline notice. If release day arrives with no editorial playlist, the pitch was not chosen for release week.
Placement can arrive late. Some editorial placements happen after release day. A curator might discover your song weeks later and add it. A single pitch can also result in placement on multiple playlists if different curators find it relevant.
Check your status in Spotify for Artists under Music, then your song, then Playlists. Editorial placements are labeled.
What Pitching Does Not Guarantee
Most pitches do not result in editorial placement. Spotify's own wording is blunt: pitching does not guarantee playlist placement. Editorial playlists have limited slots and the submission volume is enormous. Plan for no placement and treat one as upside.
Pitching gives you consideration, not placement. Algorithmic playlists, user playlists, and direct fan engagement often drive more streams than editorial placement for independent artists. Even without editorial placement, pitching seven days out decides which song your followers hear in Release Radar, which is the one algorithmic effect Spotify currently documents.
For artists building their careers independently, pitching is one tool among many. The artists who treat it as part of a larger release strategy do better than those who pin everything on a single editorial decision.
Common Pitching Mistakes
Pitching inside the seven-day window. You can still pitch, but you hand your Release Radar song choice to Spotify. Seven days is the minimum, and Spotify's release checklist recommends two weeks.
Leading with yourself instead of the song. Curators care about the track and whether it fits their playlists. Lead with the track, then add relevant context about you, your collaborators, and the story behind the song; Spotify also says relevant press, music-video plans, release schedules, and promotions can help editors assess it.
Being vague. "Good vibes" tells a curator nothing. Be specific about sound, mood, and context. Every sentence needs to carry weight.
Wrong genre tags. Selecting inaccurate genres to reach certain curators backfires. Mismatch signals that you do not understand your own music's positioning.
Expecting a response. You will not hear back. Do not email, DM, or follow up. The pitch is the pitch.
Assuming every track is eligible. Compilations cannot be pitched, and neither can songs where you are only a featured artist. Nor can anything already released.
Pitching every release identically. Each song is different. Each pitch should reflect what makes that specific track worth hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pitch the same song twice?
You get one active pitch at a time and one song per release. You can edit a submitted pitch up to release day, but Spotify does not promise editors will see late changes.
Does pitching help with algorithmic playlists?
In one documented way. Pitching at least seven days out lets you choose which song goes to your followers' Release Radar. If you do not pitch, Spotify chooses for you.
Should I pitch every release?
Yes. It costs nothing, and even if editors pass, pitching is how you pick your own Release Radar song instead of letting Spotify pick it.
What if my song is placed and then removed?
Editorial placements are temporary. Songs rotate off based on performance and editor decisions, and rotation is normal rather than a penalty.
Read Next
Pitch Smarter:
Orphiq's release planning tools work backward from your release date, so the pitch is drafted and ready before your delivery window closes. Apollo, Orphiq's AI music strategist, can generate that release plan and help you draft the pitch text. You submit it in Spotify for Artists yourself.