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Spotify Deep Link – How to deep link to a song within a playlist in Spotify

October 4, 2024 October 7th, 2024

Creating a “deep link” to a specific song within a playlist can be an incredibly effective strategy for promoting your music.

A deep link to a song in a Spotify playlist ensures that listeners won’t have to search for or scroll to find that track — it takes them directly to the playlist and auto-plays your song, increasing visibility for other tracks in the playlist as well.

Table of contents

This allows you to direct listeners to a track within a playlist and auto-play it, while also giving them the opportunity to explore other songs within the same playlist. This is especially useful if you’re curating your own artist playlist on social media or paid ads which will increase chances of generating more streams for the songs that follow and market both the playlist and your songs at the same time.

  • Auto-Play Feature: Unlike a direct song link, the deep link allows the song to start playing automatically within the playlist.
  • Increase Playlist Engagement: Once the listener is done with your track, the playlist keeps playing, increasing the chance of more streams.
  • Curated Experience: If the playlist is curated with your music and other relevant songs, it enhances the listening experience and connects your audience with more of your music or related tracks.
  • Algorithmic Performance – By associating your tracks to other songs, you’ll increase the relevancy of the recommendation algorithm
  • Promote playlist placements: Instead of promoting a playlist featuring your music, let’s say on position 139, you can brag about your playlist placement and lead your fans to stream your song directly.

There are two options for how to create a deep link to a song in a Spotify playlist:

  • Generate with our tool below
  • Learn how to do it manually


Your Deep Link:

Sometimes you won’t have access to a tool or you need to set up a link on the fly. It’s always good to know how something works behind the curtains.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a deep link to a song within a Spotify playlist manually. We’ll use an example with a specific track and playlist, but the same method applies for any song or playlist you’re working with.

Track Example:

Playlist Example:

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Copy the Song URL

Start by copying the URL of the song you want to share. In this case, we’ll use:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf?si=4e0f5d7261464323
2. Remove Everything After the Question Mark

To create the base URL for your deep link, remove everything after the question mark in the track URL. The result should look like this:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf
3. Add the Playlist Context

Next, you need to add the playlist context to the track URL. This is done by appending ?context=spotify:playlist: to the shortened track URL. After this step, your link will look like this:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf?context=spotify:playlist:
4. Copy the Playlist URL and Extract the Playlist Code

Now, take the playlist URL and extract the code that appears after /playlist/. The playlist URL is:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pSchzZgV2gVZqSQVBMHzm?si=364b5c44225243e1

In this case, the playlist code is the part after /playlist/ and before the ?si :

4pSchzZgV2gVZqSQVBMHzm
5. Combine the Track and Playlist Codes

Now, you’ll combine the two parts — the track URL and the playlist code. The link should look like this:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf?context=spotify:playlist:4pSchzZgV2gVZqSQVBMHzm?si=364b5c44225243e1
6. Replace the Question Mark with an Ampersand

Finally, replace the ? in the playlist section with an ampersand &. This is crucial for creating a valid deep link. The final result should look like this:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf?context=spotify:playlist:4pSchzZgV2gVZqSQVBMHzm&si=364b5c44225243e1
That’s It! You’re Done

Now you have a working deep link that directs listeners to the playlist and starts playing the song instantly.

Here’s your deep link:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6kUYTpPW0bEwn2qp2A4oCf?context=spotify:playlist:4pSchzZgV2gVZqSQVBMHzm&si=364b5c44225243e1

The deep link works by combining the track URL with the context of the playlist, which prompts Spotify to play that track from within the playlist context, allowing users to continue listening to other tracks in the playlist afterward.

  1. Browser Compatibility:
    • Some desktop browsers may not handle Spotify deep links properly, especially if they don’t have Spotify’s web player integrated or if the Spotify app isn’t installed on the device. In such cases, clicking the link may result in a generic Spotify landing page or nothing happening at all.
  2. Device-Specific Behavior:
    • On desktop devices, the deep link may attempt to open Spotify’s web player instead of the Spotify app, and the auto-play feature may not work as expected. You may need to manually play the track within the playlist.
    • On mobile devices, particularly on iOS and Android, the deep links tend to work much more reliably, especially when the Spotify app is installed. The link typically opens the app and starts playing the track within the playlist context immediately.
  3. App vs. Browser Behavior:
    • In-app behavior: When opening a deep link directly within the Spotify app, it generally works as expected, starting the song within the playlist.
    • Mobile browser behavior: Some mobile browsers may require users to confirm that they want to open the Spotify app. Once confirmed, the link will open the app and play the track.
  4. Spotify Web Player Limitations:
    • The Spotify web player may not support all deep link functionalities, such as auto-playing a track within a playlist. Users may need to manually select the playlist and song.
    • If you’re using a private browsing mode or incognito mode, Spotify’s web player may not work correctly due to cookie restrictions, which could prevent the deep link from functioning as intended.
  • Mobile Device Focus: Deep links tend to work best on mobile devices with the Spotify app installed. When promoting your music, encourage listeners to use their phones for the best experience.
  • App Installation: If a user doesn’t have the Spotify app installed, the deep link will likely not work as intended. It’s a good idea to remind users to have the Spotify app installed for a seamless experience.
  • Testing: Always test your deep link on different devices (desktop, mobile, tablet), different browsers, and apps to ensure it works as expected. This will help you catch any device-specific issues early.

By understanding how these links behave across different platforms, you can ensure a better user experience and direct your audience to the most optimal way to engage with your music. If you want to maximize the deep link’s effectiveness, we recommend primarily targeting mobile users who already have the Spotify app installed, as this tends to provide the smoothest, most reliable interaction.