Understanding Music Genres for DSPs: A Guide for Artists

Before diving into the complexities of DSP genre classification, it's worth understanding what genres actually represent and why they've become such a vital component of music distribution.

Music genres on DSPs are metadata tags that help algorithms, playlists, and listeners find the right music. As you may know, genre classification isn't a new idea. For nearly a century, it’s helped listeners find the sounds they love and has guided the way music is marketed, sold, and discovered. In the 1950s, record stores were separating their vinyl into simple sections like Jazz, Classical, Country, and the emerging Rock & Roll. This physical division made browsing easier and helped customers find music similar to what they already enjoyed.

As music evolved, so did its categories and definitions. The 1970s saw the rise of new movements like Disco, Punk, and Reggae. In 1982, Italian musician and musicologist Franco Fabbri defined genre as "a set of musical events (real or possible) whose course is governed by a definite set of socially accepted rules." This interpretation of music genre has become standard today.

The 1980s through the 2000s brought Hip-Hop and Electronic music into the mainstream and led to an explosion of genres splintering into countless subgenres – like Grunge, Britpop, Industrial Rock, and more – reflecting both musical innovation and the need for more precise marketing categories. Genres became tools for positioning – record labels used them to position artists, radio stations used them to define their programming, and music journalists used them to contextualize new releases and highlight cultural shifts.

The digital revolution didn't eliminate genres; it amplified their importance even further. With access to infinite music via search, categorization and organization became more crucial than ever. Without physical constraints limiting shelf space, digital platforms could now accommodate thousands of genre and subgenre classifications – compared to just a few dozen before – giving listeners unprecedented accuracy in finding exactly what they wanted to hear.

In today's streaming landscape, genres serve as the ultimate connection between artists and audiences seeking a specific musical sound. They are no longer just labels describing the characteristics of individual music styles, types, or concepts. Instead, they are data points that fuel discovery algorithms, playlist curation, and recommendation engines.

When you upload music to streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, your genre tags become part of a complex metadata ecosystem. Spotify's algorithm doesn't just see "Electronic"; it sees a signal that helps determine which other artists you resemble, which playlists might best feature your music, and which listeners are statistically more likely to enjoy your sound. Meanwhile, Apple Music uses genre data to populate its expert-curated playlists and to train its machine learning systems. Deezer depends on genre classification to sustain its Flow feature and personalized radio stations.

Genre metadata also influences how listeners find your music organically. When someone explores a "New Indie Rock" page or searches for “chill electronic,” those genre tags determine whether your track appears in those results. They also affect your ranking on genre-specific charts and your chances for editorial playlist placement. Essentially, genres have become the language streaming platforms use to organize and navigate their large catalogs. Speaking that language correctly is essential for any artist wanting to build an audience and be heard.

The practical implications of accurate genre tagging span across every part of your streaming presence. Getting it right isn't just about correct categorization; it's about maximizing each platform's discovery features. Often, choosing the right genres to tag your music can determine whether your song gets noticed or gets lost among the many tracks released daily. Here’s why it truly matters:

Every DSP’s algorithmic engine relies on genre data as a foundation for recommendations. When Spotify analyzes listening patterns and creates playlists like Discover Weekly, or when Apple Music generates personalized radio stations, genre tags help decide who hears your track next. A correct tag boosts your chances of appearing before listeners who already enjoy similar sounds, making them more likely to engage with your music and potentially become dedicated fans.

Curators and editorial teams also organize their selections around genres. If your indie folk track is accidentally tagged as alternative rock, it might never appear on that perfect “Acoustic Chill” playlist with 100,000 followers. And that would be a shame, right? Similarly, the “Fans Also Like” feature on the bottom of artist profiles highlights acts with similar genre DNA. Accurate tagging helps you appear alongside artists that are truly similar to you, while misclassification means missing out on opportunities to reach more listeners and be discovered by new fans.

Finally, accurate classification helps position your track in genre-specific radio stations, algorithmic radios, and other editorial features. When DSPs highlight “New Jazz Releases” or “Top Electronic Tracks,” they start by filtering genre metadata. If your track is categorized correctly, it’s eligible for those features – and visible to the right audience.

Overall, the better your genre fit, the higher your chances of reaching the right ears. Every playlist add, every algorithmic recommendation, and every editorial feature begins with the question: "What genre is this?" Answer that question accurately, and you’ve opened the right doors for your music. Answer it poorly, and you've built walls between your music and its natural audience.

The challenge with genre tagging is that digital streaming platforms don't use one universal system for classifying music. Each platform – from Spotify to Tidal to Qobuz – has its own way of organizing genres, subgenres, and moods. Additionally, these systems are constantly changing to reflect new sounds, cultural shifts, and shifting listener habits.

At their core, DSPs use genre data to help users find new artists and to drive recommendation algorithms. Over time, their classifications evolve to include emerging styles and trends, making sure that new genres – like Hyperpop and Lo-Fi Beats – can find their place within large digital libraries.

Here’s a look at how most streaming platforms build their genre systems.

