Guide
How Spotify's algorithm works: Release Radar and Discover Weekly
Plenty of people claim to know the secret to Spotify's algorithm, but Spotify publishes more about it than you might expect. It doesn't reveal any magic number of streams or saves. It does explain what shapes recommendations, how Release Radar works and what won't help. This guide sticks to what Spotify says.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
Spotify says a listener's taste profile is the most important input for recommendations. That profile comes from what they search for, play, skip and save. Personalized playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar use this along with signals from similar listeners. You can't submit a song to Discover Weekly. You can pitch a song at least 7 days before release, which picks the song your followers get in Release Radar. Spotify says paid services can't influence its algorithm.
What to do, in order
Deliver early
Spotify says to deliver your music at least 7 days before release so it can reach Release Radar in the first week.
Pitch one song
Pitch an unreleased song in Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release day. Your followers then get that song in Release Radar, even if editors don't pick it for a playlist.
Check it's on your profile
Make sure the release is on the right artist profile, because Release Radar sends new songs to that artist's followers.
Grow your followers
Spotify tells followers about new releases and can feature your music in their personalized sections. Link people to your profile, not just a single song.
Send real fans to your music
Saves, repeat listens and playlist adds come from people who actually like the song. Spotify uses fan playlist adds to decide what to recommend.
Check your playlist stats
Open the song in Spotify for Artists and go to its Playlists tab. If it's in your listeners' Release Radar, you'll see that there.
What shapes recommendations
Spotify's recommendations page lists these inputs. It doesn't say how much each one counts, except that a listener's taste profile matters most.
- Taste profile: searching, listening, skipping and saving to their library.
- Information about the listener: such as age, who they follow, device, language and location.
- Trends: how many people interact with the same content.
- Content details: such as genre, release date and signals about whether a track may be AI-generated.
- Commercial considerations: Spotify says these may also influence recommendations, and gives Discovery Mode as an example.
The three types of playlist
Knowing which type you're aiming for tells you what you can do about it.
| Type | Who decides | How you get on |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized, like Discover Weekly and Release Radar | Spotify's algorithms, and for some playlists, editors who choose the pool of songs | No submission form; it depends on listening behavior |
| Editorial | Spotify's editors | Pitch an unreleased song |
| Listener | Anyone who makes a playlist | Fans add your song themselves |
How Release Radar works
Release Radar is a playlist of new releases that updates every Friday. Listeners get music from artists they follow, artists they listen to and others Spotify thinks they'll like. Your followers get songs from your new release. If you don't pitch a song, Spotify picks which songs to use.
A few rules can keep a song out.
- Each listener gets only one song per artist per week.
- A song stays for up to 4 weeks if the listener hasn't heard it, but won't be added if they already have.
- You must be a main or featured artist, not the remixer, though remixes can be included.
- Various Artists releases and re-releases of songs already on Spotify aren't included.
- Some alternate versions, such as acoustic, karaoke or live, aren't included.
How Discover Weekly works
Discover Weekly is a personalized playlist that updates every Monday. Spotify says it drives more than 56 million new artist discoveries each week, and that 77% of those are emerging artists.
Spotify doesn't list a way to submit a song or publish a stream count that gets you on it. It's built around each listener's habits, so the most useful thing you can do is reach people who will actually listen, save and come back.
What Discovery Mode does
Discovery Mode lets you flag songs for extra consideration in certain personalized places, such as Spotify Mixes. There's no upfront cost, but Spotify takes a 30% commission on recording royalties from streams in those places. Spotify says this increases the chance of a recommendation but doesn't guarantee one, and that listeners losing interest in a song still affects future recommendations.
To qualify, you need at least 25,000 monthly listeners and 3 eligible songs. Each song must have been out for at least 30 days, with at least 20 streams in those places in the last 28 days. Spotify also describes it as a beta that isn't available to all artists.
What doesn't help
Spotify says services claiming they can get your song prioritized in its algorithmic recommendations are not telling the truth. It also says artificial streams don't positively influence those recommendations, don't earn royalties and don't count toward public numbers.
How Traxure helps
None of this works if a release is missing or on the wrong profile. Traxure checks your Spotify profile every 12 hours and your full catalog on 12 platforms every day. If a release disappears from Spotify or lands on the wrong profile, it emails you the before, the after and a note to your distributor ready to send. Monitoring starts with a seven-day free trial.
Spotify's details were checked on its own pages on 2 November 2026.
Questions artists ask
How does the Spotify algorithm work?
Spotify says recommendations depend mostly on a listener's taste profile, built from what they search for, play, skip and save. It also uses trends, content details and other information.
How do I get on Release Radar?
Your followers get songs from your new release. Deliver at least 7 days ahead, and pitch at least 7 days before release day to choose which song they get.
How do I get on Discover Weekly?
You can't submit a song. It's personalized for each listener, so aim to reach people who will listen, save and come back.
How many streams do you need for the Spotify algorithm?
Spotify doesn't publish a number. Be skeptical of anyone who gives you an exact threshold as a rule.
When does Release Radar update?
Every Friday. Discover Weekly updates every Monday.
Is Discovery Mode worth it?
It depends on your numbers. You give up a 30% commission on recording royalties from Discovery Mode streams, and you can't use it until you have at least 25,000 monthly listeners.
Sources
Traxure
Know the same day, not weeks later.
Traxure checks your releases on Spotify and other platforms around the clock, confirms a change before alerting you and tells you what to do next. Seven-day free trial.
Pricing
Plans from $12 a month.
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