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Pitch with purpose — let your voice be heard before your song even drops.

🎯 How to Pitch Your Song to Spotify Editorial Playlists (South Asia Edition)

By Shabir Mustehsan | Seriously Agile Media

🎧 Why Editorial Playlists Matter — Especially in South Asia

 

In South Asia, platforms like Coke Studio, drama OSTs, and TV music shows have long dominated how artists gain visibility. But with the rise of Spotify in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, there’s a massive shift happening — one that independent artists can finally participate in.

Landing your track on a Spotify editorial playlist can:

  • Break you out of your city or country and put you in front of global ears

  • Validate your sound for the streaming world

  • Open doors to sync, press, collaborations, and brand work

But to get that shot, your pitch needs to go beyond the music — it needs to tell a story that matters.

🛠️ Step-by-Step: Pitching Your Track on Spotify for Artists

 

  1. Claim Your Spotify for Artists Profile
    Make sure your artist account is verified. This dashboard gives you control over how your music is seen — and how you’re pitched.

  2. Upload Your Unreleased Track
    Distribute your song via a platform like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. Once uploaded, you’ll see it under the Upcoming section in Spotify for Artists.

  3. Start Your Pitch
    Under the Music tab, select “Upcoming,” and click Pitch a Song.

  4. Fill in the Details

  • Genre, Mood, and Instrumentation: Be honest but specific.

  • Location: Mention your hometown and where you’re based. Spotify often curates by region.

  • Cultural Context: If your music is rooted in South Asian tradition — whether lyrically, melodically, or rhythmically — say it.

  1. Write a Strong Pitch
    Your pitch should describe the why behind your song.
    Was it written in Urdu? Inspired by a local folk rhythm? Recorded across cities or languages? Editors love context.

🌍 Tailor Your Pitch to the South Asian Scene

 

Here’s where most artists mess up: they pitch like they’re from LA, not Lahore.

Spotify’s editors want local relevance. Make it easy for them to place your track.

  • ✅ Name the instruments: Sitar, tabla, harmonium, sarangi — that info matters.

  • ✅ Language clarity: Say if your song is in Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, or Hindi.

  • ✅ Cultural themes: Did you touch on diaspora identity, migration, religion, heartbreak, or protest?

  • ✅ Collabs & co-signs: Mention if you worked with any artist known in the region.

  • ✅ TV, press, OSTs: Any prior visibility is a plus. Put it in your pitch.

📣 The Pro Move: Align with Spotify’s Campaigns

Here’s a huge insider tip:

Spotify runs themed campaigns all the time — and if your pitch fits one, your odds of getting featured shoot up.

These include:

  • EQUAL – spotlighting women in music

  • RADAR – rising global talent

  • Fresh Finds South Asia – discovery zone for emerging voices

  • Desi Indie, Desi Hip-Hop, Sufi Hits, and more

If you represent a voice from these communities — say it.
Spotify isn’t just curating songs. They’re curating narratives.

🐣 Don’t Wait Until You’re “Ready”

Too many South Asian artists think, “I’ll pitch when I drop my official album” or “I’ll apply when I’ve built a name.”

But here’s the reality:
Spotify doesn’t care if you’re big. They care if you’re relevant, intentional, and polished.

Even one well-pitched single — if paired with strong metadata and a compelling story — can earn you an editorial slot and tens of thousands of new ears.

🚀 What To Do After You Pitch

  • Promote your Spotify profile on all channels

  • Encourage fans to follow you — this helps with algorithmic playlists

  • Use Canvas to add looping visuals

  • Track your data via Spotify for Artists to see where your plays are coming from

🧠 Seriously Agile’s Final Advice

Pitching isn’t just about getting lucky. It’s about doing your homework, telling your story, and treating Spotify as a media platform — not just a library.

At Seriously Agile Media, we help South Asian artists craft powerful Spotify pitches that:

  • Celebrate cultural identity

  • Match the technical checklist

  • Position the artist for global visibility

Streaming is about more than sound. It’s about showing the world why your voice matters — right now.

📩 Want help crafting your Spotify pitch or building a release campaign?
Email us at info@agileseriously.com — we’ve got your back.

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