At the top level sit the familiar, overarching genres – the same ones you might have seen in record stores decades ago. These broad umbrella categories form the basis for how platforms classify music and how listeners browse by sound or style.

Common high-level genres include:

• Pop
• Rock
• Hip Hop / Rap
• Electronic
• R&B / Soul
• Country
• Classical
• Jazz
• Folk
• Latin
• World
• Christian / Gospel

While these categories work well for mainstream releases, they can feel limiting for artists operating in more experimental, hybrid, or regional styles. That’s where subgenres come into play.

Beneath the main genres, platforms provide increasingly specific subcategories that reflect the incredible diversity of modern music. These distinctions assist listeners in refining their searches and help algorithms better understand your sound.

For example:

• Electronic music can be divided into genres like House, Techno, Dubstep, Drum & Bass, and many other specialized styles.

• Rock music splits into categories such as classic rock, hard rock, punk rock, alternative rock, metal, indie rock, and more.

• And to demonstrate how diverse each genre is, even Indie Rock can be broken down into several subcategories like grebo, blog rock, landfill indie, math rock, Midwest emo, noise pop, post-punk revival, slacker rock, slowcore, and shoegaze.

For artists, choosing a subgenre is a chance to define their unique sound. Tagging your music accurately within these categories helps guarantee it is recommended to listeners searching for that specific style or sound. As mentioned earlier, for algorithms, it’s equally important – subgenre metadata helps determine where your music “fits” in automated suggestions.

In recent years, modern DSPs have expanded beyond traditional genre labels. Today, many playlists and recommendation systems organize music by mood, energy, or activity, instead of just musical styles. You’ve probably seen playlists and categories with terms like “Chill,” “Workout,” “Focus,” and “Party.”

Mood descriptors such as Melancholic, Upbeat, or Atmospheric allow platforms to customize experiences based on context. While artists don’t always get to choose these tags directly, your selected genre and subgenre influence whether your track appears in these curated mood or activity playlists.

For example, an Ambient Electronic track is more likely to be featured on a Focus playlist than a House track — even if both fall under the same broad genre umbrella.

Not every artist creates music that fits into the predefined categories offered by streaming platforms – and that’s perfectly fine. This is one of the most common metadata challenges musicians face, and it’s often not about doing something wrong. Sometimes, your genre simply doesn’t exist yet in a DSP’s taxonomy.

Here are some common cases where artists find themselves stuck between categories:

If you're creating witch house, vaporwave, or lowercase music, you’ve probably noticed that your exact style doesn’t appear in Spotify’s or Apple Music’s genre menus. These niche genres have passionate fanbases, but they haven’t yet reached the level of mainstream recognition needed for dedicated categories.

Instead, DSPs tend to offer broader tags like “Electronic”, “Synthwave”, or “Ambient” that capture part, but not all, of your sound.

Example: Instead of “Darkpsy” or “Progressive Psytrance,” you might only find “Trance” or “Psychedelic Electronic.”

Tip: When uploading, choose the closest parent genre that reflects your sonic foundation. Then, use your artist bio, track title, and description fields (when available) to communicate the microgenre directly to fans and editors.

Traditional or regionally rooted music – such as flamenco fusion, Afrobeat variations, or Nordic folk-electronic hybrids – often face similar limitations. DSPs may not yet have precise categories for these localized or cross-cultural styles, often forcing artists to choose between broader categories that don't fully capture their sound.

For example, if you’re creating Kurdish folk-electronic fusion or reviving Japanese city pop (or any other genre that incorporates regional or traditional elements), you might need to choose from broader umbrellas like “World,” “Folk,” or “Roots.”

Tip: Pair your broader genre choice with metadata that highlights the regional influence – for example, use descriptive titles (“Flamenco Fusion”) or tags in your distributor’s metadata form if available.

What if you blend jazz improvisation with electronic production and hip-hop beats?

That’s where the challenge becomes creative. Fusion artists constantly navigate genre ambiguity – from jazz-hop to electro-swing to folk-punk – and must decide which element defines their sound most accurately.

In these cases, genre tagging becomes a strategic choice rather than an exact label. Ask yourself:

• Which part of your sound would listeners most strongly identify with?

• Which genre will best align you with the right playlists or similar artists?

Tip: Prioritize the genre that most closely matches your audience’s listening habits, not just your influences.

Music culture evolves faster than corporate genre taxonomies. What starts as a movement on SoundCloud might take years to be formally recognized on major DSPs. Artists working in hyperpop, phonk, bedroom pop, or lo-fi beats have seen their genres evolve from underground communities to officially recognized categories, but that transition takes time. For now, artists pioneering new sounds often have to work within broader genres until DSPs simply catch up.

Tip: Lean on your marketing and metadata – playlist submissions, bios, and keywords – to signal your emerging scene affiliation, even if the DSP tag isn’t there yet.

Not all genres are defined by musical structure – some are built around emotion, vibe, or production context. Terms like bedroom pop or chillwave describe aesthetic and cultural qualities more than technical ones. These identifiers might not translate directly to DSP categories, even though they're perfectly valid and recognizable ways to describe your music.

