In this digital age of music, playlist additions and store features (banners, new release covers, etc.)

can be a great way to present your music to new people, build rapport amongst the music

community & ultimately grow your fanbase. They can also assist in providing fantastic release

momentum & great marketing opportunities via the assets provided by the stores when such a

feature is achieved.

The main pathway that’s taken to pitch a release for a playlist addition or store feature is via your

distributor. Music distributors are provided with submission tools that allow them to pitch upcoming

releases to each platform’s editorial team. Usually these are in the form of something like a google

form or spreadsheet. In addition to this, most distributors and labels are given a rep for each

platform, that they can pitch priority releases to. Regarding Noisehive itself, the pitching team are in

frequent contact with our reps to ensure that they’re across our priority releases. Releases can also

be pitched by 3rd party media companies; however, this is usually at a cost & part of a much larger,

comprehensive, release campaign.

Another avenue that can be taken to pitch a release is via Spotify for artists, a tool that allows artists

to keep track of streaming analytics such as streaming, listener demographics & playlist additions.

Whilst other platforms have similar tools, what makes Spotify for Artists so useful is the fact that it

allows you to pitch an upcoming release. Their editorial team likes to see the Spotify for artists

pitches coming from the artist too, so it’s something we encourage the artist to doing prior to the

release.

There are several factors that impact the success of a pitch, the most crucial of these being the

information that is presented to the platforms. Whilst it’s certainly still useful to present the

platforms with a press release, they’re more interested in things that are going to contribute to the

promotion of the release, such as.

• Marketing Rundown (approximate spend towards DSP's, which 3rd party promo

companies are being used, etc.)

• Radio/DJ support

• Tour Dates (Including festival performances)

• Sync Licensing (Placements in film, TV or advertising)

• TV/Radio Performances

• Creative campaigns

• Press Activity

• Noteworthy sales/listener history

• Playlist Targets

Liaising with your distributor to ensure that they are across as much of this information as possible is

the best way to ensure your pitch is effective.

Most platforms also work off a minimum one-week lead time when pitching a release, with most of

them requiring anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks. We suggest delivering your release 4-6 weeks ahead of

release to ensure that there’s adequate time to pitch it. Whilst they’re extremely useful, store

features aren’t easy to come by, so focusing your attention on a few different avenues will yield the

best results. There are many ways to build a supportive fanbase & develop the strength of your artist

brand beyond playlisting!