If you run music events, festivals, or club nights, Spotify playlists are a promotional tool you should be using. A well-curated playlist does something remarkable: it lets potential attendees experience a taste of your event before it happens. It builds anticipation, introduces people to your lineup, and keeps your event in their consciousness every time they press play.
Better still, Spotify playlists are free to create, shareable across every platform, and provide ongoing value between events. Here is how to use them effectively.
Why Spotify playlists work for event promotion
Music is emotional. When someone listens to a playlist of artists performing at your festival, they are not just hearing songs. They are imagining themselves at the event. Each track becomes a preview of a live moment they could experience. This emotional connection is far more powerful than any social media post or email campaign.
Playlists also solve a practical problem: many attendees will not be familiar with every artist on your lineup. A playlist gives them an easy, enjoyable way to discover new acts, which increases their excitement about the event and makes them more likely to buy tickets.
From a marketing perspective, playlists have long-tail value. Someone might follow your playlist weeks before the event and listen to it repeatedly, keeping your event front of mind throughout the buying window.
Creating your event playlist
The lineup playlist
The most straightforward approach is a playlist featuring tracks from every artist on your lineup. Include two to three tracks per artist, choosing their most popular or representative songs. Order the playlist thoughtfully, either by set time (so listeners experience the musical journey of the event day) or by energy level (building from mellow openers to peak-time headliners).
Name the playlist clearly so it is discoverable. "[Event Name] 2026 Official Lineup" is straightforward and searchable. Include a description with the event date, venue, and a link to your ticket page. Spotify allows clickable links in playlist descriptions, making this a direct path from listening to purchasing.
The vibes playlist
Create a broader playlist that captures the atmosphere of your event, even if it includes tracks from artists not on your lineup. If you run a sunny rooftop day party, curate a playlist that evokes that exact feeling. If you run a dark techno night, build a playlist that puts the listener in that headspace.
Vibes playlists are useful for events where the lineup is less important than the atmosphere, such as club nights, themed parties, or events built around a genre or mood rather than specific headliners.
The throwback or legacy playlist
For recurring events with established histories, a playlist featuring artists from previous editions builds on your event's reputation. "The Best of [Festival Name]: 2020-2025" tells potential attendees about the calibre of acts you have hosted and the musical identity you have built over time.
Collaborating with artists
Invite your lineup artists to contribute tracks to the playlist. Some Spotify plans allow collaborative playlists where multiple users can add tracks. Even if you manage the playlist yourself, asking artists "which three tracks would you like us to include?" gives them ownership and makes them far more likely to share the playlist with their own followers.
When you add an artist to the playlist, message them directly (or their management) and let them know. A simple "We have added your tracks to our official event playlist. Would love it if you could share it with your fans." Most artists are happy to share a playlist they are featured on, which extends your promotional reach to their audience.
Tag artists when you share the playlist on social media. "Getting ready for [event] with tracks from @artist1, @artist2, and @artist3. Full lineup playlist on our Spotify." This creates multiple opportunities for engagement and resharing.
Promoting your playlist
A playlist that nobody knows about provides no promotional value. Actively promote it across all your channels.
Social media. Share the playlist link regularly in the lead-up to your event. Feature individual tracks with artist spotlights. Use Spotify's shareable graphics (the "share" function generates eye-catching promotional cards). Add the playlist to your Instagram link in bio.
Email. Include the playlist link in your event marketing emails. "Get to know the lineup" is a compelling reason to click, and it adds value to your email beyond a straightforward ticket sales pitch.
Website. Embed the Spotify player on your event page. Spotify provides embed codes that allow visitors to preview the playlist directly on your website without leaving the page.
At the event. Display the Spotify playlist code or QR link at the venue. Attendees who enjoyed the event will follow the playlist afterwards, keeping your brand in their listening rotation and building your audience for future events.
Growing your playlist following
Playlist followers are a valuable long-term asset. Unlike social media followers, playlist followers are actively listening to music you curated, which means they are musically aligned with your event. A large playlist following gives you a direct channel to promote future lineups, new events, and ticket releases.
Update your playlist regularly. Add new tracks when you announce new artists. Refresh the tracklist between events to keep followers engaged. Spotify's algorithm favours playlists that are actively maintained, and followers receive notifications when playlists they follow are updated.
Consider running a playlist-driven competition. "Follow our Spotify playlist and share it on your story for a chance to win VIP tickets." This incentivises both following and sharing, growing your audience while generating social media content.
Measuring playlist impact
Spotify for Artists (if you have an artist profile) and the standard Spotify app provide some metrics, including follower count and listener numbers. Track these over time, particularly around key promotional moments like lineup announcements and ticket on-sale dates.
Use UTM-tagged links in your playlist description so you can track how many people click through to your ticket page from Spotify. This gives you a direct measure of the playlist's contribution to ticket sales.
Monitor which tracks get the most plays. This tells you which artists are generating the most interest, which can inform your marketing priorities (feature popular artists more prominently in your promotion) and your booking decisions for future events.
Beyond Spotify
While Spotify is the dominant streaming platform in the UK, do not ignore Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music. Creating equivalent playlists on these platforms ensures you reach your entire potential audience regardless of their streaming preference. Soundiiz and similar tools can help you transfer playlists between platforms automatically.
YouTube is particularly valuable because you can create video playlists featuring music videos, live performance clips, and behind-the-scenes content. A YouTube playlist is more visual and can communicate the energy of live performances more effectively than audio alone.
Spotify playlists are a simple, free, and effective way to build anticipation for music events. They give potential attendees a reason to engage with your event weeks before it happens, and they create a lasting connection that extends well beyond the event itself. For a complete promotional timeline, see our guide on creating a content calendar for event promotion. And for ideas on building excitement in the final push before your event, check out our piece on building a pre-launch hype campaign.
