What Do Playlist Recommendation Metrics Mean?

With the launch of our new Professional Plan, we release an exciting brand new feature: Playlist Recommendations. 

Recommendations are designed to help artists make more informed and precise choices when submitting music to playlists.

Every Monday, for each song uploaded to the Professional Plan (max 5), users receive 5 recommended playlists via the Professional dashboard. These playlists are ranked by how well they match your song. Each playlist is scored out of 100, giving you a clear and simple view of the best submission opportunities available that week.

But what do these scores mean? And how are they calculated?

Let’s dive into the 5 key metrics and how we weigh them to prioritize what matters most.

How Playlist Match Scores Are Calculated

Each recommended playlist is ranked using a 100-point system, made up of 5 categories:

Each category has a score weighting out of 100

• Genre Match: 30

• Language Match: 30

• Category Spread: 20

• Curation Quality: 10

• Vibe Match: 10

This means Genre and Language compatibility are the most important, without at least 1 match in each of these categories, there would be no reason to suggest the playlist! 

When you click “Show More” on your recommendations, you’ll see how your song performed in each of these areas.

A Closer Look: 

1. Genre Match (30 Points)

We analyze how many of your selected genres overlap with the genres chosen by the playlist:

• 0 matches = non-starter, we don't evaluate the playlist past here

• 1 match = 10 points, its the lowest score possible as has the lowest entry point

• 2 match = 20 points, this a very solid score overall and the playlist should be seriously evaluated

• 3 matches = highest score, you couldn't have had any more genre matches

2. Language Match (30 Points)

Whether your song is vocal or instrumental, and in what language, plays a huge role in compatibility:

• If the playlist is instrumental only and your song has vocals, that’s a poor match.

• If the playlist accepts any language, or your song’s language matches the playlist's specific filter, you’ll score higher.

We prioritize this heavily as along with selected genres, languages are two of the only criteria curators can set to clear filter types of submissions. 

3. Category Spread (20 Points)

This reflects how broad or niche a playlist is in terms of their selected genres, are the selected genres under the same broader category i.e. Alternative or Dance? Or, are they spanning many different categories such as Dance, Electronic, Hip Hop, Alternative and Latin?

• 5 genre categories = broad spread and heavily penalized scoring 

• 1–2 genres = more niche and focused and mean a much better score

In most cases, and especially in our system, tight curation and genre selection will provide the best opportunities and highlight the most careful curators. Remember, the best playlists in the long run don’t necessarily have to be the most followed, but the most carefully curated. A tighter curation is a better experience for the listener!

4. Curation Quality (10 Points)

This metric helps identify trustworthy and active playlists. It factors in:

• Acceptance rate (low = more selective)

• Follower count (1,000+ followers scores higher)

• Number of tracks (too many can reduce playlist impact)

• Average song placement length (over 1 week = higher score)

We include this to ensure you’re submitting to curators who take playlisting seriously.

5. Vibe Match (10 Points)

This score evaluates the audio compatibility between your song and the playlist’s sonic profile. We analyze and compare 8 audio attributes - this is an extended and more in-depth of the lite version of the Vibe Match you see during the submission flow:

• BPM

• Duration

• Mode

• Energy

• Loudness

• Danceability

• Speechiness

• Instrumentalness

The more of these metrics your song shares with the playlist’s averages, the higher the Vibe Match. It’s a small percentage of the overall score, but useful for making sure your track "sounds right" in the context of the list.

Why These Rankings Matter

We’ve ranked each metric based on what we’ve seen curators and listeners value most and what contributes to the best opportunity of artists finding accurate listeners and listeners finding the best artists.

By understanding what goes into your playlist recommendation score, you can make smarter decisions with your submissions!

Want to Receive Playlist Suggestions?

Our Professional Plan puts precision and data in your hands, helping you target the right playlists, with the right tracks, every single week.

Start your Professional Plan today by clicking the button below 👇

Turn Professional