How to Pitch Your Rap Track to Spotify Editorial Playlists (Step-by-Step Checklist)

You have a finished track, and you want it on a Spotify editorial playlist. There is exactly one official way to ask: pitch it to Spotify's playlist editors through Spotify for Artists. It is free, it takes a few minutes, and it comes with strict rules that many artists miss. This guide walks through those rules step by step, using only what Spotify itself publishes.

What is an editorial playlist?

Spotify separates its playlists into three groups, and only one of them accepts pitches:

• Editorial playlists are curated by Spotify's editors, described by Spotify as "genre, lifestyle, and culture specialists". They carry the Spotify logo in the byline. To get on one, you pitch an unreleased song to the editors.
• Personalized playlists such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar are made by algorithms and are unique to each listener. Spotify does not describe a direct submission process for them.
• Listener playlists are created by Spotify users. Spotify does not describe a way to submit to them, but when fans add your song, that tells Spotify about their taste.

Who can pitch, and which songs are eligible?

Anyone with Admin or Editor access on the artist's team in Spotify for Artists can view and edit a song pitch. A few rules decide whether a song is eligible:

• The song must be unreleased. Once it is live, it is no longer eligible.
• Compilations cannot be pitched, and neither can songs where you are only a featured artist.
• You can pitch one song at a time. You can pitch another one when the pitched song goes live.

That last rule matters for planning. If you release a lot of music, decide which single you want editors to hear first.

When should you pitch? The 7-day rule

Spotify's guidance is clear: deliver your music and pitch at least 7 days before the release date. Pitching in time also means the song is added to your followers' Release Radar playlists. You can edit a pitch up to release day, but Spotify warns that editors may not see the changes, so finish it properly before you submit.

In practice, do not treat 7 days as a target. Treat it as the last possible moment, and upload earlier if your release plan allows it.

How do you submit the pitch?

1. Log in at artists.spotify.com.
2. Open Music, then Upcoming.
3. Choose your unreleased song and complete the pitch form.

Spotify's own note on the form is short and worth remembering: more detail gives your song a better chance.

What should you put in the pitch?

The pitch is how editors find and understand your song, so do not leave fields half empty. According to Spotify's guidance for artists, useful details include:

• Genre and mood. Spotify's editors say to fill in every field "as accurately as possible", especially the mood and genre answers, because they help editors find your music.
• Instruments that feature on the track.
• Whether it is a cover, and the cultures you or the song belong to.
• Recording type. Live recordings are welcome, and the form lets you select the type.
• Your location and cultural sound. Being specific helps the right regional team find your music.
• The story. Explain the who, what, why, when, where and how of the song, and do not leave the note blank. Include press, music video plans, release schedules, promotions and linked social accounts.

If your track is explicit, say so. Spotify's editors tag explicit tracks, and some playlists, such as Coffee Shop Vibes and Spotify Kids, exclude them.

What do editors actually look at?

Spotify's editors have described their process publicly. They listen first. Then they consider culture, emerging artists and musical characteristics such as tempo, song structure and key. A few things they say do not decide the outcome:

• Your number of followers or monthly listeners.
• Blog write-ups or radio play.
• The length of the song.
• Which distributor you use.

Their advice is simply to pitch your best track. Spotify also states that relationships with Spotify staff do not influence playlisting.

Does pitching guarantee a playlist spot?

No. Spotify says clearly that pitching does not guarantee placement, and that editors might pick a different song than the one you pitched. Editors do not send individual feedback on pitches that were not selected.

For a sense of the odds: in a 2020 Q&A, Spotify's editors said the service had playlisted about 20% of pitches since launching playlist pitching in 2018. That figure is several years old, so treat it as a rough indication and not as a current statistic.

After your song goes live, check the Music → Playlists tab in Spotify for Artists to see where it landed. If you were not picked, Spotify notes you may still be discovered later.

Can you pay for a playlist placement?

No, and this is where many independent artists get burned. Spotify states that "no one can pay to be added to one of Spotify's editorial playlists", and that any service selling guaranteed playlist placement violates its terms. Spotify also says paid third-party services that guarantee streams are not legitimate.

The consequences are real. Spotify's support pages list withheld royalties for confirmed artificial streaming, corrected stream counts, removal of songs from playlists, action by your distributor (from warnings to removing content or suspending accounts) and, in repeated or egregious cases, removal of the content from Spotify. If you see your music on a suspicious playlist, you can report it through Spotify's playlist reporter.

The safe route is the free one: use the pitch form, and build a real audience with Spotify's own tools. For the bigger picture beyond Spotify, read How to Promote Your Rap Music as an Independent Artist.

A quick checklist before you submit

• The song is unreleased and is not a compilation or a featured-artist appearance.
• The music is delivered and the pitch is sent at least 7 days before release.
• Every field is filled in accurately, especially genre and mood.
• The note answers who, what, why, when, where and how.
• You listed your location, cultural sound, instruments, and whether it is a cover or live.
• Explicit content is flagged.
• You are pitching your strongest track, and only one song at a time.
• You are not paying anyone to guarantee a spot.

Where ShowRap fits in

A Spotify pitch is a single shot at one kind of playlist, and editors choose from a huge number of submissions. While you wait, you do not have to keep your music hidden. Add your track on ShowRap by linking your YouTube or Spotify release, and it can appear in the New section and the weekly ranking, where rap fans and other artists listen and comment. Add your track once it is out.

Sources

All facts in this guide come from official Spotify pages, checked on October 30, 2026. Spotify can change its rules, so confirm details in Spotify for Artists before you pitch.

• Pitching music and videos to Spotify playlist editors – Spotify Support
• Share New Music for Playlist Consideration – Spotify for Artists
• Behind the Playlists: Your Questions Answered by Our Playlist Editors – Spotify for Artists
• Types of Spotify playlists – Spotify Support
• Artificial streaming and paid 3rd-party services that guarantee streams – Spotify Support