Spotify Discovery Mode: why it helps any artist and why it is controversial

Discovery Mode is one of Spotify's most talked-about tools. For some, it is the easiest way to get your music heard by new people; for others, it is a way of paying to get played. We explain how it works, why it helps almost any artist and where the controversy comes from.

What it is and how it works

You choose the songs you want to boost, and Spotify adds that signal to the algorithms behind its personalised recommendations. According to Spotify, it affects Radio, automatic playback when an album or playlist ends (Autoplay) and some Mixes. It does not apply to Discover Weekly or DJ.

There is nothing to pay upfront. In return, Spotify takes a commission on the streams that song gets in those contexts, deducted from what they earn. Streams the song gets elsewhere on Spotify are not subject to the commission. Spotify does not publish the percentage: it only says it is a percentage of what those streams earn.

And it is no guarantee: it increases the likelihood of the song being recommended, but if listeners skip it, the algorithm takes that into account just as it would with any other song.

Why it helps an emerging artist

When you are starting out, the problem is not that people dislike your music: it is that nobody who does not already know you hears it. Discovery Mode puts your song in front of listeners who listen to similar music, in precisely the places where people go with the flow and discover new artists.

You do not need a budget either: there is no money to pay upfront for a campaign. You pay with a share of what those new streams earn, streams that probably would not have happened without Discovery Mode.

And why it also helps artists who already have an audience

If you already have listeners, Discovery Mode helps you make the most of a good moment: a release that is doing well, a song that has gone viral outside Spotify or a track from your catalogue that you want to bring back. You turn it on when it works and off when it does not.

According to figures published by Spotify, songs in Discovery Mode gain, on average, 106% more monthly listeners, 186% more playlist adds and 181% more saves per month. These are Spotify's own averages and every case is different, but they give an idea of why so many people use it.

The controversy

Discovery Mode has had its critics since Spotify launched it in 2020. The criticism is always the same: if you accept lower earnings in exchange for more recommendations, it looks a lot like payola, the old practice of paying radio stations to play your music. In 2021, several members of the US Congress asked Spotify for an explanation, and in November 2025 a subscriber filed a class action lawsuit in New York accusing the tool of misleading listeners. Spotify responded that the allegations were “nonsense” and that the lawsuit misrepresented how Discovery Mode works.

There is also debate about who benefits. In the early days, Spotify said Universal was the label most actively involved in testing its new marketing tools, and the 2025 lawsuit claims that its recommendations mainly featured major-label artists. Spotify, however, argues that it is wrong to think Discovery Mode only helps major-label artists and that independent artists have adopted it in large numbers. Today, independent artists can activate it directly through Spotify for Artists if their distributor participates in the programme.

Our view: with clear information, it is a useful tool, especially for anyone without a marketing budget. What matters is knowing what you give in return and using it sensibly, for the songs and at the times when it really makes sense.

How we do it

At MusicAdders, we are a Spotify Preferred Provider, with Discovery Mode and pre-save. A dedicated team pitches all our releases to the leading playlists at no extra cost. If you want to know whether Discovery Mode is right for your next release, get in touch or see how we work with playlists.

Sources: Spotify for Artists, Music Business Worldwide, Music Ally and Digital Music News.