SubmitHub
Is SubmitHub Still Worth It in 2024? My Honest Take
If you’ve been promoting your music online, you’ve probably heard of SubmitHub. Once hailed as a game-changer for indie artists looking to get featured on playlists, blogs, and YouTube channels, the platform has been around for years. But the question remains: is SubmitHub still an effective tool for musicians in 2024, or has its shine started to fade?
After testing it out myself and talking to other artists, I’m leaning towards the latter. SubmitHub has its uses, but it’s no longer the “indie music hack” it once was. Let me explain why.
How SubmitHub Works
First, a quick refresher: SubmitHub connects musicians with curators—like Spotify playlist owners, bloggers, and influencers—through direct submissions. You can either submit for free (with limited chances and no guarantees of feedback) or pay for Premium submissions, which come with a guaranteed response within 48 hours.
On paper, it sounds ideal. You send your music to tastemakers who should be eager to help you promote it. However, the reality in 2024 isn’t so clear-cut.
The Big Problem: Oversaturation
SubmitHub worked well when it launched because there was a novelty to it. Back then, indie curators, bloggers, and playlist owners were excited about discovering new music through a streamlined service. But in 2024, the platform has become crowded. Tons of artists are now submitting their tracks, meaning the curators are swamped with submissions.
Here’s what I noticed during my test run:
- Low Acceptance Rate: I submitted to 20 different curators, a mix of Spotify playlist owners and bloggers. Out of those 20 submissions, I got two placements. That’s a 10% success rate, and to be honest, that seems optimistic compared to what other artists have reported recently.
- High Competition: Curators are often overwhelmed by the number of submissions they receive daily. When there are hundreds of tracks vying for attention, even a good song can slip through the cracks. If your track doesn’t immediately stand out, you’re likely to get lost in the shuffle.
Pay-to-Play: Is It Worth It?
Let’s talk money, because while SubmitHub offers free submissions, Premium submissions are where the real action happens. Each Premium submission costs around $1-$3 in credits, and curators are required to listen to at least 20 seconds of your song and provide feedback if they pass.
Sounds fair, right? Well, here’s what I experienced:
- Cost Adds Up Quickly: If you want to reach a decent number of curators, you’ll probably end up spending $20-$30 (or more) on credits. That might not seem like much at first, but given the low acceptance rate, you’re essentially gambling with each submission.
- Paying for Feedback: Sure, SubmitHub guarantees feedback with Premium submissions, but a lot of that feedback was vague and unhelpful. I got responses like “Not a fit for our playlist” or “Not feeling it,” without any real detail. I was paying for someone to tell me nothing.
The Quality of Curators
Another big issue in 2024 is the inconsistency in curator quality. SubmitHub boasts a large network of curators, but the influence and impact of these curators vary wildly.
- Playlists with Few Listeners: Even when my song did land on a playlist, it wasn’t the big boost I was hoping for. One of the playlists had fewer than 1,000 followers, and while it was nice to be featured, it didn’t lead to a significant increase in streams or followers.
- Inactive Blogs and Influencers: I noticed that some blogs and influencers who were active a few years ago aren’t as influential today. Many blogs are struggling to maintain their audience, and even if you get featured, it might not lead to much visibility.
The bottom line is that not all curators on SubmitHub are created equal. In 2024, more curators are less active, and fewer can give your track the attention it deserves. As a result, you might end up spending credits on submissions that yield little to no return.
The Pros of SubmitHub (If You Look Hard)
Despite my overall frustrations, I won’t say SubmitHub is completely useless. It has some redeeming features, especially for artists who are just starting out and looking to get their feet wet with promotion.
Here are the upsides I noticed:
- Transparency: SubmitHub’s transparency about each curator’s acceptance rate, average response time, and genre preferences is still a plus. This helps you filter out curators who are less likely to give you a shot.
- Guaranteed Feedback with Premium: Even if the feedback I got was often vague, it’s still better than hearing nothing at all. For new artists, having at least some insight into why your track isn’t getting picked up can be useful for refining your approach.
- Curator Variety: There’s a large range of genres and curators on SubmitHub, so if you’re in a popular genre (like indie, pop, or electronic), you’ll have a decent pool of curators to choose from. If your genre is more niche, though, your options will be more limited.
So, Is SubmitHub Still Effective in 2024?
Short answer: not as much as it used to be.
In 2024, SubmitHub’s effectiveness has taken a hit for a few key reasons:
- Oversaturation: There are too many artists submitting and not enough curators to give proper attention to each track.
- Declining Curator Quality: Many of the curators on SubmitHub don’t have the influence they once did, so even if you get a placement, the impact on your streams and visibility might be minimal.
- Cost vs. Reward: The pay-to-play model means you can easily spend $20-$50 on submissions with little to show for it. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, there might be better alternatives for your budget (like targeted social media ads or other marketing services).
Should You Use SubmitHub?
If you’re just starting out, SubmitHub can be a good way to get some initial feedback and maybe land a playlist feature or two. But if you’re looking for real traction in 2024, I wouldn’t bank on SubmitHub being your main promotion strategy.
If you decide to use it, do so with realistic expectations, and don’t expect it to be the golden ticket for blowing up your music career.
