Curators and bloggers get flooded with pitches, and most go straight to trash. The difference between being ignored and getting featured usually isn’t the music — it’s the pitch. Here’s how to do it so you actually get a reply.
Why most pitches get ignored
The usual culprits: the artist pitched the wrong outlet, sent a generic copy-paste, wrote a wall of text, or buried the song under three paragraphs. Curators decide in seconds, so a bad pitch loses before the music is even heard.
Find the right targets
Match your genre and size
Pitch blogs and playlists that actually cover your style, and aim realistically — smaller, relevant curators are far more likely to say yes than huge ones drowning in submissions. A focused list of good-fit targets beats a giant generic one.
Write a pitch that gets opened
Keep it short and personal
A few sentences, addressed to a real person, showing you know their blog or playlist. Personalisation is the single biggest thing that separates a pitch that gets read from one that doesn’t.
Lead with the song and the hook
Put the track link near the top, with one line on what it is and why it fits them — the genre, the vibe, a quick reason it belongs on their playlist or page.
Time it right
For playlist consideration, pitch before release while curators are planning. For blogs, a little lead time helps too. Pitching the day a song drops is often too late. See the release checklist for timing.
Follow up (the right way)
One polite follow-up after a week or so is fine. Repeated chasing is not — it gets you blocked, not featured.
Quick FAQ
- How many should I pitch? Quality over quantity — a focused list of good-fit targets beats mass-emailing.
- Should I pay for playlist placement? Be wary — many paid-placement services use fake or bot playlists that can hurt you. Stick to legitimate curators.
- What if no one replies? It’s normal early on. Keep your list relevant and your pitch tight, and results improve over time.
