Spotify’s Release Radar is an awesome opportunity for independent artists looking to gain exposure and grow their fanbase on and off of Spotify based. Here’s what I’ve learned based on after getting 50,000+ streams from this playlist to my own music.
In this article, we’ll go over a step-by-step guide on how to get your music on Spotify Release Radar and improve your chances of success on Spotify in general.
P.S. If you’d like to follow the free checklist that I personally used to get my music streamed over 50,000 times on Release Radar and 5.9 million times on Spotify in general, click here to grab my free 7-step checklist. 🤗
What Is Release Radar & Why Is It Important?
Release Radar is a personalized playlist that Spotify curates for each listener, featuring new music from artists they already follow or listen to. This playlist is updated every Friday and can be a game-changer for emerging artists (as it can lead to increased organic streams, followers, and overall visibility).
On top of this:
- It is completely free to pitch your own music to Release Radar (you just need to release new music)
- Songs with high engagement can get a “boost” where their music ends up in the Release Radar playlists of listeners that are similar to their current Spotify followers
- Focusing on this playlist allows you to create a “music-first release strategy” since your main goal is to simply release new music every 28 days to maximize your Release Radar potential
Let’s look at the 5 best ways you can get your music on Spotify Release Radar.
1. Understand the Spotify Algorithm
First, it’s important to understand the algorithm behind Release Radar.
Spotify’s algorithm is based on several factors, including an artist’s streaming history, release date, and overall popularity.
If the Spotify algorithm notices that ANY song is:
- Being saved by the people who listen to it at a good percentage (40% or higher)
- Is being listened to often (1.8 times on average or higher)
- Is being added to lots of normal listener and higher-profile playlists
Then it is in Spotify’s best interests to push that song out to similar people so it will then put your new song in the Release Radar playlists of Spotify users that are similar to your followers and listeners.
To optimize your chances of getting on Release Radar, you need to focus on getting high engagement on your new music as well as building a loyal following and increasing your overall popularity on Spotify.
Learn more: 3 Steps To Hack The Spotify Algorithm
2. Use Spotify for Artists To Pitch Your Music To Release Radar
Spotify for Artists is a powerful tool that can also help increase your chances of getting on Release Radar because you are able to “pitch” your new releases to Spotify using this tool.
In addition to being able to submit your upcoming release for playlist consideration, you can also monitor your performance data, and dive into robust data about your music and listeners.
However, you should know that if your next release has multiple songs, you can only pitch 1 song in the Spotify For Artists dashboard to show up in your follower’s Release Radar playlist.
For a walkthrough of how I usually fill out my upcoming release pitches, check out this video I made for you:
3. Promote Your Upcoming Release
Another way to improve your chances of getting on Release Radar is by promoting your upcoming release to get as many streams as possible to your music in the first 28 days.
By building buzz around your release, you can increase your streams and followers, which can help increase your chances of being “boosted” on Release Radar.
The most effective methods I’ve personally tested to work effectively are by sharing teasers on social media and running low-budget Facebook ads for musicians.
I’ve created this video for you to help you pick the best promotion tactics for growing your Spotify and boosting your Release Radar streams beyond just your Spotify followers:
4. Build Your Audience By Focusing On Spotify Profile Followers
Building a dedicated fanbase is crucial for long-term success on Spotify. This means engaging with your fans on social media, playing live shows, and releasing consistent and high-quality music.
The math is simple: the higher your Spotify follower count, the more Release Radar playlists you can organically be added to on release day.
The main trick I do here is always to point new listeners to my Spotify profile (even if it is an ad for a new song, the link ends up at my Spotify profile so they can easily hit the follow button).
By focusing on that Spotify follower count you are building a loyal following, which increases your overall popularity on the platform and dramatically improves your chances of getting on Release Radar and other curated playlists.
5. Release New Music Every 28 Days
Because a new song can be in Spotify’s Release Radar playlist for 28 days from release day, it makes the most sense to aim to release a new song every 4 weeks to capitalize on how often you have new music getting free streams from these playlists.
Additionally, Spotify editors are always looking for new music to add to their playlists, and by consistently releasing and pitching new music, artists can show that they are serious about their craft and committed to providing new, high-quality content on a regular basis.
(This is a big part of the approach I took to get on over 20+ Spotify editorial playlists with my own music)
With that said, It’s important to note that releasing music every 28 days is not a hard and fast rule, and artists should prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to their releases.
However, for artists who are looking to increase their visibility on Spotify and build a loyal fanbase, releasing new music on a regular basis can be a smart strategy.
To make it easier to repeat the process of releasing music every 28 days, click here to grab my free 7-step Spotify release checklist. 🤗
Bonus Tip: Optimize Your Spotify Profile
One way to increase your popularity on Spotify is by optimizing your artist profile so that you can make the most out of the opportunity for any new fans discovering your music on Release Radar who then move over to your profile to learn more.
This means having a complete and up-to-date profile that showcases:
- A back catalog of music for new fans to dive into
- An aesthetic, brand, or story for new fans to attach on to
- High-quality artist images, a compelling artist bio, and an “Artist Pick”
Here’s a look at well optimized Spotify profile:
In addition to this, having a verified Spotify artist account will increase your credibility and visibility on the platform.
Now It’s Your Turn
Getting on Spotify Release Radar can be a game-changer for independent artists looking to gain exposure and grow their fanbase.
By understanding the algorithm behind Release Radar, optimizing your artist profile, promoting your upcoming release, using Spotify for Artists, and building a dedicated fanbase, you can increase your chances of success on the platform.
While it takes time and effort to build a following on Spotify, the rewards can be significant, including increased streams, followers, and overall visibility.
So, keep releasing great music, stay consistent, and don’t give up on your dreams, my friend. 🥂
