Why you should start curating your own playlists as an artist

In the constantly evolving landscape of the music industry, artists are looking for innovative ways to build and connect with audiences to stand out among the masses.

A strategy to build a long term brand and audience connection is playlist curation. As streaming platforms continue to dominate music consumption, one of the few opportunities artists have is to curate their own playlists as a move to promote their music and maximize the reach of their project.

Building a Brand Identity and Community

In a saturated market, establishing a distinct brand identity is crucial for artists looking to leave a lasting impression. Curating playlists allows musicians to communicate their unique style and personality beyond their own discography, it is a chance to show your audience how cool you are while building a solid brand. 

Whether it's a selection of songs that inspired a particular album or tracks that accompany their creative process, curating playlists provides artists with a platform to showcase their diverse musical tastes and influences - which adds to an artist’s brand identity. 

By sharing the songs that resonate with them personally, artists invite fans to immerse themselves deeper into the artist's creative mind. This establishes a more profound connection between the artist and the audience.

Drive streams to your songs

Curating a playlist and developing a community around it is a magnificent way to promote your own music. The cool part of playlist curation for artists is that they have full control over it - you can decide which song goes in and when a song is no longer a fit. Naturally, artists will include their own catalog in their playlists as a way to market it.

The challenging part of playlist curation is defining a solid and concrete editorial line for the playlist - it is necessary that the playlist covers a specific mood, genre, style or any concept the curator sees fit, but it has to be a consistent and clear concept. It makes a lot of sense that artists create playlists with a concept that aligns with the music they make.

Having a defined curation line for your playlist will increase the chances of listeners connecting with it and eventually build a playlist fanbase. Once artists have achieved this, they have control over a playlist that has real listeners and drives genuine streams to their songs, making themselves more independent.

Cross-Promotion and Collaboration

Collaboration has always been a driving force in the music industry, and playlist curation is no different. Playlists are made up of different artists and songs, representing in itself a form of a collaboration product. 

By curating playlists, artists can cross-promote with other musicians, creating a sense of community within their niche. This not only introduces fans to new artists but also opens doors for potential collaborations and joint ventures. The shared exposure benefits everyone involved, creating a network of mutual support.

You will find that other artists within your niche also curate playlists as a way to expand their brand and promote their own music. In that scenario, collaborations are even more profitable, as you can negotiate to trade songs for playlist placements. In DailyPlaylists we offer a playlist trades tool that automates and simplifies this negotiation process between artist / curators.

Conclusions

In conclusion, to start promoting your music by curating playlists you need to first build a playlist with an editorial line and defined concept, then build a fanbase around the playlist and finally use your playlist to promote your music and as a negotiation asset to place your music in other curators' playlist.

The benefits of playlist curation for artists are centered in music promotion, but they can go beyond that. It's a dynamic tool that enables artists to express their individuality, connect with fans on a deeper level, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of the music industry. 

If you are getting started in playlist curation or if you already have experience in the matter, check out the tools that DailyPlaylists give you to grow and maximize your playlists. In DailyPlaylists, you can open your playlist to submissions in exchange for Spotify followers, likes or an addition to your mailing list. And if you have a well developed playlist with proven engagement, you can start monetizing your playlist in our Premium Curator community (learn more about our Premium Curator community in this blog article).