A lot of artists choose a Spotify playlist pitching service based on blog posts, Trustpilot reviews, promised streams, etc. But few artists research how much of the campaign budget actually reaches the playlist curators responsible for featuring you on active playlists. Curator payouts directly influence playlist quality, audience growth, and long-term engagement. In this analysis, we compared 19 Spotify submission platforms to see how artist spending is divided between the platform and the playlist curators.
The logic is simple: the more you pay your curators, the more promotion budget they can reinvest into their playlists, likely leading to higher streams for featured artists. It also improves the chances of the Spotify algorithm boosting your song, as Spotify notices your song taking off.
Our Methodology
We use the standard campaign price for all platforms. We do not take discounts into account unless they are included in the smallest available package, as most artists start with smaller campaigns to test a platform.
An Overview of All Submission Platforms and How Revenue Is Shared with the Curators
| Name | Artist Price per Curator | Minimum Package | Amount Paid to Curator | Share Back to Curators (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. PlaylistsForYou | $2.75 | $55 | $2.20 | 80% |
| 2. Recordlabel | $10–50 | $97 | $5.50–28 | 55% |
| 3. SubmitHub | $1–5* | $10 | $0.50–2.50* | 50% |
| 4. Groover | €2 | €10 | €1 | 50% |
| 5. Unhurd | £6 | £70 | £3 | 50% |
| 6. One-submit | $1–5 | $50 | $1–2.50 | 50% |
| 7. Songrocket | $3 | $3 | $1.50 | 50% |
| 8. Curator Club | $2 | $30 | $1 | 50% |
| 9. Submitlink | $2–5 | $30 | $1–2.50 | 50% |
| 10. PlaylistPush | $8 | $285 | $1.25–15* (avg ~$3.50) | 44% |
| 11. Orion Promotion | $5.50 | $79 | $1–14* (avg $2) | 36% |
| 12. Wallstream | $1–10 | $10 | $0–4, royalty 1–25% | 30/40%** |
| 13. SoundCampaign | $10 | $150 | $1–14* (avg $3) | 30% |
| 14. MusoSoup | $0 | $42 | 1–25% of royalties | 0–25%** |
| 15. Songtools | $0–3 | $70 | No data available (NDA), often $0 | 10% |
| 16. YouGrowPromo | €10–97 | €97 | NDA | NDA |
| 17. Daily Playlists | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A (Free) |
| 18. Soundplate | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A (Free) |
| 19. Pitch Playlists | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A (Free) |
* = Depending on the estimated curator's "level" of engagement (not very reliable) ** = With a lucky super-viral song you might get something. On average, with 250 streams from a playlist, a curator earns $0.25 (assuming 25% equity, $4 per 1000 streams) + base pitch fee for wallstream, so $0–4.
The Insights from All Submission Platforms on How Revenue Is Shared with Curators
The data shows a lot of variation in how playlist submission platforms distribute revenue to the curators maintaining and growing the playlists they use. Platforms such as PlaylistsForYou and Recordlabel.ai use some of the most curator-friendly revenue models. Then, a large amount of submission platforms share revenue 50-50. At the lower end are the royalties sharing platforms, and the platforms with a flat fee model (a flat fee model). These platforms pay much smaller amounts, because they send out the song to all curators. This also means curators are not able to invest as much into the playlists' activity, sometimes leading to more disappointing results.
However, the curator revenue share alone does not guarantee stronger campaign performance. Factors such as audience retention, genre targeting, and campaign execution also influence artist results. Furthermore there are arguments to be made about the total compensation per track. If we compare this, we see the bigger curators platforms still reign, as they are often able to also ask higher prices per curator to artists. That top 3 consists of Recordlabel (which in practice pays curators mainly when they accept), Unhurd and PlaylistPush. The ideal balance is in the mix between these two elements. You want a website which pays your curators well, so they can invest enough into the playlists you get featured on. You also want your pay per curator to be reasonable, so your costs per stream (CPS) stays profitable. Taking all these factors into account, PlaylistsForYou and Recordlabel come out as winners of our test. If you want to learn more about an important distinction between all these platforms, you should read our comparison between direct curator outreach and intermediary platform submissions.
An Overview of the 5 Biggest Submission Platforms and How They Share Revenue with Playlist Curators
| Name | Artist Price per Curator | Minimum Package | Amount Paid to Curator | Curator Pay per Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. PlaylistsForYou | $2.75 | $55 | $2.20 | 80% |
| 2. Groover | €2 | €10 | €1 | 50% |
| 3. SubmitHub | $1–5* | $10 | $0.50–2.50* | 50% |
| 4. PlaylistPush | $8 | $285 | $1.25–15* (avg ~$3.50) | 44% |
| 5. SoundCampaign | $10 | $150 | $1–14* (avg $3) | 30% |
* Depending on the estimated curator's "level" of engagement.
