Playlist Pilot and Playlist Push are fundamentally different approaches to Spotify playlist promotion. Playlist Pilot is a DIY research tool that helps you find playlists, detect bots, and generate pitches that you send yourself. Playlist Push is a paid submission service where you pay $300 or more per campaign and they pitch your music to curators in their network on your behalf. The choice depends on your budget, how much control you want, and whether you prefer convenience or ownership of curator relationships.
TLDR: Playlist Pilot is a subscription-based DIY tool with AI matching, bot detection, and pitch generation—you control everything and build direct curator relationships. Playlist Push is a premium submission service ($300-$1,000+ per campaign) where they pitch for you but offer no placement guarantees and no direct curator contact. Playlist Pilot is better for budget-conscious artists who want control. Playlist Push is better for artists with larger budgets who prefer hands-off promotion.
What Is Playlist Pilot
Playlist Pilot is a Spotify playlist research tool that uses AI to match your music with playlists based on audio features like tempo, energy, mood, and genre. It includes algorithmic bot detection to filter out fake playlists, curator contact lookup to find emails and social media links, and AI-powered pitch generation to create personalized outreach messages.
The core philosophy is artist control and transparency. You select which playlists to target based on your own criteria. You customize every pitch. You send messages directly to curators and own those relationships. You see exactly which playlists are legitimate through bot scoring, and you decide where your music goes.
Pricing uses a subscription model with tokens for AI features. Monthly plans start much lower than Playlist Push campaigns, making it accessible for independent artists testing playlist promotion for the first time or running ongoing campaigns without breaking the bank.
What Is Playlist Push
Playlist Push is a playlist submission service founded in 2017 that connects artists with a network of approximately 900+ vetted Spotify playlist curators. You upload your track, select genres and similar artists, set your budget (minimum $300), and Playlist Push sends your music to curators who match your criteria.
Curators in the Playlist Push network are paid $1-$15 per song reviewed, regardless of whether they add the track. This payment-per-review model means you pay for curator consideration, not guaranteed placements. Curators provide feedback even when declining, which some artists find valuable.
The service has worked with over 30,000 artists and claims a combined curator reach of 23 million+ playlist followers. Campaign results vary widely—a typical $325 campaign might get pitched to 20-25 curators with 10-15 accepting the track.
Core Differences At A Glance
Control: Playlist Pilot gives you complete control over playlist selection, pitch customization, timing, and follow-ups. Playlist Push handles everything for you, which is convenient but removes you from the process entirely.
Pricing Model: Playlist Pilot uses affordable subscriptions with token-based AI features. Playlist Push requires $300-$1,000+ per campaign with no refunds if curators decline your track.
Curator Access: Playlist Pilot searches millions of public Spotify playlists and provides direct contact information (emails, Instagram, submission forms). Playlist Push only submits to their private curator network—you never get contact info or build direct relationships.
Bot Detection: Playlist Pilot uses algorithmic bot detection that scores every playlist for fraud risk. Playlist Push manually vets curators, but some users report receiving placements on low-quality playlists despite the vetting.
Guarantees: Neither service guarantees playlist placements. However, Playlist Push guarantees curator feedback within 14 days. Playlist Pilot cannot guarantee responses since you pitch curators directly who have no obligation to reply.
Relationship Building: Playlist Pilot lets you build long-term curator relationships through direct contact. Playlist Push handles all communication—you never interact with curators directly and cannot re-pitch them for future releases without paying again.
Feature Comparison
AI Audio Matching: Playlist Pilot uses Spotify audio analysis to match your song's tempo, energy, danceability, and mood with playlists featuring sonically similar tracks. Playlist Push uses genre tags and similar artist selection but does not analyze audio features algorithmically.
Bot Detection: Playlist Pilot includes systematic bot detection that analyzes follower patterns, engagement rates, and listener behavior to flag suspicious playlists. Playlist Push relies on manual curator vetting, which has limitations—users occasionally report placements on low-engagement playlists.
Pitch Generation: Playlist Pilot includes AI-powered pitch writing that creates personalized messages based on playlist themes, recent additions, and curator style. Playlist Push does not require you to write pitches—their team handles submission messaging internally.
Curator Contact Info: Playlist Pilot provides emails, Instagram links, and submission forms for direct outreach. Playlist Push keeps curator identities private; you cannot contact curators directly or build relationships outside the platform.
Campaign Analytics: Playlist Push provides detailed campaign reports showing which curators reviewed your track, who added it, streams generated, and feedback received. Playlist Pilot tracks your own outreach but does not centralize analytics since you manage communication directly.
