How to write a Spotify playlist pitch
You get one song per release, one box, and 500 characters. Here is what to put in it.
Written by NUDA, an independent label and distributor. We write these for our own releases.
The basics
You pitch from Spotify for Artists, on a track that is delivered but not yet released. You can pitch one song per upcoming release, and Spotify asks for it at least seven days before the release date. The form asks for genres, moods, instruments and a few other tags, and then gives you a free-text box of 500 characters. The tags sort your track; the text is where you tell an editor what it is and where it belongs.
A pitch does not get a weak track onto a playlist. It gets a good track in front of the right editor without making them guess.
Five things, in this order
What the track is
Genre and mood in the first sentence, in words an editor would use for a playlist. One specific genre beats three vague ones.
What it sounds like
The instruments that carry it, the vocal, the tempo, how it develops. Concrete details let an editor hear it before pressing play.
Where it fits
The listening moment and the kind of playlist. Late-night study, a Sunday morning, a peak-time club set. This is what helps an editor route it.
Why now
One real sentence of story: what the song is about or why it exists. A detail beats a mood.
What is behind it
Confirmed press, ads, shows or a video. Editors back releases that already have a push. Leave it out if there is nothing yet.
Examples
The first was written by Pitched from a real track, with the names taken out. The second is the kind of pitch we see most often.
This track is a melancholy, intimate bossa nova song sung in Portuguese, set over dusty lo-fi hip-hop drums. Acoustic guitar and soft electric bass carry a laid-back midtempo groove while a soft, airy female vocal sings of longing and shared moments. Fits late-night, rainy-day and lo-fi bossa playlists.
I have been making music since I was a kid and this is my most personal song yet. It is a unique blend of genres with an amazing vibe that everyone will love. Perfect for all playlists!
What wastes the box
The life story
Three sentences of biography and none about the song. The box is for this track.
Adjectives only
“Unique”, “fresh”, “genre-defying” tell an editor nothing they can place.
For fans of everyone
Six famous names help less than two close ones.
Promises
“This will go viral” is not a plan. Name what is booked.
Pitching late
Spotify asks for at least seven days before release. Most people who do this for a living go earlier.
Not pitching at all
The most common one. A plain, accurate pitch beats an empty box.