Fresh Finds turns 10—spotlighting the artists, stories, and impact behind Spotify’s editorial launchpad for independent music.
For the past decade, Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlists have served as a launchpad for over 70,000 emerging independent artists, helping them break through and connect with new listeners. In fact, in 2024, nearly 70% of all Fresh Finds streams represented listeners discovering artists for the first time. Now, as Fresh Finds turns 10, we’re shining a light on the independent artists at the heart of it all.
The Fresh Finds ecosystem includes the flagship playlist and more than a dozen genre-specific playlists: latin, indie, experimental, rock, dance, folk, country, pop, hip-hop, jazz, R&B, heavy (metal), música mexicana, faith, and more. A team of more than 30 Spotify editors blends data insights, thorough research, context from pitches through Spotify for Artists, and human intuition to curate these playlists. The flagship playlist represents the very best finds week over week, meticulously crafted for the crate-digging, new-music aficionado open to discovering artists of any genre, from anywhere in the world.
“Thinking back over the past decade, so many inspiring artists have been a part of the Fresh Finds story,” said Sulinna Ong, Global Head of Editorial, Music at Spotify. “Seeing them go from those initial playlist spots to building a whole new audience is just incredible and highlights the impact of finding those early fans. Our focus for the next 10 years? To keep opening doors for thousands more independent artists, helping them share their sound and build real connections.”
The Fresh Finds Effect: By the Numbers
Fresh Finds drives discovery and supports independent artists at the earliest stages of their careers, often serving as the crucial first step toward industry recognition, viral success, signing with a record label, or building a global fan base. Here’s a glimpse at the impact Fresh Finds has made over the years:
And the Fresh Finds journey doesn’t end there. To date, more than half of artists first added to Fresh Finds are later added to other Spotify editorial playlists like New Music Friday, RapCaviar, or Lorem. A number of Fresh Finds alumni have even gone on to be nominated for Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs: Doechii, Ice Spice, Japanese Breakfast, Omar Apollo, and Wet Leg.
In Their Own Words
From late-night recordings and borrowed studio time to packed shows and Grammy nods—these Fresh Finds alumni reflect on the playlist moment that changed everything.
Laufey
In 2021, Laufey was an emerging independent artist blending jazz, classical, and pop, unsure if her music would fit anywhere. Then “Best Friend” was added to Fresh Finds. “I remember thinking, ‘I don’t fit into a genre—am I even going to be playlisted?’” she said. “Getting on Fresh Finds felt like Christmas. It introduced my music to a completely new audience. Before that, I was just using whatever I had to get the music out there. It was the first time I felt acknowledged—like, whoa, they know who I am.”
Role Model
Back in 2017, Role Model was recording music alone in his Pittsburgh apartment, doubtful that anyone was even listening. “"Girl in new york" was one of my first songs under the name Role Model,” he said. “I couldn’t afford studio time, so a friend let me use their space for free.” When the track was added to Fresh Finds, everything shifted. “It felt like my big break. I was just making music in my bedroom with no connections, and suddenly I felt heard. My inbox and DMs started filling up with A&Rs and managers. I literally ran up and down the stairs out of excitement. I didn’t do anything—it just found its way.”
Remi Wolf
Remi Wolf’s second-ever track on Spotify, “Sauce,” was added to Fresh Finds, followed by “Shawty” and a spot in the Fresh Finds Class of 2019. At the time, she was working as a server and recording music in a friend’s garage. “Fresh Finds was the first real support I got. It helped me sell out my first headline show. People heard my music through that playlist and started digging into everything else I’d made. It was a snowball effect—it kickstarted everything.”
Megan Moroney
Megan Moroney was an independent artist when her song “Hair Salon” got added to Fresh Finds in 2022. “It was the first song I released as a songwriter that I was really proud of,” she said. “Being playlisted helped get it to people outside of country music, which was huge.” Not long after, she joined the Unfinished Finds program and rushed to finish a song that had been sitting incomplete: “Tennessee Orange.” “I made the cover on my phone. We recorded, mixed, and mastered the song in 24 hours,” she said. “I had no idea it would change my life.”
Wet Leg
In 2021, Wet Leg’s breakout track “Chaise Longue” was added to Fresh Finds just as they were starting out. That early support helped their music reach new audiences ahead of their first gigs. “We were really freaked out people actually turned up and knew the words,” Hester Chambers said. Since then, they’ve played Primavera, joined Paramore’s “This Is Why” covers album, and were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. “You can’t survive on crisps and hummus,” Rhian Teasdale joked, “but Fresh Finds helped us get going.”
Lil Tecca
When Lil Tecca’s “Molly Girl” got added to Fresh Finds in 2019, he was 17 and still in school. “That was my first playlist ever,” he said. “It introduced my music to a whole new crowd and sped up word of mouth.” He remembers waking up to a screenshot from his manager with fire emojis. “It felt amazing.” That moment pushed him to take music seriously. “It kickstarted everything.” Since then, his monthly streams have grown over 18,000%, and “Ransom” has hit nearly 2 billion streams. “Playlists are the new radio, They’re essential if you want your music to travel.”
Fresh Finds Across the Globe
Fresh Finds is where new talent gets its first spark—and that spark can come from anywhere. Around the world, Spotify editors are listening closely, digging through pitches, tracking trends, and scouring the internet to find what’s next. “It’s about ignition,” said Jacob Thorell, an editor for the Nordic region. “We give artists the exposure and momentum they need to get started."
As Fresh Finds enters its next decade, we aim to help thousands more artists share their music, tell their stories, and find their audiences. No matter your sound or where you are in your journey, pitching through Spotify for Artists is still the best way to get heard — and possibly land on playlists like Fresh Finds.
Join us in celebrating a decade of Fresh Finds. Hit play on the anniversary playlist and explore more stories from artists at every stage of their journey on the Spotify for Artists Instagram and TikTok.