We’ve all got a friend who loves nothing more than telling you about the hot underground bands destined to become the next big thing in your favourite genre. Now Spotify might be getting in on the act.
The streaming giant is now accepting unreleased music submissions from artists and labels, with selected tracks earning a place within listeners’ regular Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists
The new tool arrives in beta within Spotify for Artists and Spotify Analytics. Primarily, it is designed for established artists and labels, giving them more control over which tracks make their way into followers’ playlists.
However, given reports Spotify is looking to bypass labels by licensing music directly from artists (via Bloomberg), this could be a ploy to help it identify that talent. This could give those fledgling artists aplatform alongside established music and, if they perform well in playlists, Spotify could snap them up.
Spotify makes no mention of this in a blog post, but doesn’t specify that artists must be signed either. We’ve contacted the firm seeking clarification.
The company says: “Editors will be searching through submissions based on the information you share to find unreleased music to consider for their playlists. The song and all the info you add about it will also impact our personalized recommendations.
“For example, as long as you tag and submit your track seven days in advance, the song you select will automatically appear in every one of your followers’ Release Radar playlists. This way you have control over which single you’re promoting to your fans.”
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Here it seems like the submissions will ensure artists are promoting their track of choice. However, Spotify points out that no artists will be allowed to pay for placements within the playlists, which makes it even more amenable to unsigned artists.
Would you like to see more upcoming talent in your Spotify Premium playlists? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
