Based in Kazakhstan music producer Oilix finds his main inspiration in video games. After all, the name Oilix comes from Metal Gear, pointing to a game-universe algae that secretes precious oil. “It was a small thing,” says Oilix of his namesake, “but everyone wanted it.”
Though immersed in games — and also professionally creating music for video games and soundtracks — Oilix’s music strays from stereotypical styles of the genre. He jokingly refers to his music as “sunhop” and professes a love of melody. “The melody is the most important part in making music,” explains Oilix. “If the melody isn’t remembered after listening, then it’s unsuccessful.” Thus Oilix’s music is bright and hummable, with lounge, jazz, and even soft-rock influences laying under the head-nod-inducing beats. These cuts are infectious.
In the 8+ years that Oilix has actively produced music he’s been found on the popular Jazz Vibes playlist, has had releases on the likes of urbanundergrounds, Chill Beats, Vinyl Digital and Hip Dozer, and appeared on compilations for Blue Note Records and Astralwerks. There’s a lot in store for Oilix, and lots of music to come. May the sunhop shine on!

Nika Kacheishvili a.k.a DAISI is a Georgian producer from Batumi. The Black Sea native was drawn to Tbilisi, where he started producing music in 2017. His influences are jazz, soul, hiphop, boombap and neo soul as well as beatmakers like Madlib, J Dilla, Nujabes and Pete Rock. Since 2021, he has been able to make a name for himself as a beatmaker in collaboration with Oiyo Records, releasing 24 tracks in just two short years. He also shares a studio complex with 12 professional producers and jazz musicians with whom he collaborates and will integrate even further in his musical process in the future. 2022 marks a very successful year for DAISI, who has been an editorial playlist favourite on Youtube Music from the beginning and is a permanent guest on the Lo-Fi Beats playlist on Spotify now. He also collaborates with lofi heavyweight LESKY, with whom he will have a few appearances in 2023.

Prod By Outtake (real name - Roman Polikarpov) is an Russian music producer, beatmaker from Moscow. The artist described his style of music as lo-fi hip-hop inspired by old jazz records from around the world. 
 Making music with passion since 2014, tried different genres he got into lo-fi boom bap beats in 2020. After a couple releases on streaming platforms Prod. By Outtake teamed with labels such as Goji Island, Acantharea, Chill Moon Music, Vinyl Digital. Got his first successful release “higher” on Goji Island at the end of 2021 which was added to Spotify editorial playlists such as lofi beats , Jazz Vibes , lush lofi , Chillout Lounge . Next singles “Reflection” “Glass” has the same success and only strengthened his position in playlists and continued to send chill vibes to people around the world. 
 At the beginning of 2023 he started to release his first solo EP album “Karina” - a collection of 6 songs, that he worked on all the past year! Every song have it’s own vibe and tells about his feelings from certain moments happening that year. 9th February he released his first song “Morning” - boom bap infused lo-fi beat that will make any Golden Era fan happy! Full album will be out on 4th May! 
 No war.

Born and raised in a suburban area in Switzerland, Marcel Kalt has always had a strong connection to music. By exploring the record collections of his father and his uncle, a passion for different musical styles developed early on. The spectrum ranged from Afro-American influenced genres like soul, funk, and jazz, to electronic music, originating in Western and Central Europe. In the years of his youth, Marcel soon discovered his love for the resilient and experimental hiphop culture, at that time still untouched by the commercialized music industry. Strongly influenced by this sound aesthetic, Marcel started his own first attempts to produce instrumental sound drafts. After the first self-published songs via Soundcloud under the pseudonym „DRWN.“, various projects soon followed, which were released as cassettes or vinyl records in limited editions by various small labels all over the world. Marcel aka DRWN. has largely remained true to his dreamy, sluggish and low-fidelity hiphop beats, but now and then he dares to venture into more electronic or ambient-inspired realms. 

Bassist and producer Carter Fox has been an active musician, songwriter, producer, and artist since he was 15, growing from playing in local bars and clubs around Philadelphia to sharing stages with Jeffrey Osborne, Patti LaBelle, and the Isley Brothers in theaters, arenas, and stadiums all over the world. He is a protege of world-renowned bassist Gerald Veasley and has worked with award-winning, legendary, and amazing artists and producers such as Freddie Jackson, Leon Huff (of Gamble & Huff), Pablo Batista, and David Ivory. In the chillhop song ‘Cosmic Sunrise’, Fox and collaborator Steve Honz take you on an adventure inspired by outer space, video games, and being good to each other to life in an entertaining fashion. It, along with the psychill groove 'Rise' are the first songs from a new EP titled 'Lost Signals From Outer Space', a collection of music inspired by the question, “What does the universe sound like?”

