Playlist trading 6 minute read
How playlist trading works between curators
The basic exchange
Two curators each add one song the other recommends to a playlist, for a fixed time. Nobody pays, and each curator listens first and adds only what fits the playlist. Each song reaches listeners who already chose that sound, which is the audience most likely to save it.
What makes a swap balanced
Position and playlist size. A position near the top of a playlist with 8,000 followers reaches more people than position 70 in one with 30,000 inactive followers. Settle the playlists, the positions and the number of days before either song goes in, and compare both sides in the same unit: estimated listeners a day.
Where swaps go wrong
Songs that drift down the playlist after a few days, songs taken out early, and spreadsheets nobody keeps up to date. The fix is boring: write down what you both chose, and check it every day. When the check is automatic, both partners see the same record and nobody has to chase the other.
Doing it well
Swap with curators in your genre, start with short periods, and keep working with the partners whose playlists suit your songs. Stay away from anyone who asks for payment for a position or promises a number of streams: that is a different business, and one that streaming platforms penalise.