Every Friday, Spotify delivers a personalized playlist called Release Radar to listeners — a curated selection of new music from artists they follow and have recently engaged with. For artists, it's one of the most direct ways to reach an existing fanbase the moment new music drops. Here's how it works and how to maximize your chances of landing in it.
What Is Release Radar?
Release Radar is a weekly playlist Spotify refreshes every Friday. Unlike Discover Weekly, which introduces listeners to artists they've never heard, Release Radar is built around artists a listener already knows — people they follow, tracks they've saved, and artists they've streamed repeatedly in recent weeks.
If you release new music and someone follows your Spotify artist profile, your release is eligible to appear in their Release Radar automatically. The playlist holds up to 30 tracks and refreshes completely each week, so timing and follower count both matter.
What Determines Whether Your Track Makes It In?
Spotify hasn't published an exact formula, but the key factors are well understood:
- Followers: The more people who follow your artist profile, the more Release Radar playlists your new release is eligible for. This is the single most direct lever you control.
- Recent engagement: Listeners who have streamed your music recently — not just followed you years ago — are more likely to see your release in their radar.
- Release timing: Tracks released on or just before Friday have the best chance of appearing in that week's refresh. Releasing mid-week or earlier in the week is generally recommended.
- Spotify for Artists submission: Submitting your track through Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release gives Spotify's editorial team a chance to consider it for algorithmic and editorial playlists simultaneously.
Release Radar vs. Discover Weekly: What's the Difference?
The two playlists serve different purposes in Spotify's ecosystem. Discover Weekly is about discovery — introducing listeners to artists they don't know yet. Release Radar is about retention — keeping existing fans connected to artists they already love.
For growth, both matter. Discover Weekly expands your audience. Release Radar deepens your relationship with the audience you've already built. A strong promotion strategy feeds both: it builds the engagement signals that earn Discover Weekly placement while simultaneously growing the follower base that powers Release Radar reach.
How to Grow Your Release Radar Reach
The most reliable way to increase your Release Radar footprint is to grow your Spotify follower count — not just your stream count. Followers are the direct input. Every new follower is a potential Release Radar slot for your next release.
Targeted promotion campaigns that drive profile follows, not just streams, compound over time. Each release reaches more listeners automatically, without additional spend, because the follower base built by previous campaigns carries forward.
The Bottom Line
Release Radar is one of Spotify's most artist-friendly features — a direct line to your existing audience every single Friday. The artists who benefit most are those who have consistently built an engaged, following-based fanbase rather than chasing raw stream numbers. Every follower you earn today is a guaranteed Release Radar slot for every release you make in the future.