All Revelator clients using the Revelator Spotify deal are eligible for Spotify Discovery Mode (SDM) submission.


WHAT IS SPOTIFY DISCOVERY MODE?

With SDM, artists and labels can prioritize specific songs, and Spotify will use this signal to influence algorithms that determine personalized listening sessions, such as Radio, Autoplay, and Spotify Mixes (known as Discovery Mode contexts). This signal increases the likelihood of selected songs being promoted, but does not guarantee it.



WHY IS DISCOVERY MODE EFFECTIVE?

SDM is based on listeners' tastes, prioritizing music from their listening patterns rather than relying on sponsored promotion. This enhances authentic discovery aligned with genuine preferences. However, it only works if fans love the music, as Spotify tracks listener engagement and incorporates it into future recommendations.



WHICH TRACKS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SPOTIFY DISCOVERY MODE?

Content automatically excluded from SDM: Spoken word, audiobooks, podcasts, videos, karaoke.



WHAT KIND OF RESULTS CAN LABELS/ARTISTS EXPECT FROM DISCOVERY MODE?
Spotify claims that Discovery Mode provides:

+50% increase in saves

+44% more user playlist adds

+37% growth in follows during the first month

+58% first-time discoveries from listeners outside the home country.


Revelator Pro users have experienced an average stream lift of over 500% in SDM-related streams since the program launch in 2023, with many seeing even higher numbers and dramatically increasing their catalog revenue.



HOW DO I GET STARTED AND SUBMIT TRACKS TO DISCOVERY MODE?

If you're a Revelator Pro client using the Spotify-Revelator deal, you will receive a personalized Discovery Mode Dashboard. This dashboard allows you to easily opt in tracks for SDM campaigns each month and opt them out if they don't perform as expected.



YOUR DISCOVERY MODE DASHBOARD FEATURES:

  • A list of all SDM-eligible tracks in your catalog for the upcoming campaign

  • Spotify-Recommend track visibility: Identify the Highest Stream Lift Potential Tracks

  • Visibility on all currently promoted tracks with latest performance stats (first 10 days of current month)

  • Filter tracks by recent performance and bulk-remove any with negative results

  • Manual or bulk opt-in methods for convenience

  • Detailed instructions and best practices for easy navigation



WHAT DOES THE “RECOMMENDED” COLUMN SIGNIFY IN THE SDM DASHBOARD?

The contents of this column highlight if Spotify predicts that the track will see a lift in streams in Discovery Mode contexts if it is included in your upcoming campaign. This prediction is based on various signals, including: Song performance in Radio and Autoplay in the last 28 days, Artist metrics like followers, monthly listeners, and playlist adds Previous inclusion in Spotify personalized playlists.
While Spotify stands by its recommendations, they cannot guarantee specific outcomes. Use these insights alongside your strategy and goals to decide which tracks to include in a campaign.



WILL I RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION ONCE I COMPLETE MY TRACK SELECTION?
No, you will not receive any notification after completing your track selection. Unlike the previous process, where you had to wait for confirmation of eligibility, the current system provides all eligible tracks in advance through the dashboard. This makes notifications unnecessary, as all your selected tracks will be included. Please note, however, that Spotify might still exclude tracks if their performance drops significantly between the selection date and the campaign start. These cases are rare.



WHAT ARE THE SPOTIFY DISCOVERY MODE TIME FRAMES?

Discovery Mode campaigns run on a monthly cycle. Key dates include:


  • 15th of each month (by EOD, GMT):
    Dashboard refreshed and ready for selection with new eligible tracks and performance metrics. You will receive an email notification and have about 10 days to opt-in or opt-out tracks. 

  • 25th of each month (by 12:00 GMT):
    Track selection deadline. Changes are allowed until the deadline. 



WHAT ARE SPOTIFY’S COMMISSIONS FOR DISCOVERY MODE?

Discovery Mode doesn’t require an upfront budget. When you turn on Discovery Mode for a track, a 30% commission is applied to the recording royalties generated from streams in Discovery Mode contexts. This commission is deducted from your future royalty statements, delivered in a report separate from the standard royalty reports. Any other streams of tracks enrolled in Discovery Mode that occur outside of Discovery Mode contexts will remain commission-free. This structure ensures that clients only pay the increased commission on additional streams, making it a win-win service. Furthermore, Revelator does not charge anything extra for Discovery Mode beyond your usual revenue share.



HOW MANY ELIGIBLE TRACKS CAN I SUBMIT FOR DISCOVERY MODE?

Revelator Pro clients using the Spotify-Revelator deal can submit an unlimited number of eligible tracks for Discovery Mode.



HOW CAN I MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF MY TRACKS IN DISCOVERY MODE?

As mentioned in the “Discovery Mode Dashboard” section, whenever your dashboard is updated with new track selection information for the upcoming campaign (by the 15th of each month), it will include the latest and most relevant stats, from the first 10 days of the current month's campaign. This allows you to filter results during the selection process and remove tracks that have negative results or fall below your expectations. 
Read more: Discovery Mode Reporting Guide



CAN I SUBMIT TRACKS FOR DISCOVERY MODE VIA SPOTIFY FOR ARTISTS?

No. While a Discovery Mode section might be visible on your (or your artist's) Spotify for Artists dashboard, tracks distributed by Revelator cannot be submitted or monitored through this platform. If you or your artist continue to see an SDM section in Spotify for Artists, it's likely due to past partnerships with distributors who used this method, or because existing tracks are still distributed by them.


The Revelator SDM program works differently and via a dedicated dashboard as outlined in this article. The program’s main benefit is that it avoids artist eligibility restrictions found on Spotify for Artists, such as needing a minimum of 25,000 listeners and three eligible songs. This means Discovery Mode is available for almost any eligible track in your catalog.



As always, we're here to help you succeed. For any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us to [email protected]

 
Useful Links:

Discovery Mode Landing Page
What are 'Discovery Mode contexts'?
Discovery Mode Reporting Guide
Spotify's monetization eligibility criteria