TikTok Promotion: Playlist Push offers TikTok creator campaigns starting at $380+. Playlist Pilot focuses exclusively on Spotify playlist promotion and does not include TikTok features.
Pricing Comparison
Playlist Pilot Pricing: Subscription-based with token usage for AI features. Free tier available for basic research. Paid plans unlock full features at a fraction of Playlist Push campaign costs. You can run unlimited campaigns as long as you have tokens.
Playlist Push Pricing: Minimum $300 per campaign. Average campaigns cost $450. Large campaigns can exceed $1,000. Pricing varies by genre availability—popular genres cost more. No refunds regardless of results. One-time payment per release.
Cost Per Placement: With Playlist Push, if a $325 campaign yields 13 placements, that's approximately $25 per playlist add. With Playlist Pilot, subscription costs are fixed regardless of how many playlists accept your pitch, making cost-per-placement potentially much lower for active artists.
Budget Accessibility: Playlist Pilot is accessible for artists testing playlist promotion or with limited budgets. Playlist Push requires significant upfront investment, making it better suited for artists with established marketing budgets or label backing.
Use Case Differences
Choose Playlist Pilot if: You want complete control over your promotion strategy. You prefer building direct curator relationships for future releases. You have a limited budget and want to run multiple campaigns affordably. You value transparency and want to see bot scores before pitching. You're comfortable doing outreach yourself and want to learn the process.
Choose Playlist Push if: You have $300+ per release to spend on promotion. You prefer hands-off promotion where someone else handles outreach. You want guaranteed curator feedback even from curators who decline. You value convenience over control. You have limited time for DIY research and pitching.
Combined Approach: Some artists use both—Playlist Push for major releases when budget allows, and Playlist Pilot for ongoing catalog promotion and relationship building. The tools are not mutually exclusive.
Data Quality And Results
Playlist Pilot Data Quality: Every playlist is scored for bot activity using engagement analysis. You see exactly why a playlist might be flagged as suspicious. Contact accuracy depends on public data availability, but the tool verifies freshness. Results depend on your pitch quality and music fit.
Playlist Push Results: Published case studies show mixed results. A $325 campaign might yield 13 playlist adds and 40,000+ streams—or far fewer depending on music quality and genre competition. Curator quality varies; some users report placements on playlists with excellent engagement, others on low-value playlists despite the vetting process.
Transparency: Playlist Pilot is transparent—you see every playlist before pitching and can evaluate quality yourself. Playlist Push is less transparent—you don't know which curators will receive your music until after the campaign, and you cannot pre-screen playlist quality.
Pros And Cons Summary
Playlist Pilot Pros: Affordable subscription pricing. Full control over targeting and messaging. Direct curator relationships. AI bot detection protects against fake playlists. AI pitch generation saves time. Works for unlimited releases on subscription.
Playlist Pilot Cons: Requires you to do outreach yourself. No guaranteed curator responses. Learning curve for first-time users. No TikTok promotion features.
Playlist Push Pros: Hands-off promotion—they handle everything. Guaranteed curator feedback within 14 days. Large vetted curator network with 23M+ reach. Professional campaign analytics and reporting. TikTok promotion option available.
Playlist Push Cons: Expensive minimum ($300+) per campaign. No placement guarantees despite high cost. No direct curator contact or relationship building. Variable curator quality despite vetting. No refunds regardless of results. Poor for artists with limited budgets.
What Artists Say
About Playlist Push: Reviews are mixed. Positive experiences cite placement on large playlists and professional service. Negative reviews mention expensive campaigns with low placements, some low-quality curator additions, and poor ROI for emerging artists. Trustpilot shows generally positive sentiment, but independent reviews are more critical.
About DIY Tools Like Playlist Pilot: Artists who prefer control appreciate the ability to vet playlists themselves, build direct relationships, and avoid expensive per-campaign fees. The tradeoff is more time investment in learning and execution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
Playlist Pilot and Playlist Push serve different needs with different philosophies. Playlist Pilot is a DIY research tool with AI matching, bot detection, and pitch generation—you control everything at affordable subscription pricing and build direct curator relationships. Playlist Push is a premium submission service ($300-$1,000+ per campaign) that handles outreach for you but offers no guarantees and no direct curator access. Choose Playlist Pilot for control, transparency, and budget-conscious promotion. Choose Playlist Push for hands-off convenience if you have the budget and prefer not to do outreach yourself.