What makes Carter Fox’s discography unique is his ‘chill’ approach towards music. Ranging from downtempo chill-hop to even fusing in experimental jazz, Carter Fox creates music that inspires and motivates people to feel good while they work for their dreams to create a better world around them. Having a passion for the fusion of space and music, Carter Fox has taken inspiration from either astronomical observations or actual scientific discoveries for each track on this EP. Carter Fox masterfully achieves his goal of transporting the listener to outer space with his music.

Go to https://www.carterfoxmusic.com/ to watch to and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Visit his website to buy his merchandise, and feel free to use the email address provided below to reach out for interviews, reviews, or collaborations.

ABOUT
Carter Fox has been an active musician, songwriter, producer and artist since the young age of 15. His style of ‘chill-fi’ music is inspired by a passion for astronomy and a deep love for video games. Carter Fox brings forward his own styles and tastes of jazz, blues, and rock, combining it with downtempo and electronic elements to create the unique sound that he is known for in the industry today. Aspiring to one day write music for video games and films, Carter Fox ultimately wants to help score the soundtrack to the universe. Additionally, Carter has been a guest lecturer and spoken about music, business, and bass at a variety of forums such as the University of Southern California, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Drexel University, New York University, the Philadelphia-based after-school music/education program ‘Rock to the Future,’ and privately. Carter endorses Aguilar Amps and Moody Leather.

Lofi music is becoming increasingly popular these days. It's a genre that is characterized by its mellow and relaxed vibe, often featuring jazzy and vintage sounds. The genre has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, with more and more artists creating and sharing their lofi beats online. But with so much competition, how can lofi music producers stand out and promote their music effectively? In this article, we'll take a look at some of the most effective strategies for promoting lofi music.

The first step in promoting your lofi music is to build a strong online presence. This means creating profiles on various social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as streaming services like Spotify and SoundCloud. Having a presence on these platforms will allow you to connect with your audience and share your music with a wider audience.

Make sure to use consistent branding across all of your profiles. This includes using the same profile picture, header image, and bio. This will help to establish your brand and make it easier for fans to find you.

Engaging with your audience is crucial if you want to build a loyal fan base. This means responding to comments and messages, as well as actively seeking out feedback from your fans. You can do this by asking your fans to leave comments on your posts or by conducting surveys or polls.

Engaging with your audience also means sharing behind-the-scenes content. This could be anything from sneak peeks of new tracks to photos and videos of you working on your music. Giving your fans a glimpse into your creative process can help to deepen their connection with you and keep them coming back for more.

Collaborating with other artists is a great way to expand your audience and reach new fans. This could involve collaborating on a track, remixing each other's music, or even just sharing each other's work on social media.

When collaborating with other artists, it's important to choose someone whose sound complements yours. This will help to ensure that the collaboration is successful and that both artists benefit from it.

Influencers and bloggers can be a powerful tool for promoting your lofi music. Reach out to influencers and bloggers who have a following that aligns with your target audience. Offer them a free download of your music or ask if they would be willing to share your music with their followers.

When reaching out to influencers and bloggers, make sure to personalize your message and explain why you think your music would be a good fit for their audience. Be respectful of their time and always follow up if you don't hear back from them.

Paid advertising can be a great way to reach new fans and promote your music. This could include running ads on social media or advertising on music blogs and websites.

When using paid advertising, it's important to target your ads to the right audience. This means selecting the right keywords and targeting based on interests and demographics. You should also test different ad formats and messaging to see what resonates best with your audience.

Performing live shows is a great way to connect with your audience and promote your music. This could include playing at local venues, music festivals, or even hosting your own shows.

​When performing live, it's important to have a strong stage presence and engage with your audience. You should also make sure to promote your upcoming shows on social media and through your mailing list.

Email marketing is a powerful tool for promoting your music and staying in touch with your fans. Build a mailing list by offering a free download or exclusive content in exchange for signing up. Once you have a mailing list, use it to promote your music, share behind-the-scenes content, and announce upcoming shows.

When sending emails, make sure to personalize them and keep them engaging. Use a catchy subject line and include high-quality visuals to make your emails stand out in your subscribers' inboxes.

