Spotify Fresh Finds: Jump start for independent artists
2 min read 
- What effect Fresh Finds can have for independent artists
- How Spotify's Partnership Program works
- How to increase the chances of being included in the Fresh Finds playlist
As we reported, major artists are disproportionately represented in Spotify’s playlists. Of course, they also offer playlists that focus on independent artists. One of these is Fresh Finds and Spotify has now significantly expanded it again by entering into various new markets.
Platform for independent artists
Fresh Finds was launched by Spotify in 2016. Inspired by music blogs and other tastemakers it aims to feature artists who are yet to make their breakthrough. Meanwhile over 25,000 artists have been featured in Fresh Finds playlists. Having previously had 10 Fresh Finds playlists sorted by genre, 13 new ones are now being added for different markets. Fresh Finds is now also available in Brazil, Spain, Australia / NZ, UK/IE, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore / Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Italy, Germany / Switzerland / Austria, South Korea and Turkey.
Growth thanks to Fresh Finds
When an artist is included in a Fresh Finds playlist, their monthly listeners increase by 108% on average. If it is the first time for an artist to appear in a Spotify playlist, 44% of them will also be included in others. About half of the artists had less than 21k monthly listeners at the time of inclusion and 70% had less than 50k. Fresh Finds is therefore intended to be a door opener for artists whose reach is still manageable.
Partnership Program for additional push
In addition, Spotify has also launched a “Partnership Program” in which selected independent artists receive coaching. This includes a masterclass on their in-house tools, a collaboration with a renowned producer, which then appears as part of the Spotify Singles series, as well as marketing support on and off Spotify. Eight artists are selected each year for this.
Independent playlists and blogs are the key
To increase the chances that Spotify will select you for the Fresh Finds playlist or even the Partnership Program, you should try to place your songs in as many independent playlists as possible. It is probably just as important to be featured on blogs relevant to the scene and to build up a solid presence on the usual social media platforms.
