Avoiding Playlist Scams: A Guide for Artists from Groover’s Co-Founder

In a recent interview with the One More Time Podcast, Dorian Peron, co-founder of the music platform Groover, shared valuable insights about the role of playlisting in music promotion. The discussion covered strategies, pitfalls, and broader industry trends, aiming to educate artists on maximizing playlisting opportunities effectively. Here's a breakdown of the key takeaways from the conversation:

The Role of Playlisting in Music Promotion

Playlisting has become a critical tool for artists to gain visibility in the crowded music industry. According to Peron, playlists can serve as a gateway for discovery, especially for genres like ambient, chill, and indie folk, where passive listening dominates. However, he cautions that the impact of playlisting varies by genre. For instance, in hip-hop, where direct audience connections are stronger, streams often come less from playlists and more from personal engagement.

"Playlisting is important because it’s a way to directly generate new listeners and grow your audience, but it’s not the only thing," Peron emphasized, urging artists to integrate playlisting into a broader promotional strategy.

Managing Expectations: What Playlisting Delivers

One of the biggest challenges artists face is setting realistic expectations for playlisting campaigns. Peron revealed that Groover’s average playlist acceptance rate is 20-25%, depending on music quality, targeting, and genre.

He clarified the common misconception about immediate financial returns: "If you’re using playlisting platforms to expect direct revenue from promotion campaigns, you’re doing it wrong. The real value is in the indirect benefits, like growing your audience and gaining credibility."

Peron also highlighted how playlisting contributes to algorithmic growth on platforms like Spotify. By crossing certain streaming thresholds, artists can increase their chances of being featured in algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly.

How to Succeed: Targeting and Strategy

For a successful playlisting campaign, Peron stressed the importance of targeting. Selecting too many genres or poorly aligned playlists can significantly lower acceptance rates. Instead, artists should focus on playlists that match their style and appeal.

"When you target the right curators and your music fits their editorial line, the results are much better. It’s not about being in every playlist but being in the right ones," he explained.

Artists are also encouraged to view playlisting as a starting point. Building relationships with curators can lead to ongoing support for future releases, amplifying long-term growth.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Peron warned against falling for playlist scams that guarantee streams or placements, which often involve bots or artificial streams. These practices can lead to penalties from platforms like Spotify, harming an artist’s credibility.

"Never pay for a service that guarantees streams or placements. Spotify knows when streams are artificial, and you’ll be penalized," Peron advised. Instead, he recommended completing artist profiles thoroughly and writing clear, concise campaign pitches to maximize opportunities.

Feedback: The Double-Edged Sword

Feedback from playlist curators can be both helpful and frustrating for artists. Peron acknowledged that the most common rejection feedback is that a track doesn’t fit a playlist’s editorial style, even if it’s high quality.

"Objective feedback doesn’t exist. Music is subjective, and what one person doesn’t like, someone else will love," he said, encouraging artists to focus on actionable insights from feedback rather than dwelling on negative comments.

To improve the quality of feedback, Groover has implemented strict measures to educate curators and weed out unhelpful responses.

Broader Benefits of Playlisting

Playlisting’s impact goes beyond streams. Peron explained how playlist visibility can boost credibility, especially when artists are featured on respected platforms. For example, being included in Rolling Stone’s playlists provides both recognition and promotional leverage.

Additionally, Peron noted that playlisting helps artists discover where their music resonates geographically. "Sometimes you’ll find surprising results, like French artists having their biggest audiences in Mexico City," he shared.

Case Study: A Success Story

Peron recounted an inspiring success story of an artist who leveraged Groover as part of a holistic strategy. By releasing one track per month, promoting consistently, and combining playlisting with TikTok videos and collaborations, she grew her monthly listeners from zero to over 200,000 in a year.

"It wasn’t just about playlisting—it was part of a larger effort that included social media, collaborations, and consistent output," Peron explained.

Advice for Aspiring Music Tech Entrepreneurs

For those considering launching a music tech company, Peron offered this advice: "Start by talking to hundreds of artists. Identify a ‘migraine’ problem they face and focus on solving that. That’s how we discovered the demand for visibility and built Groover."

Final Thoughts: Playlisting as Part of the Big Picture

Peron concluded by reminding artists that playlisting is just one piece of the puzzle. Combining playlisting with social media, ads, and live performances creates a synergy that can lead to career breakthroughs.

"It’s about building an organic fanbase and unlocking opportunities over time. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right strategy, it’s possible," he said.

This interview underscores the nuanced role playlisting plays in modern music promotion. By setting realistic expectations, targeting the right opportunities, and embracing feedback, artists can use platforms like Groover to grow their audience and advance their careers.