What Is the Problem with Submission Platforms That Give a Low Revenue Share to Their Curators?
Here is the problem we want to highlight: some large playlist pitching services keep a high share of campaign revenue, which may limit how much their curators invest into playlist engagement. If curators only receive a small cut, they cannot continue investing in playlist growth. Consequently, listener activity drops. This responsibility is pushed around and between submission platforms, and few support curators to improve their playlist quality. With PlaylistsForYou 80% of campaign revenue goes back to curators, allowing them to reinvest more into playlist growth and audience engagement. Recently, a second group also started supporting curators. The United Curators Association (unitedcurators.org) has called upon many submission platforms that the situation of low pay for curators needs to be changed, to give artists more value for their money.
Smart artists need to understand this dynamic: when curators receive a larger share of the campaign revenue, they can reinvest it into advertising leading to more engagement growth. Bigger audiences are more likely to trigger the Spotify algorithm, making it more likely your song takes off when landing on one of these playlists. So in the end, artists should support platforms that prioritise the curators' playlists, by giving them a fair share to grow.
Which Platform Gives the Best Value Long Term to Artists?
PlaylistsForYou is the platform that lets curators reinvest 80% of their earnings into their playlists, meaning these playlists are most likely your best option for promotion. Almost every dollar you spend goes directly to the curator you work with closely. To make the most of your advertising budget, it is also important to understand how curators actually select songs for their playlists. Another element that adds a long-term value is the advantage of directly connecting with curators, and working together for longer periods of time. This means you're no longer just another submission among the many. A more personal platform helps you build ongoing collaborations, where curators get much more invested in your success. This can lead to higher acceptance rates and the Spotify algorithm often notices it when artists are more consistent with their results.
The playlist promotion industry increasingly depends on individual curators for playlist engagement and quality. Platforms like PlaylistsForYou, or Recordlabel that reinvest more revenue into curator ecosystems create stronger long-term value for artists than platforms optimizing their platform margins. In the end, artists should choose the platform that best aligns with their goals, budget, and preferred approach to long-term audience growth.
FAQ
Do playlist curators get paid on Spotify submission platforms?
Yes, on almost all Spotify submission platforms, curators are paid. The platforms that offer free pitching often provide much lower engagement, as the curators are also not able to invest into listener acquisition.
Which Spotify playlist submission platform pays curators the most?
If we look at percentages, PlaylistsForYou gives 80% of the revenue to the curators in their network. This is the highest value-for-money option for artists. If we just take the amounts into account, PlaylistPush is the second best option, and Recordlabel is the winner.
Why does curator payout matter for playlist growth?
The more money that ends up with a curator, the more they will invest into their playlist's activity. Nothing is more disappointing for an artist than to be added to a playlist after hard days of work, and still ending with low streams from a playlist.
Do higher curator payouts lead to better Spotify playlist engagement?
Yes, this is directly correlated. A large share of the curator payout is reinvested back into the playlists to keep engagement high. There are a few exceptions, like Spotify playlists that grow purely through the algorithm, but with many Spotify editorial playlists getting the preference, this is a very low percentage (<1%).
How far in advance should I pitch to regular playlists?
The best moment to pitch a song is directly when it is released. The quicker a song starts to get streams, the more likely it is to be noticed by the Spotify algorithm. Most submission platforms take time to listen and review a song, so the faster the better.
How much should I budget for playlist promotion?
We understand that for all artists budgets can vary, which is why you can start a campaign from $55 at PlaylistsForYou. The more that ends up with curators, the more engagement you can get in return for your pitch. $100–$300 is likely to really make a significant change to a good quality release. If you want larger exposure, you might go higher, but even small budgets can work if the campaigns are targeted to the right curators.
How long does it take to see results?
It depends on the playlists you land on. Most playlists bring streams within days, while others build momentum more slowly over weeks. A realistic timeline is 2–4 weeks for noticeable results, and consistency over multiple campaigns gives the best long-term growth.
What metrics should I track after a successful pitch?
Look beyond streams. Track saves, followers, and listener retention on your Spotify for Artists page. These metrics tell if people are connecting with your music or just skipping through it. Strong engagement to your song is what triggers Spotify's algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar.