The whole challenge for independent labels, like Yotanka based in France, is to access this holy grail of playlists from music streaming giants (Spotify, the world leader, is logically the most often cited, but there is also Deezer for example) .

"The question of diversity arises: how to get a metal band on a nice playlist? These playlists are trusted by big names (often produced by the majors of the record), concentrated on few titles", continues Vivien Gouery, speaker at the round table "Are streaming platforms for everyone?"

as part of the Trans Musicales de Rennes, which ends this Sunday.

"The platforms, at the beginning, focused on what works, today we find surprising playlists like + Women in ambient music + (atmospheric and dreamy electro)", nuance however Sophian Fanen, author of the book "Boulevard du Stream ", present at the round table.

But these are niche playlists, as the specialist agrees: "The big playlist is the knot for an artist's exposure".

"Be spotted"

This is about the representation of musical aesthetics in playlists.

The platforms are regularly accused of favoring the dominant currents (rap, R'n'B) and thus directing listening.

What they defend themselves against.

"The vast majority of listening is done at the request of users. There are editorialized playlists, to share novelties, or algorithmic playlists, again to make people discover, but the majority of playlists are made by users", insisted Antoine Monin, of Spotify, in February 2020, during an exchange organized by the National Union of Phonographic Publishing (Snep).

Entering the playlists put forward for a musician who does not have the aura of a star will not necessarily have a direct economic impact.

But can allow it to be heard by an audience which will then go to see it in concert or by an advertising agency looking for a sound for a spot.

Musical platforms have become essential influencers Emmanuel DUNAND AFP / Archives

"It's a victory when a title enters a playlist, I did a cover of Ace of Base and it's number one on a playlist in Australia", underlines Cléa Vincent, French artist also present in Rennes.

Kid Francescoli, electro artist for the Yotanka label, recently had peak listening levels on platforms, but in the wake of an old track that went viral on TikTok ("Moon", more than 75 million plays on Spotify).

The question, as Vivien Gouery says, is how, with a new title, “get spotted from platform playlists?”.

"Recommendation role"

"We talk to + editorials + (editorial managers on the platforms), finally, you have to succeed in talking to them, we go through a digital distributor who + pitch + (tout) titles to these platforms", details the manager of Yotanka.

Going through a digital distributor is not mandatory to access a platform, online services are available - like TuneCore - sometimes even for a small fee.

But it's up to the artist to manage everything afterwards, which can be tedious.

To take the train of playlists, some "advance the idea of ​​quotas", as for the French-speaking titles in radio, exposes Sophian Fanen.

The issue of musical diversity in the playlists of streaming platforms is in any case on the office of the CNM (National Music Center), the structure which oversees the industry in France.

"The objective is to build with the platforms, to integrate them into the studies of an observatory of musical diversity, to reflect with them on their role of recommendation and to work together to progress", explains Séverine Morin, director of studies and of foresight at the CNM, speaker at the round table.

The CNM has thus approached the platforms to try to "compare the independent listening and those which are done via the playlists", she concludes.

© 2021 AFP