Playlist promotion communities connect artists with curators, enable playlist swaps, and share promotion tactics. The best communities have active curators, enforce quality standards, and discourage spam. Here are the top 10 worth joining.
What Makes a Good Promotion Community
Quality communities have active playlist curators (not just artists), clear rules against spam, genre organization, and consistent moderation. Avoid communities that are just artists posting links to each other—those don't lead to real placements.
1. r/SpotifyPlaylists (Reddit)
Type: Subreddit for playlist sharing. Why join: Active community where curators post their playlists and accept submissions. Read rules carefully—self-promotion has specific guidelines. Sort by 'new' to find curators actively seeking submissions.
2. r/IndieMusicFeedback (Reddit)
Type: Subreddit for indie artist feedback. Why join: While focused on feedback, many curators browse for new music. Giving quality feedback to others raises your visibility. Authentic engagement leads to playlist opportunities.
3. Spotify Playlist Network (Facebook)
Type: Large Facebook group. Why join: One of the largest playlist communities. Curators post submission calls, artists share music. Quality varies—verify any playlist before pitching. Search for genre-specific spinoff groups.
4. Independent Spotify Playlists (Facebook)
Type: Curated Facebook group. Why join: More quality-focused than general groups. Curators are vetted. Stricter rules mean less spam and better curator engagement.
5. Genre-Specific Subreddits
Type: Reddit communities by genre. Why join: r/indieheads, r/hiphopheads, r/electronicmusic, r/popheads all have weekly threads and curator members. Find the subreddit for your genre and engage authentically before promoting.
6. Music Production Discord Servers
Type: Discord communities. Why join: Servers like Producer Hive and genre-specific Discords have feedback channels where curators lurk. Real-time engagement builds relationships faster than forum posts.
7. SubmitHub Community
Type: Platform community. Why join: SubmitHub's blog and social channels share promotion tips. Following curators on social media helps you understand their preferences before pitching.
8. Indie Music Academy Communities
Type: Educational community. Why join: Communities attached to music marketing courses often include playlist curators as members or teachers. Learning and networking combined.
9. Playlist Curator Discord Servers
Type: Curator-run Discords. Why join: Some curators run their own servers for submissions and feedback. Search Discord for playlist-focused servers in your genre. Direct access to decision-makers.
10. Local Scene Facebook Groups
Type: Geographic communities. Why join: Local music scene groups in your city often include regional playlist curators. 'Chicago hip-hop,' 'Nashville indie'—local focus means less competition.
Community Engagement Rules
Never spam your links without reading rules. Give feedback to others before asking for attention. Build genuine relationships with other members. Curators notice who contributes value. Engagement karma matters.
Identifying Quality Curators in Communities
Check any curator's playlist before submitting. Look for recent updates, realistic follower counts, and engagement. Use bot detection tools even on community-sourced playlists. Community membership doesn't guarantee legitimacy.
Building Long-Term Community Relationships
The best playlist placements come from relationships built over multiple interactions. Comment on curators' posts, share their playlists, and engage with their content. When you pitch, they'll remember you positively.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before I should promote my music in a new community? Engage for at least a week first. Comment on others' posts, give feedback, learn the culture. Then introduce your music naturally.
Are playlist swap groups effective? Sometimes. They work best when quality is mutual. Swapping with low-quality playlists doesn't help. Vet any playlist before agreeing to swaps.
Do community curators expect payment? Most community curators don't charge for organic placements. Be wary of curators demanding payment—legitimate curators add music they like, not music that pays.
Summary
Playlist promotion communities connect you with curators and fellow artists. Best options include Reddit's r/SpotifyPlaylists, Facebook playlist groups, and genre-specific Discord servers. Engage authentically before promoting. Verify curator quality before pitching. Build relationships over time for consistent placement opportunities.