The 3 Types of Spotify Playlists
Before you pitch, you need to understand what you're pitching to. Spotify playlists in India fall into three categories — and each requires a completely different strategy.
1. Editorial Playlists
Curated by Spotify's human editorial team. Examples in India: New Music Friday India, Bollywood Butter, Hindi Indie, Punjabi 101, Tamil Hits. You can pitch directly via Spotify for Artists — but only for unreleased tracks.
2. Algorithmic Playlists
Generated automatically by Spotify's algorithm based on listener behaviour. The big ones: Release Radar, Discover Weekly, Daily Mix. You cannot pitch to these — but good metadata and early engagement drive placement.
3. User-Curated Playlists
Created by individual users and playlist curators with large followings. These are found through SubmitHub, PlaylistPush, or direct outreach. They don't have the same reach as editorial but are easier to get onto.
Part 1: Pitching to Spotify Editorial India
Spotify's editorial team in India is small but actively looking for new Indian music. Here's the exact process.
Distribute your track (unreleased)
You must distribute through a distributor before you can pitch. The track needs to be in Spotify's system but not yet released. Submit via Western Beats with a release date at least 7 days away. This gives you the pitching window.
Open Spotify for Artists and find your unreleased track
Log in at artists.spotify.com. Go to Music → Upcoming. Your unreleased track should appear there within 24–48 hours of distribution submission. Click "Pitch a song" next to it.
Fill in every single metadata field
This is where most artists fail. Spotify's editorial team uses your answers to determine which playlists to consider. Fill in: genre (be specific — "Hindi Indie" not just "Pop"), mood (up to 5), instruments used, city you're recording in, and a 500-character pitch description.
Write a pitch that tells a story
Don't just describe the sound. Tell the editor WHY this track matters right now. "This is a Hindi indie ballad about long-distance love — written during a 2-year separation from family, it captures what 40 million NRI Indians feel every day." Editors are human — give them a reason to care.
Submit at least 7 days before release
The window closes on your release date. Pitch early — 2–3 weeks before release is ideal. Late pitches are rarely considered. Set a reminder when you submit your track for distribution.
Part 2: Getting on Algorithmic Playlists
Release Radar and Discover Weekly are where the real scale happens. They each reach tens of millions of Indian listeners. You can't pitch to them — but you can engineer the conditions that make the algorithm include you.
What drives algorithmic placement
- Save rate — how many listeners who hear your track save it. Aim for 20%+ in the first week.
- Stream completion — listeners who hear the whole track signal quality to the algorithm.
- Playlist adds — users adding your track to their own playlists sends strong signals.
- Pre-saves — Spotify registers pre-save intent before release and uses it to populate Release Radar.
- Follower engagement — listeners who follow your artist profile get your music in Release Radar automatically.
How to build a pre-save campaign
Run a pre-save campaign 2–3 weeks before release. Use free tools like Toneden or Feature.fm to create a pre-save link. Share it on Instagram, WhatsApp groups, and YouTube community posts. Every pre-save converts to an automatic Release Radar add on release day.
Part 3: User-Curated Playlists
India has thousands of high-follower playlist curators — mostly running Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Indie playlists. These are reachable through direct outreach.
- Find curators via SubmitHub.com — filter for Hindi, Indian, or your specific genre.
- DM curators on Instagram — many Indian playlist curators have public Instagram accounts.
- Offer a genuine connection — follow their playlist, leave a comment, then reach out.
- Keep your pitch short: track name, genre, 2-line description, Spotify link. That's it.
- Don't pay for fake placement — always check that the playlist has real listeners (Spotify Charts or Chartmetric).
Top Spotify Playlists in India to Target
| Playlist | Type | Genre | Followers |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Music Friday India | Editorial | All genres | 2M+ |
| Bollywood Butter | Editorial | Bollywood / Hindi Pop | 5M+ |
| Hindi Indie | Editorial | Hindi Indie | 800K+ |
| Punjabi 101 | Editorial | Punjabi | 3M+ |
| Tamil Hits | Editorial | Tamil | 4M+ |
| Discover Weekly | Algorithmic | All (personalised) | 100M+ users |
| Release Radar | Algorithmic | All (from artists you follow) | 80M+ users |
FAQ: Spotify Playlists India
How do I submit my music to Spotify editorial playlists in India?
Via Spotify for Artists — go to Music → Upcoming, click "Pitch a song" on your unreleased track, and fill in all metadata fields. Submit at least 7 days before your release date.
What is the difference between editorial and algorithmic playlists?
Editorial playlists are curated by Spotify's human team (pitch required). Algorithmic playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly are generated automatically based on your listeners' behaviour — no pitch needed, but good metadata and engagement drive inclusion.
How long does it take to get on a Spotify playlist?
Editorial decisions are made before your release date. Algorithmic placement typically happens within 1–4 weeks of release. User-curated placements depend on curators and can happen any time.
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