In all of these cases, the goal isn’t to force an ill-fitting label, but to represent your music as accurately as possible within the system constraints.

Tip: Focus on broader parent genres like “Pop” or “Electronic”, but use your description and artwork to communicate the mood or scene your music belongs to.

Discovering that your ideal genre descriptor isn't available on your DSP of choice can be frustrating, but there are strategic ways to tackle this metadata issue. We mentioned a few tips before, but let’s explore different methods to address missing genre categories.

It’s tempting to pick the first genre that seems “close enough” just to move forward in your release process and editorial playlist pitching. However, a poor match can do more harm than no match at all (or equal) – it might send your track to the wrong audience, confusing both listeners and algorithms.

What to do instead:

• Research how similar artists in your niche classify their music.

• Look at the genre tag used on their profiles and playlists.

• Choose the one that most accurately reflects your core sound rather than every influence you have.

A bit of upfront research can dramatically improve how platforms recommend your tracks later.

Reach out to your music distributor well before your release date. Platforms like iMusician have experience navigating these situations and can advise on the best existing genres for your style. They might also have insights into upcoming genre additions or alternative tagging strategies.

When communicating with your distributor or support teams, don't just say, “My genre isn't available.” Instead, give them context they can act on. This is especially important during playlist pitching, where the information you provide can directly influence editorial placement.

While the genre dropdown during upload might feel restrictive, your playlist pitch submission is your opportunity to expand and define your sound in your own words. Use it wisely to help curators and algorithms understand exactly where your music fits.

Here’s the details you can include when describing your genre:

• Your musical elements: tempo, production style, and key instruments

• Mood or tone: energetic, cinematic, introspective, etc.

• Comparable artists: “My sound sits between/resembles artist A and artist B”

• Proposed genres: list one or two genres you feel best describe your sound

The more detail you provide, the easier it is for your distributor or the DSP’s editorial team to position your music accurately.

If your sound consistently goes unnoticed and you believe it deserves recognition, consider advocating for a new subgenre or hybrid label. Point to streaming data, social media trends, and the number of artists working in this area. While individual artists rarely influence DSP taxonomies alone, consistent, data-supported feedback from multiple sources might encourage platforms to broaden their genre options over time.

When it comes to genre metadata, most distributors will ask you to select a genre and subgenre for your release. “To simplify things for musicians, genres and subgenres are displayed within the same list, and we do the correct mapping when exporting to the shops,” says Samuel, the Editorial Playlist Pitching Manager at iMusician.

Even if your exact genre isn’t available, there’s still plenty you can do to help platforms understand your sound. DSP algorithms rely on multiple metadata signals – not just your main genre tag – to position your music in the right playlists, recommendations, and charts.

Use every available field strategically:

• Subgenres: Choose the closest match when available.

• Artist bio and description: Use these to tell editors and fans exactly how your sound fits within the bigger picture.

• Distributor communication: As mentioned above, if you’re uncertain, reach out to your distributor (like iMusician) for guidance. Our team can advise on how to classify your music most effectively and ensure your metadata aligns with DSP standards.

Genre classification isn’t a one-time choice; it's part of your ongoing strategy. Start thinking about it early in your release process and monitor how your decisions affect your reach.

Additionally, if you regularly work within an underrepresented genre, think about making genre advocacy part of your long-term plan. Track the growth of your genre community, create playlists of similar artists, and periodically resubmit genre requests with updated evidence. Over time, your persistence can help shape how DSPs categorize the next wave of music.

Navigating music genre classification for artists doesn't have to be a solitary struggle. iMusician streamlines the metadata process while giving you control over how your music is presented to the world.

• Streamlined Genre Management: Through the iMusician dashboard, you can easily select and update genres as your sound evolves or as platforms expand their categories. Your metadata automatically syncs across major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and more, making sure your genre information stays consistent and up-to-date everywhere your music appears. This unified approach eliminates the headache of managing separate genre settings for different DSPs.

• Personalized Support: When you encounter genre challenges – whether you're working in an emerging style or simply unsure which category best represents your sound – iMusician's support team is available to help. They can provide guidance on how to choose music genres for Spotify and other platforms based on your specific situation and suggest alternative classifications.

Genre selection might seem like a small checkbox in the release process, but it's actually one of the most impactful metadata decisions you'll make. The right genre classification connects your music with the listeners who will cherish it, influences playlist placement, and signals to algorithms how to recommend your tracks.

If your perfect genre isn’t available, don't compromise your music's identity by forcing it into an inappropriate category. Instead, use strategic thinking, work closely with your distributor, and leverage all available metadata fields to accurately represent your sound. Remember that genre classifications on DSPs aren’t static – they evolve alongside music culture. Today’s niche or missing category could become tomorrow’s featured genre.

The streaming landscape rewards artists who understand not only how to create great music but also how to position it effectively within the digital ecosystem. Manage your metadata effectively, and you’ll master an essential part of modern music distribution.

Ready to release your next track? Distribute your release with iMusician today, and make sure your sound gets into the hands (and ears) that matter.