**Guest post written by Tilly Simon of SubmitHub, a great tool for gaining more coverage for your music.

 

"The core of SubmitHub is submitting your music directly to curators. Here are some quick tips to help you get the most out of your submissions and increase your chances of success:

Provide relevant info

When submitting a track, fill in as much information as you can. Add multiple song links – Spotify is a given, but don’t forget Bandcamp and SoundCloud, especially if you're aiming for bloggers, as they often need these (particularly if they're listed on Hype Machine). More and more curators are sharing music across platforms nowadays, so adding links for Apple Music, Deezer, or Tidal can be beneficial, too.

Keeping your profile updated is equally important! Ensure your photos, bio, and links are up to date, especially if you're submitting to bloggers. They’ll rely on this info when writing about you, so double-check that everything is accurate.
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Include similar artists & moods

Always list at least 3 similar artists (you can go up to 5) and choose the right mood(s). This helps SubmitHub’s genre matching system, which compares your selections to curators’ sharing habits, making the targeting more accurate and helping you make the right choices in the process.

 

 

 

Do your research

SubmitHub offers a lot of data to help you choose wisely. Once you upload your song, you’ll see a list of curators to submit to. Take advantage of the stats – approval rates, recent shares, preferred genres, average listener counts, song previews, and more. Paying attention to these details can boost your chances of a positive response (the current site-wide approval rate is 31%).
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Filter away

You can filter curators by outlet type, approval rate (for new users, targeting curators with a 10-15+% approval rate is the best approach), engagement, price, and more. This lets you find the best outlets to submit your music to, and reduces the chance of disappointment.

 

 

 

What to keep track of during the submission process

Genre match

A key strategy on SubmitHub is paying attention to your Genre match score – so keep an eye on the first circle you see in the curator's stats. Based on the genres, similar artists, and moods you choose when uploading your song, this score shows how well your track fits a curator’s sharing habits. The higher the score, the better your chances of a positive response.
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Quick pitch

Once you’ve found the right curator, nailing your quick pitch can make a big difference. A simple formula that works well is:

Hi [outlet name], [song name] stands out because [insert reason here]. I believe it would fit your [playlist/blog/YouTube channel] based on [similar artist(s)/song(s)/vibe you’ve shared]. Thanks for your time!

Keep it short but be specific – it’s hard to turn down a good song that fits the playlist, especially when you give them a clear reason why.

Timing

You can promote any song on SubmitHub, even if it’s a few months or years old. If your track has already been released, mention its success – whether it’s a past editorial playlist placement, impressive stream count, or being a fan favorite at live shows.

That said, the ideal approach is to start promoting before your song is released. Spend a few bucks sending it to a handful of curators to test the waters a few weeks before release. If the feedback is promising, you can scale up, perhaps experimenting with additional genres (e.g., if it’s synthpop, you could also try dark wave, indie electronic, or dream pop). If the response isn’t what you hoped for, tweak your targeting and genres or shift your focus.
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Pro tip 1: Send your song out in small batches. This keeps costs down and lets you evaluate and adjust as you go.

Pro tip 2: Avoid submitting multiple songs at once, especially if they’re similar in style. Chances are, they’ll go to the same curators, and if one doesn’t like the first track, they probably won’t like the other. It’s better to send one song, analyze the outcome, and then decide what to do next.

Pro tip 3: Even if you get accepted, it’s best not to send another similar track to the same curator right away. Playlists and blogs have limited slots, so waiting at least two weeks before submitting another track is usually a good idea. You can schedule any submission, so if you don’t want to forget, just follow the normal process and set the submission date a few weeks out instead of sending it immediately."

IOTM members can use this link to claim a 20% discount on SubmitHub purchases (and can do so an unlimited amount of times!).

 

 

Related Blog Posts:

+How To Be Your Own Music Publicist

+How to Find Playlists on Spotify that Accept New Music Submissions

+Getting your music covered: how to email press