Music licensing is another effective way to promote your lofi music. This involves licensing your music for use in films, TV shows, commercials, and other media.

​To get started with music licensing, you can submit your music to online music licensing libraries, such as AudioJungle or Shutterstock Music. You can also reach out to music supervisors or production companies directly.

Participating in music contests can be a great way to get exposure and promote your music. There are a number of online music contests that you can enter, such as the NPR Tiny Desk Contest or the Unsigned Only Music Competition.

​When entering music contests, make sure to follow the rules and submit your best work. Winning a music contest can be a great way to gain recognition and expand your audience.

Finally, releasing music consistently is key to promoting your lofi music. This means releasing new tracks or albums on a regular basis, whether it's monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually.

Releasing music consistently will keep your audience engaged and give them a reason to keep coming back for more. It will also help to build your brand and establish you as a serious lofi music producer

Promoting your lofi music takes time and effort, but with the right strategies, it's possible to build a loyal fan base and gain recognition. By building a strong online presence, engaging with your audience, collaborating with other artists, leveraging influencers and bloggers, using paid advertising, performing live shows, utilizing email marketing, participating in music contests, releasing music consistently, and utilizing music licensing, you can effectively promote your lofi music and reach a wider audience.

Cap Kendricks is a music producer from Munich, currently living and working in Leipzig, Germany. He has produced songs and albums for a lot of big names in the German hip-hop scene and is constantly releasing instrumental projects since 2015. Over the years he worked with labels like Chillhop Records, Melting Pot Music or Hip Dozer. His music is deeply rooted in the hip-hop culture but is also influenced by other genres which he integrates in his own instrumental universe. Deep atmospheres, sometimes melancholic and dreamy, sometimes bouncy and uplifting, always with care for detail.

Nikolaus Holler aka Niklouds, mostly located in Vienna/AUT is a contemporary composer. He plays all saxophones, bass clarinet, Bb clarinet, flute, piano and drums just to name a few. As an active member of the vivid scene he is a transcultural bandleader but also a dynamic sideman for several projects of versatile genres. His streamable compositions are manifested in a more reduced yet detailed and slowed-down process, when working as a Lo-Fi-Producer. His spontaneous intercommunicative creations and further improvisations can be found in active projects like: "Little Rosies Kindergarten", "Christian Muthspiel Orjazztra", "Life Aquatic". or "Stick a Bush".

How do you get on Spotify Editorial Playlist? In this article we will be covering many important aspects of Spotify Editorial Playlists. These tips and tricks can improved your chances of successfully landing a placement on one of these amazing playlists. Hello, my name is Grizzly Beatz and I am a LoFi music producer from Los Angeles, CA. I have been producing beats for well over a decade now and excited to share with the music community some information I have learned regarding editorial playlists. Below is an overview of what we will  be covering to help you get on Spotify editorial playlists.  

• benefits of Spotify editorial playlist placements
• how to prepare your song for the playlist(s)
• how to schedule your release
• how to pitch your song to the editorial curators
• how to improve your chances by positive pre & post release signals

It is no secret that getting on an editorial placement can be a game changer for any musician. I have been fortunate enough to get on several Spotify Editorial placements within a few of each other. My first playlist placements was with Spotify Gold Instrumental Beats in October 2022. The next month in November 2022 I landed a placement in their Late Night Beats Playlist. Then in January of 2023, I landed another Editorial Playlist "LoFi Cafe" playlist. 

These playlist have contributed hundreds of thousands of streams as well as thousands of new monthly listeners and followers. I also noticed that many user generated playlist curators were finding my song on the editorial playlist and adding it to their playlist. I am gaining about 50 new Spotify followers a day and about 3-4K streams a day on average. I was able to achieve this without a record lable, and without knowing anyone over at Spotify. Just by creating quality music, perfecting my pitch and doing what I can to show Spotify to take me seriously. We will cover the steps below. 

Its a good idea to create a song specifically for the editorial playlist that you are trying to get placed on. Listen closely to the playlist. What instruments do you hear, what is the mood, the tempo, the length of the track. Also pay attention to the titles and album cover styles. This is what you will want in the back of your mind once you finished your song. Try to make a track that fits the feel of the playlist. Also shorter songs tend to do better, try to keep under the 3 minute mark. Pay attention to how the songs in the playlist end, do they end abruptly or short fade out. I noticed that long fade outs tend to not do well, as listeners may think the song stop playing or internet went out and will skip or restart their Spotify. 
​When mixing and mastering your song make sure to check the loudness of the track (Lufs) using a loudness meter plug-in. You want your mastered track to be around -12dB. Spotify will lower to -14dB but it is better to have the track slightly louder than it is to be lower than -14dB and Spotify having to increase the level. 

