Spotify is opening a new program that gives emerging independent artists a year of support, and it starts with the playlists they may already be on. Fresh Finds Forward will take in roughly 10,000 artists annually, the company says, drawing from the independent, unsigned, and early-career acts its editors already curate. Notifications about the program begin rolling out today through Spotify for Artists.
The entry point is simple. Eligible artists who land on a Fresh Finds playlist on or after January 1, 2026 get an invitation through Spotify for Artists, and once onboarded they get 12 months of benefits. Artists who hope to land on the playlists are told to pitch upcoming music through Spotify for Artists. Spotify has not said what the program costs artists, nor has it set an end date.
The benefits mix studio access with tools and industry introductions. Artists based in the United States get free studio time at Electric Lady Studios in New York, The Lighthouse at Ocean Way Nashville, and Spotify Studios in Los Angeles. Participants also get early access to some Spotify tools, prioritized access to tour or music video partnerships, a Fresh Finds badge on their artist profile, and invitations to in-person and virtual events with Spotify staff and alumni. Premium access to LANDR Studio Pro and Splice's Creator Plan is included, along with mental health resources that cover six months of free therapy through BetterHelp.
The playlists behind the program are not new. Spotify's music editors have run Fresh Finds for more than a decade, and the company says the playlists have featured over 80,000 artists across 127 countries. Alumni include Laufey, Clairo, Ethel Cain, Omar Apollo, Megan Moroney, and Royel Otis, among others. Spotify says its Fresh Finds artists have earned Best New Artist nominations five years running, with sombr, Doechii, Japanese Breakfast, Ice Spice, and Wet Leg among the nominees.
Spotify is also pointing to listening data as evidence the playlists move careers. Since 2024, nearly 70% of streams on those playlists have gone to artists a listener is hearing for the first time, and more than half of the artists featured have gone on to appear on other editorial playlists such as New Music Friday, RapCaviar, and Lorem. Joe Hadley, who leads music content and partnerships worldwide for Spotify, said the program grew out of that track record: "We spent years listening to what independent artists actually need, and those conversations shaped what this program would become. Fresh Finds Forward takes everything we've learned from a decade of discovery and builds a support system around it, so participating artists aren't just getting a playlist placement, they're getting the benefits, resources, and the community to make the most of that moment."
The announcement lands in a stretch of artist-facing moves from Spotify. In August the company introduced Playlist Notes, a feature that grew out of an earlier concept called User Notes. Earlier in September it said RNB X Live, its first standalone R&B concert, would come to Dallas with Live Nation on November 1 at Toyota Music Factory.
What the program does not spell out is who qualifies beyond a playlist add. Spotify lists no criteria other than being added to a Fresh Finds playlist, and it says more stories about participants will follow as they hit milestones. Artists who want updates are directed to the @SpotifyforArtists accounts on Instagram and TikTok.
