In the event you’re contemplating utilizing SubmitLink and wish to confirm that they’re a authentic service earlier than spending cash with them, right here’s my quick reply:

Sure, SubmitLink is legit.

I’ve run campaigns for 2 tracks on the platform. My most up-to-date submission price $27 and resulted in three playlist placements which, in response to my finest estimate, drove someplace within the neighborhood of 500 streams. From what I can inform, trying on the knowledge in Spotify for Artists and on the playlists themselves, these had been all from actual, human listeners (not bots).

Clearly, 467 streams isn’t going to result in an look on The Late Present or finish in a big-label document deal – however at a price per stream of 5 – 6 cents, it’s nonetheless a stable outcome. And I prefer it much more given the truth that I acquired to handpick the lists I used to be pitched to, which meant that every one was a great match for the music.

My largest problem with SubmitLink in the mean time is the easy indisputable fact that they don’t have a ton of curators on their platform, which places a cap on the extent of outcomes you may get. Aside from that, although, I’m a fan.

The TL;DR model: In the event you’re trying to complement your Spotify progress, SubmitLink is a worthwhile spend.

You can provide the platform a attempt your self right here.

And if you would like the longer model – with extra particulars on my experiences with the corporate and my outcomes – then hold studying.

The backstory on SubmitLink

That is most likely price mentioning for transparency’s sake: I really first heard about SubmitLink instantly from Aaron, the founder on the firm.

Aaron can also be the founding father of one other platform that I actually love – a playlist knowledge software program known as Artist Instruments. In 2022, I’d been utilizing Artist Instruments for some time, and I feel I reached out to Aaron simply to see if he’d be fascinating in connecting. To be trustworthy, I actually can’t keep in mind the main points of how we first acquired in contact, however I do know we despatched a couple of emails forwards and backwards and ultimately ended up chatting on a name. In some unspecified time in the future, Aaron talked about he had one other playlist submission service known as SubmitLink, and that he was thinking about getting my ideas on it.

I agreed to attempt it out. So, in 2022, I ran a take a look at marketing campaign for an artist I work with.

I got here away impressed by SubmitLink, however with no outcomes to indicate for my spend. The issue, as I instructed Aaron, was that the curator community on the platform on the time was practically too small to be helpful; I solely discovered 4 curators I deemed price submitting to, and provided that a median approval fee on these platforms is about 20%, I wasn’t stunned to get rejected by all 4.

However I appreciated the mannequin he was constructing, so I made a be aware to attempt the platform once more.

So, in 2023, when I ran an experiment with 16 totally different Spotify promotion firms, I included SubmitLink. This time round, issues went higher. (Extra particulars on the ends in a bit.)

First, although, I feel it’s price explaining…

How SubmitLink works

I’d classify SubmitLink as a do-it-yourself pitching platform, by which I imply two issues:

1. On SubmitLink, you select the curators and playlists to which your music is pitched
2. There’s no assure of outcomes

That is, roughly, the identical mannequin that SubmitHub and Groover use. It’s totally different from the done-for-you pitching mannequin that firms like Indie Music Academy, YouGrow, and others use.

Sometimes, do-it-yourself pitching platforms end in much less streams. However if you happen to use them accurately, they will drive higher-fit placements (which means that your tune will solely ever be positioned on playlists the place it is smart in context) – and high-fit placements are inclined to result in larger engagement charges and, probably, higher algorithmic progress.

At a really sensible degree, SubmitLink works like this:

1. You hit the “Promote A Tune” button and paste in your tune’s Spotify hyperlink.

2. You select between “Handbook” and “AI” marketing campaign modes.

I nearly all the time go for the handbook possibility in these eventualities, as a result of a) I’m skeptical of algorithms and relatedly b) I’m a management freak.

3. When you select a “Handbook Marketing campaign,” you’ll be taken to the web page the place you’ll be able to decide which curators to pitch.

In the principle view, you’ll see a scrolling checklist of playlists. Within the left sidebar, you’ll have a bunch of filtering choices, together with the power to pare the playlists down based mostly on key phrases, genres, variety of followers, share fee, and a bunch of different variables

For what it’s price, that is actually much like SubmitHub’s pitching view – and I think about {that a} good factor.

4. When you’ve chosen all of the curators you wish to pitch, you hit the “Create a Marketing campaign” and get taken to a Stripe checkout web page.

Submissions price between $1 and $3, relying on the recognition of the playlist. Submit your fee, and increase – your marketing campaign is stay.

