10 Free Submission Sites To Get on Spotify Playlists
Updated: Nov 28
Music blogs and Spotify playlists have become one of the top ways for artists to get their music out to a larger audience. The difficult part for many independent artists is the cost of submitting music and knowing which playlists to submit to. In this post we are here to help you by showing you some of the best free music submission blogs to help you get your music out there.
This post will be broken down into three sections.
What are submission sites and how do they work?
Which are the top submission sites?
Tips for Success
What are submission sites?
Music submission sites are websites, most often blogs, that are focused on reviewing and sharing new music. You can find sites that are specific to genres, while others are open to all types of music. These sites range from paid services to free submission services. Sometimes the site offers the option to submit your music for free, or to pay for additional guaranteed services. The additional services you pay for often include a guaranteed listen, feedback, and more.
The submission process is different for each site. Some request that you email your submission to them or fill-out an online form while others use SubmitHub. If you want to learn more about SubmitHub be sure to check out our previous post to learn everything you need to know.
As mentioned before, many sites do request payment for music submissions but at Neon Collective we like to make things easy for you so we have compiled a list of the top 10 free submission websites so you don’t have to go searching!
Top 10 Sites
1. Indiemono
Type of Music: Alternative/Indie, Electro, En Espanol, Folk, Latin, Oldies, Pop, Rock, Urban
About: Indiemono is a blog and playlist submission site that supports music from various genres. Each genre is further broken down into playlists based on moods. This is great because it allows you to find a playlist that your music would fit perfectly into. They are committed to handpicking the music that ends up on their playlists in order to ensure quality and the best experience for their listeners.
Submission Information: Their submission process is super simple. All you need to do is go to their online form, select the playlist you would like to be featured on and fill out your information. The only thing they require is that you follow the playlist you want to submit to. Otherwise it is completely free with the option to join their Patreon for additional features.
2. Soundplate
Type of Music: Afrobeats/Afropop, Chill/Ambient, Chillhop/Beats, Classical/Piano, Country, Disco, Drum & Bass, HipHop/Rap, House/Electronic, Jazz, Latin, Pop/Commercial, R&B/Soul, Reggae/Dancehall, Rock/Indie, Synthpop/Synthwave, TripHop/Electronica
About: Much like Indiemono, Soundplate creates playlists for multiple genres and moods. Another cool feature they offer is featuring your playlists and not just your music. If you are interested in getting more exposure for your own playlists you can submit it to them. For more information on creating Spotify playlists check out our last blog post that talks all about it.
Submission Information: To submit music just go to their website and click on the playlist you would like to submit to. You will be prompted to follow their Spotify account and the playlist you want to submit to before submitting your music. A bonus is that there is a song analyzer that will help you determine if your song would be a good fit for the playlist you selected or not.
3. Soave Records
Type of Music: Chill House
About: Based in the Netherlands, Soave Records focuses on bringing the best in chill house music to their listeners. Their styles range from disco house, lounge, and lofi. Not only do they have curated playlists but they are also a record label that holds three sub-labels in addition to their main label. Their team is made up of artists, curators, and promoters from all around the world. This means they are very passionate and well-informed about the house scene and curate the playlists that feature only the best in house.
Submission Information: They ask that you submit your music through Groover or SubmitHub.
4. Simon Field
Type of Music: Tech/House
About: Simon Field is a dance and electronic musician who is well respected in the house scene. Along with all his musical accomplishments he curates playlists on Spotify that are reflective of the Ibiza house party vibe. Simon takes the time to listen to every submission, however he does not provide feedback.
Submission Information: Submissions for his Ibiza 2020 playlist are done by following Simon on Spotify at this link. This is the only place you can submit music for his playlist.
5. Daily Playlists
Type of Music: EDM, Hip Hop, House, Indie, Pop, R&B, Rock, Trap
About: Daily Playlists offers multiple playlists with a focus on House and Hip Hop. Like Soundplate, Daily Playlists takes submissions for both music and playlists. They are a great resource for gaining exposure both for your music but the playlists you curate (which you can include your own music on to get further exposure!)
Submission Information: The steps to submitting your music are simple. Just paste the link to your music, select the playlist you want to be featured on and follow to submit. You can submit a track here and submit a playlist here.
6. Songpickr
Type of Music: Americana, Blues, Indie
About: Songpickr is a blog based in Germany. They have a variety of playlists with a focus on Indie and laid-back tracks. The goal of their playlists is to get songs that otherwise would fly under the radar heard. They are passionate about getting exposure for lesser-known artists.
Submission Information: Music submissions are done through SubmitHub which you can do by clicking here.
7. Sidekick Music
Type of Music: Electronic
About: Sidekick Music provides curated electronic playlists. They are constantly updating their playlists focusing on specific vibes including party, disco, and more laid-back. If you create electronic music these are the playlists you want to submit to.
Submission Information: You can submit music to their playlists via their SubmitHub link.
8. ForTheLoveOfBands
Type of Music: Acoustic, Alternative, Americana, Folk, Garage, Indie, Punk, Reggae, Rock, Shoegaze/Dream Pop,Singer-Songwriter, Ska, Surf
About: They are an indie music blog that focuses on discovering up-and-coming talent and music. Based in the Netherlands, their team consists of people from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. This provides them with fresh perspectives and a varying taste in music.
Submission Information: All you need to do is click on their third option (which is their free option) and fill out their online form. From there your song may get featured on one of their playlists!
9. Kolibri Music
Type of Music: Acoustic Pop, Alternative, BritPop, BritRock, Country Metal, EDM, Indie, House
About: Kolibri is a very diverse blog that supports musicians across varying genres, moods, popularity, and countries. They have something for everyone, creating curated-customized experiences for all to enjoy.
Submission Information: To be featured on their playlists select the playlist you want to be featured on from their submit music page. You will be prompted to follow that playlist from your Spotify account in order to get a password to unlock the submission option. You can also submit through SubmitHub which almost guarantees you a response and will provide you with a shorter wait time.
10. Neon Collective
We are happy to say we're now FREE!
Type of Music: Folk, Indie-Pop, Singer-Songwriter
About: We have our own playlists and we would love to hear your music! Every month we pick songs that have been submitted to us for free to include on our playlists. We have playlists to match all kinds of moods and would love to hear from you.
Submission Instructions: Visit our website and click on the “submit your music” button. Then select the option you would like (we have a free option!) and fill out the form.
Tips
Artist Profile - Be sure to have your Spotify for Artist profile setup before submitting. If you are looking for more information be sure to check out our past blog post on Spotify For Artists.
Strategic Submission - If you are planning for your release you can make the Spotify submission process a part of your release strategy. Try submitting your music once you have distributed your music or a week before the release. You are able to submit your music after your release as well. Reflect on what approach would work best for you and make it a part of your plan.
Integrity - Many of these free sites state that they are not interested in your money and will not include your music on their playlist if you offer to pay them. These curators are passionate about their work and want to provide the most authentic and pleasing experience for their listeners. Do not offer to pay for a spot on their playlists. Trust the process and believe in your music.
Respect the Guidelines - As stated earlier each blog has a process for how they want music to be submitted. Respect their method and you will have no problem. Do not spam them with follow-up requests either.
Conclusion
As we learned Spotify has endless options of curators to submit to. Your overall goal when submitting music should be to target playlists that suit your music and to respect the curators process. Playlists can be an incredibly useful tool for getting your music heard when done right.
If you are looking for more tips on submitting to Spotify playlists you may find this article by Ditto helpful.