Music Submission: How to Pitch Blogs, Playlists and Radio

A music submission is a pitch: you send a finished, released (or about-to-be-released) track to a blog, playlist curator, radio show or podcast and ask them to feature it. Done well, it builds early listeners, press quotes and social proof around a release. Done badly, it burns money on curators who never really listen.

This guide covers what to prepare before you submit, where independent artists actually pitch, how free and paid platforms differ, and how to judge whether a campaign worked.

What to prepare before any music submission

Curators hear hundreds of tracks a week. They decide in seconds, so the first impression has to be finished, not "nearly there."

• A release-ready master. Rough mixes get skipped. If your track still has muddy low end, harsh vocals or uneven loudness, fix that first. Our audio editing and mixing service exists for exactly this stage.
• A private or public streaming link. Most platforms want a Spotify, SoundCloud or private link, not an attached WAV.
• A one-paragraph pitch. Who you are, what the song is about, two or three comparable artists, and one concrete fact (a sync placement, a tour date, a notable collaborator).
• Artwork and press photos. Blogs need a square cover and at least one landscape photo. Our guide to designing album cover art covers sizes and what makes a cover read well as a thumbnail.
• Your links in one place. A simple press page or link-in-bio with socials, streaming profiles and contact email.

Where to submit music: the main channels

Channel	Typical cost	Best for	Watch out for
Direct email to blogs and radio	Free	Niche genres, local press	Slow; low reply rates without a relationship
Spotify for Artists editorial pitch	Free	Any artist with an upcoming release	One unreleased song per release; must be submitted ahead of release day
SubmitHub	Free standard credits or paid premium credits	Testing a song across many blogs and playlists	Free credits carry no guarantee of a response
Musosoup	Free to submit; campaign fee if accepted, plus any paid offers you accept	Blog reviews, interviews and playlist offers in one campaign	Paid offers add up if you accept many
Playlist Push	Paid campaign budget	Spotify playlist reach in established genres	Higher entry cost; results vary by genre

Prices on these platforms change, so check each one's current pricing page before you budget.

How to submit music to blogs for free

You can run a respectable music blog submission campaign without spending anything. It just takes more time.

1. Build a target list. Search for reviews of artists similar to you and note which blogs, zines and student radio stations covered them. Twenty well-matched outlets beat two hundred random ones.
2. Read their submission rules. Many blogs ask for a specific subject line, a streaming link only, or submission through a form. Ignoring this is the fastest way to be deleted.
3. Write a personal opening line. Mention a specific post or artist they covered. Keep the full email under 150 words.
4. Use SubmitHub's free credits. SubmitHub gives artists free standard credits that refresh over time. Curators are not obliged to reply to them, but they let you test a song at no cost. Premium credits are paid and require the curator to listen and respond within a set window.
5. Pitch Spotify editorial directly. Through Spotify for Artists you can pitch one unreleased track per release to Spotify's editors. Doing it well ahead of release day also helps the song reach your followers' Release Radar.
6. Follow up once. One polite follow-up after a week is fine. More than that damages the relationship.

Musosoup vs Playlist Push vs SubmitHub

Musosoup

Musosoup reviews each submission before it goes live. If your track is accepted, you pay a one-time campaign fee and curators (blogs, playlisters, radio shows, podcasts) send you offers. Some offers are free, some are paid, and you choose which to accept. It suits artists who want written coverage and interviews, not just playlist adds.

Playlist Push

Playlist Push matches one track with Spotify playlist curators based on genre and similar artists. You set a campaign budget, curators are paid to review, and they decide whether to add the song. It suits genres with large curator communities, such as pop, indie, hip-hop and electronic. Small, unusual genres often see weaker matches.

SubmitHub

SubmitHub lets you pick individual curators and pay per submission with premium credits, or use free credits. Its strength is control: you see each curator's approval rate and genre preferences before you spend.

A sensible order for most independent releases is free pitching first, then a small SubmitHub test to see whether curators respond to the song, then a larger Musosoup or Playlist Push campaign only if the early signals are good.

Red flags: avoiding fake promotion

Spotify's own guidance warns artists against services that guarantee streams or playlist placements for money, and artificial streaming can lead to tracks being removed. Be wary of any service that:

• Guarantees a number of streams, followers or playlist adds.
• Will not tell you which playlists or blogs your track will go to.
• Points you to playlists with huge follower counts but tiny, unexplained listener numbers.
• Asks for login details to your streaming accounts.

Legitimate platforms pay curators for their time and attention, not for a guaranteed add.

Measuring whether a submission campaign worked

Placements are not the goal; listeners are. After a campaign, check Spotify for Artists or your distributor's analytics for:

• Saves and playlist adds by listeners, not just curator playlists.
• Follower growth during and after the campaign.
• Source of streams: listener-owned playlists and your profile are healthier than one large curator playlist that drops off.
• Usable press quotes for your bio, EPK and future pitches.

If a song gets consistent rejections citing the mix or vocal sound, treat that as feedback on the production. Read how music producers shape a record before deciding whether to rework it or move on to the next release.

Frequently asked questions