It’s additionally price noting that you simply’ll usually see a be aware so as to add an audio file to your observe. This isn’t strictly obligatory, however it is strongly recommended, as a result of if you happen to select to solely embody the Spotify hyperlink, curators should open the app individually to listen to your observe.

5. You sit again and watch for the outcomes.

You’re assured to get a response from every curator inside every week. If a curator doesn’t reply to your submission, you get a refund.

In order that’s the method. Subsequent, I’ll break down the way it really performed out for my most up-to-date marketing campaign.

My SubmitLink marketing campaign outcomes

To attempt SubmitLink, I used the tune “Messy” by Holly Wild (who was type sufficient to let me take a look at her observe). It’s a shiny, indie pop observe that balances upbeat manufacturing with a heavier request for vulnerability – the type of tune that feels deeply relatable and concurrently excellent for blasting with the home windows down. I assumed it could do properly on playlists.

I went by SubmitLink’s course of and ended up sending to a complete of 14 playlists.

As you’ll be able to inform by the titles of the playlists, I used to be on the lookout for indie-pop-focused placements; I picked those I assumed the tune would match.

Over the following week, the responses from curators got here in.

As with all platform the place curators are required to reply, a lot of the suggestions is fairly lame. You may react to the suggestions, however there isn’t a simple possibility to speak with curators (as there may be on SubmitHub).

That’s par for the course with these items, although. You don’t submit music on these platforms for the lame suggestions – you do it for the placements.

We ended up getting three of these:

• Pop Rock 2023
• Viral dance social gathering
• indie pop – completely satisfied / chill

Right here’s what the follower progress curve for every of these playlists seems to be like.

Every of these charts seems to be fairly good – the lists are trending upward they usually don’t present any sharp spikes, which is an effective signal for his or her being constructed with actual, human listeners.

Within the backend, the info appeared good, too. Holly has performed different promotion up to now and will get streams from a variety of sources, so it’s laborious to filter the SubmitLink knowledge out. However right here’s what issues appeared like in Spotify for Artists over the course of the marketing campaign:

Most of these streams got here from the “indie pop – completely satisfied/chill” playlist:

All instructed (as I mentioned on the high of this put up), that’s not a outcome that’s going to ship Holly to community TV discuss exhibits, however it’s a respectable return on our $27 spend.

The professionals and cons of SubmitLink

Okay, in order that’s what occurred. Right here’s what I give it some thought all.

The great things

• I really like this mannequin, the place you get to choose the playlists you undergo. It’s clear. In the event you do your analysis, it principally ensures that you simply’ll solely get on wholesome, high-fit lists.
• Relatedly, all the playlists I noticed on the platform appeared wholesome and engaged.
• SubmitLink is actually reasonably priced. I imply, come on, this marketing campaign price $27. Contemplating companies like Playlist Push begin above $200, that’s actually good.
• I like Aaron’s ethos – he’s very collaborative. It’s laborious to qualify or quantify this, however I feel he does a pleasant job of listening to customers and incorporating their suggestions. SubmitLink, for instance, has a recently-launched Group discussion board the place you’ll be able to share characteristic requests or strategies. That’s cool.

The not-as-good stuff

• The most important knock towards SubmitLink, nonetheless, is that there simply aren’t that many curators on the platform. SubmitHub and Groover have way more. This could restrict your choice of playlists that suit your music, and, subsequently, your outcomes.
• It’s not fairly as slick as Groover or SubmitHub – Aaron is enhancing the interface over time, however the different two platforms have already had lots of money and time poured into them. (Though, for what it’s price, I nonetheless like SubmitLink’s UI total.)

Remaining ideas on SubmitLink

In the event you’ve learn all of that – or if you happen to’ve simply skimmed down right here – you’re most likely on the lookout for a bottom-line verdict. Right here’s mine:

SubmitLink is a very nice platform that’s most likely finest used as a supplemental promotional possibility.

In different phrases, if SubmitLink is the one lever you’re pulling in your advertising and marketing, you most likely gained’t see your numbers get too excessive. It’s most likely not large enough to be your foremost technique of promotion.

However if you happen to’re utilizing one thing else – whether or not that’s Fb advertisements, or sure, one thing like SubmitHub – then I feel SubmitLink is usually a nice complement to your promotional efforts. It’s reasonably priced, it’s clear, and it really works.

The underside line is that I like SubmitLink rather a lot. Simply don’t anticipate to finish up on a label or a late evening discuss present after your subsequent marketing campaign.

All proper, that’s all I’ve acquired on this one. Hope this evaluation was useful, and as all the time, right here’s wishing you good luck as you make and market your music. It’s price it.