Do you want to get paid for listening to music and creating playlists for others?
Sounds like a dream.
Well, I'm here to tell you that it is possible!
And if you read this till the end, you will learn the mantra to become a great Spotify playlist curator.
If you have curated playlists played at every family event or get-together party, you must know that you are right for this job.
You’ll be doing the same tasks for a much larger audience with variegated music tastes. I have simplified this process by narrowing it down to the top 10 steps that can help you become a great Spotify curator.
So, without further ado, let's explore!
1. The Theme Game
The most significant part of the journey towards success is how you choose to begin with it. Being a Spotify playlist curator, the first thing you need to do is choose a theme for your playlist.
It is not as easy as it sounds. This isn’t just going to be a theme that YOU prefer. Instead, it will be something that the audience at a large scale on Spotify can relate to.
For example, you might be a jazz advocate, but some viewers might like to stick to more popular themes like RnB, Hip-Hop, Rap, Country, EDM, etc.
In that case, curating a playlist that incorporates such genres will buy you more followers.
So, once you’ve figured out a suitable theme that every user will halt and scroll at, you can move on to the next step.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
Your target audience is what will get you the followers on your playlist. For that, you need to check out the recent trends in the music market and start reviewing music that has humongous views on YouTube right after its launch.
Identifying your target audience's needs to synchronize with the generation that spends most of their hours on Spotify. One out of three chances is that you will curate a playlist for the closest generation to your age group. This is because you will probably have the same music taste and mentality.
For example, if you are in your mid-teens, opting for genres like hip-hop, pop, R&B, EDM, and rock will tip the scales towards you.
You might not be able to curate workouts for older generations because there may be a contrast in the music tastes for both of your generations. But, things can be the other way around for some people.
So, whatever be the case with you, one thing remains common that you must stick to the same generation as your target audience. So start curating a playlist that they won’t be able to resist.
3. Set Up Your Profile
Setting up your interesting profile is the initial part of your journey to becoming one of the great Spotify playlist curators in 2020.
Begin by creating an account and choose a name. This name must reflect the theme you have chosen to curate your playlist. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT write your name and leave it like that.
No one will search for your name unless you are already famous or one of your family members that you have recommended your playlist. However, the world needs to hear your playlist, so choose a name that will synchronize with that.
For example, a name like “ Workout Megamix 2020” is something someone who needs an everyday workout motivation will search for.
With the pandemic showering down upon us like an avalanche, people are obliged to stay home and maintain their immunity. So what better way to do than get in a workout every day, first thing in the morning right before the work-from-home fiesta commences!
Nothing gets them going like a workout playlist that will kick in their coffee/pre-workouts so they can drench in endorphins by the end of it.
The next thing is you have to add keywords. Don’t overcrowd your bio with keywords; add words that resonate with your theme and profile picture. Spotify algorithm will optimize your playlist and make it accessible to people if they like what they see.
Lastly, your profile picture can be removed by Spotify in case of copyright violations, so click your pictures and edit them to perfection as your viewers need to know that yours is a legitimate profile.
4. Adopt Fading Transitions
If you have observed music, you will notice that the transitions between the playlist's songs are abrupt. It misplaces your attention. On the other hand, if one song fades into the other in a stable flow, it becomes all the more attractive, and you end up saving that playlist.
It is exactly what must happen to your playlist once you have hit the great playlist curator Spotify meter. You need to pay close attention to two things while crafting your playlist.
The first one is that the tempo of the music you choose must be directly proportional to its energy.Additionally, crossovers between songs in your playlist will greatly increase the traffic on your playlist. Another thing you can incorporate is the way you frame the transition music. IFor example, if you are placing a song by Shakira in your playlist, Frank Sinatra does not place a song right after that.
If you are increasing the tempo of the playlist, go on doing that in ascending order. It will ensure better engagement by your audience, and most likely, it will be played by other parties.
For example, putting Shakira, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, The Pussycat Dolls, and Backstreet Boys together will badge your playlist as a ‘Classic 90s Hits’ playlist.
5. Make Separate Albums Under One Playlist
You must not skip this important step. You will notice that the playlists with the most followers on Spotify have several albums under the same playlist.
Also, you can do the same with yours, but make sure you keep the theme of your overall playlist in mind. Don’t opt for genres that oppose each other (like heavy metal and country). It might set the mood off for your listeners.
Keep the music in the albums loyal to the theme. In other words, imagine the theme being the glue that's holding all the albums together.
6. Accelerate Your Following Through Social Media
This step is all about observation skills and marketing, and there are many ways to go about it. However, I have stated the most effective ones down here for you.
Social media is your best friend here. Once you have curated the desirable playlist and you think it is good enough to be staged, start by sharing it on your social media accounts in an edgy way.
Five followers are better than zero. Remember, every successful person begins from the bottom.
So, start promoting yourself over channels like Instagram, Facebook, or any other you like. Post relevant things on your account consistently, and you'll see the follower count increasing.
7. Reach Out to Artists to Promote Your Playlist
Spotify for artists is an effective strategy that will gain you all the followers you need to get noticed as a legit Spotify playlist curator.
Once you have curated a commendable playlist, you can start reaching out to accomplished artists who can share your work on their profiles. The music of these artists needs to be accumulated in your playlist to promote it. No artist will be interested in promoting some other artist’s music.
You have hit the jackpot if they have updated your playlist on their profile as 'Artist’s Pick.' To put this credibility to test, go to Spotify, type in the artist’s name, followed by ‘Discovered On.’ You will come across the playlists that the audience has opened to discover the artist. If yours is on it, you are one step closer to your destination.
8. Engaging Content is Hydrating for Your Playlist
Over here, hydration is used in the sense of updating your playlist from time to time, editing it, and removing outdated songs. As a result, it will maintain user engagement, and you will never run out of followers.
Go back to your Spotify playlist and listen to all the songs every day on a loop, just like most of your go-to followers will be doing. Then, if you find any song that seems outdated, remove them, and if you want to add new ones, go ahead.
However, you should remember not to do a complete makeover in a day abruptly. That ends up shocking your regular users, and they might end up leaving your playlist.
The idea is to do it slowly and gradually with patience. Then, if you see that your followers are increasing even after making small changes, keep going at that pace.
9. Start earning
Once you have hit 400 followers or more, you can approach companies looking to hire one of the best playlist curators on Spotify. For example, they might want you to curate playlists for high-end showrooms and celebrity parties.
Just understand at this point, you will have to expand your horizons of thinking and appreciating music because you will be required to make music for every genre(sometimes even mixing genres).
10. It is Going to Be a Long Ride
Once you have chosen to become a Spotify curator, you should know that it's going to be a bumpy ride and a long one, for that matter.
Nothing happens overnight. Remain consistent, trust yourself, and expand your taste in music.
Conclusion
Trust the process to become a good Spotify playlist curator and remain true to your ethics of music. Don’t feel hesitant to expand the horizon. But yes, if you have a real passion for music, then only I would recommend you to go for it. Otherwise, if you do it just for the sake of making money, it won't last long, and you will be bored eventually.
On the contrary, if you have that passion for music, go for it and grab the opportunity.
By now, I am sure you have mapped out your destination to become a Spotify Music curator. Thus, consider the steps mentioned above to start your journey and keep thriving.
Best wishes on your enthralling endeavor.