Spotify uses its own algorithms to reward artists with new listeners organically within their own platform. There are 4 main types of algorithmic playlist, and each one has their own trigger points.
1. Release Radar
Pre-save Campaign
Creating a link from your distributor / link platform to gather pre-saves can start the initial movement on the release radar - the more pre-saves the further the release radar will reach out to new listeners and possible fans. Pre-Saves don’t usually make a large difference on the editorial side of things, but it does improve your algorithmic reach and success.
Spotify For Artists Pitch
Filling this pitch out a minimum of one week before release will create an early start for the release radar to configure new listeners based on the data you put into it, such as genre/mood.
Independent playlisting
This can help the algorithm understand where you fit in terms of similar artists - a good linear playlisting push can help to boost the release radars reach on further releases down the line.
Release Consistency
The more you release, the more rewarding the release radar will be, especially if you have promoted previous singles in the right way. It has the ability to go way beyond your followers with consistency.
2. Daily Mix
New Listeners Saving Your Music
Each time a new listener saves a song, or adds it to their own playlist, the more your music gently surfaces in their daily mix.
Number of saves
On average, a song needs to be saved around 50+ times by similar listeners to begin triggering your track within their daily mix.Once this triggers for one song, there is no further trigger point, it will be automatic.
Independent playlisting
Hitting playlists with listeners that all listen to similar music can help your song reach the daily mix of listeners who haven’t necessarily followed, but have heard you on different playlists. This is usually triggered when a listener has heard a song of yours more than once over their listening habits.
Accurate Genre Data
Keeping a linear perspective of the genre on both your distributor upon upload, as well as the Spotify for artists pitch upon the initial release will help Spotify to quickly recognise where you belong in terms of organic reach beyond listeners that save/playlist your music. Your Daily Mix will trigger from other discovery algorithms for artists, which can also include autoplay.
Growth
The more that tracks are seeing growth even from a smaller perspective can help the daily mix algorithm initially begin to understand where to push you further in terms of similar listeners and similar artists
3. Discovery Weekly
Popularity Rating
Spotify has its own popularity algorithm built in, this is determined on a 0/100 score rating. Once a song is receiving consistent streaming and traction, the rating will rise. The point that Discover weekly will begin to surface is from 30/100 onwards. You will need to be receiving between 400 - 600 streams per day to reach this score ‘We believe that this index is integral to everything Spotify does in curating their playlists’ - Chartmetric
Organic Listenership
Spotify recognises inflated/fake streams instantly on the backend, so if your song is not receiving real organic listeners, then the trigger point will not respond to the traction and cause a further delay.
Editorial / Independent playlisting
Reaching the right playlists in the right area of listeners can hugely help to point the discover weekly algorithm in the right direction upon hitting the popularity score.
Discover weekly can begin either very gently, or very busy based on how well the song is received on an individual basis. Once Discover Weekly pushes you out to new listeners, the listeners will need to interact with the song in order for it to be pushed out further. Each song released will need to surpass a 30/100 popularity score to have the Discover Weekly Algorithm recognise the track.
4. Spotify Radio
Popularity Index
There isn’t a specific Popularity score that triggers the Radio playlist, but the higher your score the more streams this algorithm will likely deliver. From our experience the radio algorithm is triggered around the 20/100 mark but can sometimes be lower.
Fans Also like
Once you have a few weeks of listenership, the Spotify radio will begin to automatically place you alongside similar artists so that new listeners will discover you through other artists you relate to.
Organic Listenership
Spotify recognises inflated/fake streams instantly on the backend, so if your song is not receiving real organic listeners, then the trigger point will not respond to the traction and cause a further delay.
Editorial / Independent playlisting
With targeted playlisting putting you within the right genre-spheres, the more you are alongside similar artists on playlists, the quicker Spotify’s Radio will sync you within the system, and begin to push you into different artist radios.
Discovery Mode
Spotify has recently brought in a new system to support artists through Radio algorithms, and autoplay algorithms. You can access discovery mode once you have reached the threshold of either 1,000 Followers, or if you are receiving 25,000 organic streams monthly. This will automatically work the algorithm harder to reach new listeners across similar listeners, but much further.
5. Further Algorithmic systems used by Spotify
Spotify also uses artificial intelligence to configure the world of new sub-genres, as well as locational based traction. These playlists are known for automatically adding songs literally based on the sound and the data inputted upon release.
The Particle Detector is an AI built by Spotify to determine sub-genres of a track by 3 different categories (The Edge of, The Pulse of, and The Sound of). These playlists are triggered when a song is receiving good organic traction.
‘The Edge Of’
The Edge of is a playlist that automatically add songs that are not the direct genre, but have elements of the genre.
‘The Pulse Of’
The Pulse of is a playlist that automatically adds songs that are closer to the mark of the genre. If your track is placed high in the edge of playlist, you will receive a further placement in the pulse of
‘The Sound Of’
The Sound of is a playlist that automatically adds songs that are closer considered to fit fully into a genre/sub genre. If your track is placed high in the Pulse of playlist, you will receive a further placement in the Sound of.
6. Spotify - Discovery Mode
Algorithmic internal curators can also stretch as far as country traction/specific locations, and even different universities listening habits.
The Sound Of Spotify (Cities)
These playlists are auto-created based on meta-data, and making sure it aligns across your distributor & Spotify for artists pitch. If you have a good local listenership, it is likely you will get onto these playlists quickly. Here is an example:
The Sound Of Spotify Schools
These playlists are auto-generated by Spotify based on listening habits coming from specific Universities/Colleges worldwide, here is an example:
Spotify - Discovery Mode
Discovery Mode is a tool built by Spotify to help artists reach new heights on the radio, and autoplay features provided for listeners. This is basically Spotify pushing your song into further listeners radio algorithms, as well as prioritising your songs on ‘Autoplay’ for listeners that listen to similar artists too. Each month that you run.
Discovery Mode, the more it will learn what works best for your music and create stronger success. Once you have reached a specific threshold of a minimum of either 10,000 monthly streams / 5,000 Monthly listeners or 1,000 followers. It is likely you will already have both the streams and monthly listener targets reached after/during a good campaign. This can help Discovery Mode trigger for the month after.
Please note: Discovery mode is not available/not usable to a small number of distributors as of yet. More information on discovery Mode here.
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