My opinion might be triggering for some, but I have been having this conversation with many artists lately, and I am becoming passionate about this. There is an entire “not so mini” industry built around selling artists the dream of playlist success, and honestly, I think a lot of it has become deeply misleading.
So much importance seems to be placed on getting added to third party playlists, as if a temporary spike in monthly listeners has the same value as building a real fanbase. Playlist submission companies know this. They sell the dream of growth, exposure, and success, while many artists end up paying for streaming numbers that disappear the second the playlist rug is pulled out from under them.
Even worse, it creates an unhealthy cycle between playlist companies looking for repeat placement and artists chasing the numbers that show up on their profile and provide a momentary sense of success. The numbers jump, the ego gets fed, the artist feels like something massive is happening, and then the moment the placement disappears, everything falls back to the real listener base. The metric you can act on with strategy.
The truth is, 150,000 passive monthly listeners from third party playlists can look impressive on the profile, but if those listeners have no relationship with the artist, no reason to come back, no emotional connection, and no interest in following the journey, then what has really been built? I would rather see an artist have 3,000 monthly listeners who are genuinely part of the artists journey. Listeners who come back. Listeners who save songs, follow the artist, watch the content, buy tickets, wear the merch, share the music, and feel connected to the artist’s story.
That is far more valuable than inflated playlist numbers that mainly serve as a temporary data buffer. The true test of an artist’s impact is simple. When the marketing stops, and the playlists throw you off because the campaign has expired, what is the artist left holding? That lowest base number is the one that tells you the truth about who really cares.
I believe artists need to focus less on chasing third party playlist spikes and more on building actual marketing systems around their music. Social media presence, content strategy, live performance, storytelling, fan engagement, email lists, community building, and consistent releases all matter more in the long term. It's the real work of building a fanbase.
To be clear, Spotify’s own algorithmic playlists are different. Those are worth chasing, because they can serve as a real introduction between artists and listeners, and are best as a buffer once they are activated, only one piece in a comprehensive overall strategy. A bonus of free introductions to listeners who are hand-picked by the algorithms to start a potential meaningful relationship. And you get paid for it rather than filling the pockets of playlist companies who are more interested in their bank accounts than supporting the fan/artist connections.
When the music connects, algorithmic discovery can lead to saves, follows, repeat listening, and eventually superfans, especially when the artist keeps delivering great music and regularly engages with listeners. At least Spotify algorithms try to connect likely successful relationships. That scenario is a win win for the artist and the platform because they introduce a relationship that lives on the platform. Listeners keep listening to the artist they love, and Spotify gets the associated traffic from that connection.
A deliberate marketing strategy is arguably more important. It introduces the artist to potential listeners in a targeted way that is more likely to create and foster a relationship. It also has peripheral advantages such as the artist endearing themselves to a potential fan, follows on social media, engagement and conversation on social media resulting in a sense of community, and it can give fans a first class ticket on the artist's journey if the strategy is honest and genuine. I can think of so many bands that I love and I actually feel some sense of participation and personal ownership in their journey spanning years. I still go back to them regularly with intent.
Playlists can be useful, but they should never be mistaken for a fanbase, and shame on play listing companies that prey on artists desperate for their moment to shine. I rather value the metric that shows personal playlist adds, meaning a real person has added the artist to their personal playlist with intent, essentially to include that artist’s music in the soundtrack of their own life journeys. This is the true and honest value of relationship building playlist interactions.
So I say, beware of pay to playlist models, or labels, and artist services companies who sell playlists as part of their value proposition. Instead, look for sales pitches that include strategies that consider long term fan relationship building, and genuine connection.