The Complete Guide to Editorial Pitching on DSPs (For Indie Artists or Labels Using DistroKid)

Written By Drew Meagher

‍ ‍If you’re running an indie label like MugaTunes or are a indpendent artists looking to get your music in more people’s ears, this is your playbook. editorial playlists aren’t the business — they’re the accelerator.

The real goal is simple:

Create momentum → get noticed → amplify across platforms

This guide breaks down every relevant DSP, how to pitch, and exactly how to set this up as a repeatable system using DistroKid.

🎧 The Platforms That Actually Matter

We’re focusing only on platforms where editorial placement can realistically move the needle.

 

1. Spotify (Most Important)

How to Pitch

Use Spotify for Artists
👉 https://artists.spotify.com

  • Pitch one unreleased song per release

  • Submit at least 7 days before release (2–3 weeks is better)

  • Fill out all metadata:

    • Genre

    • Mood

    • Instruments

    • Culture tags

  • Write a short pitch (this matters more than people think)

Why It Matters

  • Editorial playlists (New Music Friday, genre lists)

  • Algorithmic boost (Release Radar, Discover Weekly)

👉 Even if you don’t land editorial, pitching helps trigger algorithmic distribution

 

🍎 2. Apple Music

How to Pitch

No direct pitch form

Handled through:

  • Your distributor (DistroKid)

  • Label / industry relationships

👉 You can access your dashboard here:
https://artists.apple.com

Why It Matters

  • Highly curated playlists (New Music Daily, Today’s Hits)

  • Strong passive streaming once placed

👉 More relationship-driven than Spotify

 

🎵 3. Amazon Music

How to Pitch

Use Amazon Music for Artists
👉 https://artists.amazonmusic.com

  • Pitch upcoming releases

  • Manage artist profile + analytics

Why It Matters

  • Lower competition than Spotify

  • Alexa ecosystem = underrated discovery channel

👉 Easy win if you’re already doing everything else

 

📻 4. Pandora (Underrated)

How to Pitch

Use Pandora AMP (Artist Marketing Platform)
👉 https://amp.pandora.com

  • Submit songs for:

    • Editorial playlists

    • Pandora radio stations

  • You can also:

    • Send voice messages to fans

    • Promote tracks

Why It Matters

  • Works like radio, not playlists

  • Songs can generate consistent passive streams over time

👉 If something catches here, it can quietly run up numbers

 

🌍 5. Deezer

How to Pitch

Why It Matters

  • Strong in Europe

  • “Flow” algorithm = their version of Discover Weekly

👉 Good for international growth

 

💎 6. TIDAL

How to Pitch

  • No public submission form

  • Must go through:

    • Distributor

    • Label relationships

Why It Matters

  • Highly curated

  • Smaller audience, but strong engagement

👉 More about credibility than scale

 

📡 7. iHeartRadio

How to Pitch

  • Through distributor or radio connections

Why It Matters

  • Blends streaming + traditional radio

  • Can matter for crossover records

👉 Secondary, but worth knowing

 

🔊 8. Audiomack

How to Pitch

👉 https://artists.audiomack.com

  • Upload directly

  • Engage with platform + community

Why It Matters

  • Strong for emerging artists and global markets

  • More community-driven than editorial

⚙️ How This Works with DistroKid

Using DistroKid:

What It Does

  • Delivers your music to all DSPs

  • Sends metadata (artist name, genre, release date, etc.)

What It Doesn’t Do

  • It does NOT actively pitch your music

  • It does NOT build relationships with editors

  • It does NOT guarantee editorial placement

Your Ideal Release Workflow

Step 1: Upload Early

  • At least 2–3 weeks before release

  • This unlocks:

    • Spotify pitching window

    • DSP editorial review time

Step 2: Pitch Platform-by-Platform

Spotify

  • Pitch inside Spotify for Artists (mandatory)

Pandora

  • Submit via AMP

Amazon

  • Pitch inside Amazon Music for Artists

Apple / Deezer / TIDAL

  • Rely on:

    • Distributor delivery

    • Metadata quality

    • Relationships (more on that below)

Step 3: Create Your Own Momentum

This is where most labels fail — and where you win.

For Muga:

  • Add tracks to your playlists early

  • Drive initial streams

  • Build velocity

👉 Editorial teams are far more likely to support songs that already show traction

Bottom Line

If you do this right:

  • Spotify = discovery engine

  • Pandora = passive radio growth

  • Apple = credibility + curation

  • Amazon / Deezer = bonus upside

And your playlists?

They’re the foundation that makes all of it work.

If you want, I can turn this into:

  • A repeatable weekly release checklist

  • Or actual copy/paste pitch templates for Spotify + Pandora + Apple

That’s where this goes from strategy → system

 

CHECK OUT OUR SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS

Follow on Spotifyto stream anywhere.

Drew Meagher https://www.drewmeagher.com
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