Do Spotify Playlists Grow Your Fanbase? How to Turn Playlist Streams Into Fans

A lot of artists think the goal is to get their song on a playlist. The goal is conversion: turning the person who hears your song into a fan.

Getting streams from a user-curated playlist is nice, and it can help you grow by giving you exposure. But a playlist stream is different from gaining a fan.

It's exciting that someone found your song on a playlist. But if they don't click on your profile, follow you or stream anything else, that's kind of the end of the story for them.

That said, playlists are still important. Use them as a tool to create momentum, and don't treat the placement as the finish line.

How to use playlists to grow

1. They boost your popularity score.

Spotify ranks your songs based on how well they perform, and that's called your popularity score. It affects everything from your placement on Spotify Radio to how likely you are to land on algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar.

User-curated playlists are also one of the cheapest ways to get streams. If you submit your song to playlist curators, you can get a high number of streams for less money.

2. They help the algorithm understand your genre.

The more playlists your song is added to, especially genre or vibe playlists, the easier it is for Spotify to understand who to show your music to.

If 500 people listen to your song inside a playlist full of garage music or energetic indie rock, Spotify understands the song better. That improves your targeting for algorithmic playlists, radio and recommendations.

3. They work as social proof.

When someone visits your profile and sees your song on 30+ playlists (let alone big, well-streamed ones), it leaves an impression: "People like this song. Maybe I should give it a listen too."

The same goes for pitching, whether it's to playlists, radio stations or music blogs. Being able to say "this song has been added to 30+ playlists" instantly boosts your credibility.

If you want to know how to get those placements in the first place, I wrote my step-by-step playlist pitching guide.

Bonus tip: create your own playlist

Name it something like "This Is [Your Artist Name]" and put your best songs in it. That way, when someone streams one song, they'll check out the others too.

You can also add other artists' music to make it more varied and fresh, which might even help you grow your network.

If you want to take this further and grow a playlist that brings listeners to your music every day, I teach the whole system in Label Level Playlists.

What happened with my first EP

When I released my first EP, I spent a ton of money on playlist submissions.

I believed the music was enough to pull people into my world, and that playlist adds meant guaranteed growth.

A lot of my songs got placed on good playlists. But I was so disappointed when I found out that, apart from a few streams here and there, nothing much happened. It didn't grow my audience, and it didn't grow my career.

Playlists are a powerful tool, but only when you use them to bring listeners into your world and keep them there.

A content idea to try: "Do you make music?"

A guy walks through a park, asking people if they make music. Most say no.

Then he asks a girl sitting on a picnic blanket, and she says yes. They talk for a bit, and he asks if he can feature her song in the video. She agrees without hesitating.

Was it staged? Probably. But honestly, viewers don't care. The video blew up, and the song pulled in over a million streams.

It uses UGC-style content (user-generated content), so it looks like someone from the audience is promoting the artist, even though it's all part of the plan.

How to make one:

• Write a script around a simple scenario that feels natural, like meeting someone in the park, at a coffee shop or even at the gym.
• Film it with a friend who can help you shoot and follow the script. Having another set of hands can instantly raise the quality of your content in general, so don't underestimate it.
• Frame it as a discovery. Instead of saying "here's my new song", make it feel like someone else is featuring you.

Why it works so well:

• It looks like someone else is sharing your work, so it doesn't feel like an ad.
• It feels authentic, which makes it more relatable, even though it's scripted.
• It doesn't try to hide that it's scripted, and neither should you. A lot of creators script their content today, and as long as you plan it well and it's entertaining and feels natural, you're good!