Playlists have become a core music consumption habit and, in turn, one of the most valuable marketing commodities in music. A prominent playlist placement remains a key objective of most new release strategies and is a higher priority than radio play for many artists. Nevertheless, the supply of new songs outstrips the number of premium slots, and most artists still struggle to get onto playlists. The streaming platforms continue to iterate playlist strategies and, at last, differentiate. But where are the game changers? How much more longevity do playlists have now that podcasts and smart speakers are gaining traction? 

In this report, we explore label strategies specifically. Should labels choose to invest in new strategies now, or focus on what’s next beyond playlists?

Companies and brands mentioned in this report:            Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Chartmetric, Facebook, Feature.fm, Level, Ninja Tunes, Noon Pacific, PIAS, Play Later, Sirius XM/Pandora, SoundCloud, Soundsgood.co, Sony Music, Spotify, Stationhead, Universal Music, Vans, Warner Music, YouTube