When choosing a song title, it  helps to choose something that fits the mood of the playlist(s) that you plan to submit to. For example the track that I got added to the LoFi Cafe editorial playlist was titled "Mocha". I believe this helped capture the attention of the curator. I also made sure to take note of the artwork styles being used by others in the playlist. In the LoFi/Chillhop genre popular styles include anime characters or colorful artistic images, so ultimately this was the type of cover I went with for this release. 

Since with albums you can only submit one song off the album to the editorials, you should focus on releasing tracks as singles. You can release several tracks as singles (spread out with 4 weeks in between releases) and pitch all of them. Then you can release an album with those same songs with a few new ones sprinkled in. This time with the album you can pitch one of the newly added tracks. If you provide the same ISRC numbers for the singles on the album release, the streams from the single release will carry over to the album. 

Did you know that collaborating with other artists and producers that have been featured on Spotify Editorial Playlists before can increase your chances of having the track added to one. To do this you must put the collaborator as a Primary Artists when uploading through your DSP like Distrokid. This way it will appear in both artist's Spotify for Artists app, meaning both will be able to pitch it. The track will also show up on multiple profiles meaning more exposure. When pitching the Editorial Curators can see a list of editorial playlists any of the artists submitting have been featured on in the past. This will increase the chances of them taking you seriously. 

Before releasing your song on your own, consider releasing it through record labels that support your genre. I make LoFi beats so I will pitch to several record labels first to see if any will be willing to do a label release. This year I will have releases with labels like Chill Moon Music, Lifted LoFi Records, Widen Island, Retune Project and more. Having a release with a known label can help increase your chances of an editorial playlist placement as well as being discovered by their audience. Note that you will most likely need to split all streaming royalties 50/50 with the label. 

Head to the Spotify For Artist page (http://artists.spotify.com), log in with your artist account and fill out your profile information as completely as possible. You also want to make sure that you claim and verify your profile. This will get you the blue checkmark by your name on your Spotify profile. 

Tips for creating a great Spotify artist profile: Your profile is an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to inclusion on playlists. Spotify takes pride in their platform as the number one music streaming service, and their playlist curators give preference to artists who offer detailed profiles that include great photos and graphics. Don’t skimp on this area — take the time to write an appealing biography, and be sure to include plenty of photos, logos, and other artwork along with links to your website and social media accounts.

Below are some videos from Spotify For Artists that covers completing your profile, verifying your profile and updating your profile image. 

You want to be able to pitch to the editorial curators at least 4 weeks prior to release. Many would say that Friday's are the best day to release new music, but out of the several placements I have had only one was release of a Friday, the others were released on a Tuesday. This might be because there is less competition and better chances you will get listened to. 

So in order to pitch the song needs to be in your Spotify For Artists upcoming releases section at least 4 weeks prior to release. So you need to upload your song through your DSP like Distrokid at least 5 weeks before its release to give it time to get sent over to Spotify For Artists. Distrokid is a great option for releasing your music through as you can release an unlimited amount for only $19 a year. Click here to join Distrokid and save 7%

In Spotify For Artists, click on music, then upcoming. You should see your future release track(s) there. ​

You will be able to pitch to the curators from here. Under the playlist pitch section you will see the option to pitch. We will cover the steps to pitching below. 

​Now that your song has been uploaded, it’s time to submit the correct track information to Spotify. When you click on the PITCH A SONG button, you’ll be brought to a page that will ask you general information about your track.

Select the Main Genre of your song first, and then choose your Subgenres — categories that are more specific to your music style. Your Subgenre selection is critical, because it’s easier to get on smaller Subgenre editorial playlists than the larger main categories.

The next step in describing your song to Spotify is Music Culture, which relates to any religious or cultural influences on your music. For example, if your song contains Christian lyrics, it will have a higher chance to land on the Top Christian editorial playlist. If none of the culture options apply to your track, select the “None of these” option.

Moods, the next step in song description, lets you highlight the types of emotions you intend to convey with your track. After that is Song Styles, where you’ll indicate whether your track is a live production, an in-studio recording, an acoustic version, or something else. You’ll also choose the Language of your lyrics; whether the song is a cover, remix, or instrumental; and which instruments are featured in the track.

