Lets Talk about Groover – What is it and how does it work ?
How I Became a Groover Curator
A few years back, I was approached by Groover to join their platform. At the time, I was running a YouTube channelfocused on artist Q&As and managing my music website, where I still publish reviews and blog posts about new releases.
My offer to Groover users is straightforward: if I like your track, I’ll feature it in a blog post on my site, which can give you some added visibility and credibility as an artist.
Why Artists Pay for Submissions
Some might ask: “Why would anyone pay to have their song listened to?”
The answer lies in how music promotion has evolved.
Years ago, the only real way to get your music heard was through radio stations or industry connections — a DJ, a label rep, or a promoter. Those days are mostly gone. Today, you’re largely left to promote your own music, and platforms like Groover offer a bridge between you and the people who can help you reach new audiences.
What Happens When You Submit to Groover
When you submit your track, you first choose a curator — someone whose style, playlist, or platform aligns with your music. You can review their background, playlists, and previous work to see if they’re a good fit.
Once you submit and pay the small fee, your track goes into their review queue. Most Groover curators aren’t full-time music executives or label owners. They’re people like me — bloggers, small radio hosts, playlist curators, or indie label owners — who have built platforms with modest but focused audiences.
If a curator likes your track, they might:
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Add it to a playlist
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Write a review or blog feature
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Share it on social media
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Include it in a radio show or newsletter
The hope is that by featuring your music on these platforms, you’ll reach listeners who might not have discovered you otherwise.
The Reality: Exposure Doesn’t Always Equal Success
Here’s where many artists get frustrated.
You might get featured on a playlist or blog with thousands of followers — and yet, nothing seems to happen. No big jump in streams, no new followers, no buzz.
But here’s the truth: curators can put your music in front of people, but they can’t make listeners like it.
Think of it like getting your single placed in the window of a record store back in the day. You can pay for that prime spot, but if people walk by and don’t pick it up, the store owner won’t keep it there for long. The same goes for playlists and blogs — curators want to keep their audiences engaged, so they’re selective about what they feature.
Why Rejection Happens (and Why It’s Not Personal)
If your submission gets rejected, don’t take it personally.
Curators receive far more submissions than they can handle. Sometimes they’re just overloaded, or maybe your song doesn’t fit what they’ve already scheduled. In my case, if I already have several prog-rock submissions that week, I might be looking for something different to balance things out.
Other times, a curator might simply not connect with the track — and that’s okay. It’s better for both parties if they pass, rather than writing a lukewarm review that doesn’t do your music justice.
The good thing about Groover is that when a curator rejects your track, you get your credit refunded, so you can try again elsewhere.
What Makes a Good Submission
Here are a few quick tips from the curator’s side of the table:
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Know your audience – Don’t submit techno to a folk curator. Take time to read bios and check playlists.
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Present professionally – Include a short, clear description and links that work.
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Be patient – Curators often balance dozens of submissions at once.
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Don’t take rejections to heart – Sometimes it’s about timing, not talent.
Final Thoughts
Being both an artist and a curator, I can tell you this: it’s not easy on either side. Curators juggle endless submissions, and artists face massive competition for attention.
But Groover and similar platforms have opened up opportunities that didn’t exist a decade ago. You no longer need an inside contact or a label deal to get your music heard — just a bit of persistence and professionalism.
So keep creating, keep submitting, and most importantly, keep improving. The right ears will find you eventually.
Have you tried Groover or similar platforms? Share your experience in the comments below — I’d love to hear how it went for you.
