If you are a musician trying to make it in the age of streaming, you probably already know that things work very differently to the music industry of the past. The days of endless gigs, hoping to get noticed and then signed by a label are long gone. Nowadays, self-promotion on social media and self-publishing on streaming platforms is the go-to method for breaking through into mainstream media. You can buy spotify plays and similar strategies are working well in the industry.
But in the grand scheme of things, platforms like Apple Music and Spotify are still relatively new and novel concepts. They work on algorithms, and these algorithms in turn work off data collected from user engagement.
So figuring out how to make Spotify work for you can be challenging, but we have a few helpful tips for you, listed below, which will help you gain followers, a following, and ultimately, success!
Research And Understand The Platform
Spotify has a wealth of information in the form of articles, videos and blog posts on its website. These are written by employees or artists and contain valuable advice on the ins and outs of how the app and the algorithm work. Understanding how Spotify actually works is the first step to using it to grow your presence, follower count, and track plays.
Use Playlists In The Right Way
A lot of artists get hung up on the idea that if they make it on to a playlist, the following and the listens will soon start rocketing up. And the right playlist can definitely help with that, so don’t focus too much on pay-to-play and editorial playlists.
Pay-To-Play
Pay-to-play playlists are created by Spotify users who have garnered a large following. You can pitch your tracks directly to the creator, or through a playlisting service. Either way, it will most likely cost money to do so. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; your track will still be played and heard, but generally these pay-to-play creator playlists are general and untargeted. This means that there’s no guarantee your song will even reach the ears of your target audience. The conversion rate for new listeners to followers is low for these pay-to-play playlists for this reason.
Editorial
Editorial playlists are created by Spotify employees personally, and updated regularly. They generate a lot of streams, but are incredibly hard to get on to. If you do manage to get a track on one, enjoy it, because it won’t last long! New music is prioritised, so your window for gaining listens and new followers is a small one. Similar to pay-to-play playlists, editorials aren’t curated for specific listeners either, so again, conversion rates are generally quite low.
Algorithmic
These are the playlists you want to get on! Spotify generates these for users based on who they follow, their regular plays, and their collections. Even for huge artists, this is where the lion’s share of listens comes from.
If you are wondering how to get on these playlists, then don’t worry. Spotify has a tool to ensure that new artists get guaranteed places on these algorithmic playlists. And once you’re on an algorithmic playlist, the more likely you are to reach people who actually want to hear your music. From there, growth should be exponential. More algorithmic playlists means more followers, more followers means more algorithmic playlist features! To arrange more followers, you can buy Spotify followers.
Get Non-Playlist Curator Coverage
There are thousands of blogs, magazines, social accounts and websites that are designed solely to help promote and shine a spotlight on new music and new artists. It can be easy to think that playlists are the be-all and end-all of making it big on Spotify, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. And while yes, they can be and are massively helpful, they are far from the only way to do things.
Music blogs tend to have a dedicated fanbase who will almost always at least check out a new artist recommended by the blogger, and the same goes for other channels of music journalism. Having your artist bio or an in-depth piece written about a particular song featured on one of these outlets can almost guarantee you handful of listens. And if you have targeted the right blog / website / account / magazine to feature you, you will more than likely be rewarded with some followers!
Post Regular Reminders
It might seem obvious, or silly, or even too overbearing, but simply telling people to follow you on Spotify can work wonders! Especially if the people you are telling are already following you on other social media accounts.
Another often overlooked channel of communication is email. A regular weekly email newsletter is a great and personal way for your fans to feel connected to you, and to the music you create. It also ensures that even if you forget to post something on your artist Instagram or TikTok, the email will have you covered!
Use Spotify For Artists
As mentioned earlier, Spotify has a whole host of information available for you to understand how the app actually works on your behalf. But not only is there information, there are also tools that you can employ to link yourself to Spotify and forge that link in your audience’s minds. Here is a quick list of just a few of the tools at your disposal:
• Branded auto-generated graphics cards
• Easily embeddable features
• Free access to Spotify branding
• Endless statistics for artists
Use all the tricks of the trade to grow your Spotify followers and engagement!
Fast Following Spotify Success
So there you have it! A few simple tricks to get you started on your blossoming music career! Don’t get too hung up on playlists, and don’t forget to always be self-promoting! Good luck!
