Hacks
Whether you are an upcoming artist looking to get your music known or an aspiring curator, playlists are a great way to share your music and gain engagement. Here are a few hacks to create a great playlist on Spotify and build a strong community:
Don’t stick to a genre – appeal to emotions
You may have a type of music that you love more than others, but playlists that feature several genres instead of one are more likely to reach a broader range of people. As an artist, think of it as an opportunity to expand your fanbase. You can reach potential new fans who usually listen to different genres and haven’t heard about you yet!
While putting together your playlist, try to pick songs that appeal to a specific emotion or context. Some examples of cool playlists could be:
- Songs to sing in the shower
- Cozy night with my cat
- Tracks for a first date
- Best covers of all times
- Soundtrack of my life
Showcase new talents
If you show support to fellow musicians, they are likely to have your back as well. Add the latest single of the local band you talked to last week or spend some time browsing for new tracks. If you have good taste and keep doing this regularly, your community will grow substantially and your playlist will become a reference for your followers. That’s an amazing way to build a strong relationship with your fans.
Some good tools to find upcoming artists are:
Share your playlist on social media
Instagram. Share your playlist on Instagram and don’t forget to tag the artists you featured. Most of them might ignore you, but a single one may respond and drive fresh traffic to your Instagram account. Share the changes you make (songs you added, new discoveries, etc.) in your Instagram story from time to time and ask your followers for submissions: people love to share their new favorite song and that’s a great way for you to interact with your fans and build long-lasting relationships.
Websites and blogs. If you have a website or a blog, you can usually add a widget displaying your playlist very easily. You don’t have a website yet? I suggest building one. If you are an artist, your fans will use your website to check your latest news, stay updated on what you are doing and contact you. If you are a curator, you can also use a website as a portfolio for other work you do, or just create a blog about what you love. WordPress.org, Wix.com, SquareSpace.com and Webflow.com are great for professional and artistic websites. You can also create a very simple and pretty landing page using Carrd.com in less than fifteen minutes.
Create a QR code
Generating a QR code is another easy strategy to spread your playlist. Why would not you add one to the flyer for your next concert or your business card? You might also try to mysteriously spread it out: people could get curious and suddenly fall in love with your music.
Last but not least: keep working on your playlist EVERY DAY! Genuine, organic reach is hard to get and requires a lot of work but it’s really worth it.