You can also specify your location during the submission process, in order to target local fans and playlists near you. For example, if you are from Ireland and your track is a folk song, you’ll have a good chance to get on editorial Spotify playlist Irish Folk – Ballads.

Finally, the Tell Us More section is where you’ll actually describe your song in order to pitch the track to Spotify’s curators. This section is crucial to demonstrate the quality and care that you placed into creating and recording the song, and will provide the curators with a sense of authenticity and priority during the selection process.

Now, it’s time for the real pitch. You must take care with the way you sell your music, or yourself as an artist, on Spotify. The curators are interested in how the submitted songs will impact themselves, their audience, and Spotify’s overall audience development. Be sure to include impactful details, if you have them, such as if you’ve worked with a well-known producer, collaborated with a recognized artist, or been featured on a popular show (e.g. podcast, YouTube channel, radio, or television). You should also add some keywords that describe which communities you want to influence and help narrow down your genre or style.

Below is an example of a pitch

" “Not A Care" is a chill and jazzy LoFi instrumental perfect for listening to while enjoying a cup of coffee or reading your favorite book. This track has been featured in several viral TikTok videos. It would be perfect for the "Lush LoFi" "LoFi Beats or "LoFi Cafe" playlists. It is scheduled to be featured on several industry blogs such as Word is Bond.  Grizzly Beatz is the youngest son of jazz drummer and composer Alphonse Mouzon, who recorded with Steve Wonder, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Weather Report, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, & more."

Below is a video where Spotify curators talk about what they look for in an artists and their music, what they consider a successful pitch and more. 

For more information on how to pitch to Spotify's editorial curators visit: ​Help - Pitching music to our playlist editors – Spotify for Artists

First off if you are not curating your own playlist you need to start now. In these playlists you will want to include your own music but also include popular artists in your genre within them. This will help tell Spotify which artists are similar to you and will help you get your music added to their Artist Radio playlists. 

Along with this curating a playlist(s) can help you not only get your name out there within your genre but also increase your Spotify followers, pre-saves, playlist likes and more. Curators can use playlist submission gates like "DailyPlaylist.com". "Soundplate.com" or on their own website using "Toneden" to grow their following in return. This is a great way to start getting pre-saves on your upcoming release to start sending positive signals to the Spotify algorithm. If you do not want to curate your own playlist you can use Toneden as a submission gate for free downloads or special coupons.  To learn more about the Spotify Algorithm read my How The Spotify Algorithm Works In 2023 article. 

Once the track releases you will want to send as much traffic and listeners to the track. There are several ways of doing this, but below are a few. 

• Facebook & Instagram Ads
• Embed on your website
• Submit to blogs in your genre (many embeds send great signals to Spotify)
• Submit to user Spotify playlist (Ko-Fi.com, DailyPlaylist.com, Soundplate.com, etc)
• Post on Reddit Channels (r/Music and r/Spotify)
• Share on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, Facebook
• Email blast to your email list on the day of release

If you do not get added to a Spotify editorial playlist right away do not worry. I have had a track get added 3 weeks after its release, so keep promoting it for a good month after its release. If you don't land a playlist do not get discouraged and give up. It is a numbers game. The more you release and pitch the more of a chance you will land one. 

I hope these tips help you get on your next Spotify Editorial Playlist Placement. If you found any of these helpful I would appreciate if you comment below and share on social media and help spread the love and help other artists. Also if there are any tips and tricks that I may have left out please let me know in the comments section. Thank you so much for your time and wish you much success in your Spotify journey. 

SoundPlate: https://soundplate.com/
Daily Playlists: ​https://dailyplaylists.com/
SubmitHub: ​https://www.submithub.com/
Ko-Fi: ​https://ko-fi.com/
Playlister Club: ​https://www.songtools.io/
Playlist Push: ​https://playlistpush.com/
Indie Mono: ​https://indiemono.com/music-submit/
Grizzly Beatz: https://www.grizzlybeatz.com/lofi-playlist-submissions

Toneden: ​https://www.toneden.io/
Hypeddit: ​https://hypeddit.com/
Feature FM: ​https://feature.fm/

DistroKid: https://distrokid.com
TuneCore: https://www.tunecore.com/
CD Baby: https://cdbaby.com/
LANDR: ​https://www.landr.com/

Updated 3/6/2023