The world of streaming: Spotify

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Is there anybody who hasn’t heard of Spotify? Perhaps the most popular streaming platform globally, Spotify is classed as an incredibly popular and user-friendly platform with 72% of mobile users reaching for it as their music platform of choice to search for new music or listen to their favorite artists. Statistics indicate that Spotify holds the attention of 140 million subscribers of which 60 million subscribers pay for the service. While the streaming platform is only available in a third of countries globally it occupies a significant market share and offers listeners a vast catalogue of music which you can be a part of. Check out some of the areas to focus on in order to make Spotify work for you.

Spotify for artists

Spotify for Artists is a reworked version of the old Spotify Fan Insights. This section of the platform can only be accessed if you have an existing Spotify account. It brings together all the aspects of interest to artists such as data, immediate verified status, profile management and support services. Although it is unlikely that you’ll generate direct revenue from Spotify, it is an important tool in gaining exposure for your music. Having said that Spotify has opened revenue channels for artists to sell merchandise (via Merchbar) and sell tour tickets (via Songkick) on their Spotify profile.

Consistency and planning

We’ve mentioned the importance of consistency online in previous articles and this concept holds just as much credence with your Spotify account. You need regular, quality content for your new followers to consume and get to know you as an artist. New, weekly content will encourage people to return to you to keep up to date. The more time you spend, the more you increase your possibility for growth. Planning and structuring your content online is a valuable task and its worth remembering “every minute spent planning saves 10 in execution” (Brian Tracy). Develop a schedule and stick to it!

Playlisting

One of the easiest methods of generating new content on Spotify is to create playlists. These can include music from other artists, your own songs and can be themed. You can create multiple playlists with various themes.
Share these playlists on your social sites and tag artists you’ve featured in your playlist as this can begin to generate networks among artists and can reveal an opportunity for cross promotion. Do some research and see who your followers are listening to or reach out to artists in the same genre as you. Encouraging people to like and share your playlist will be crucial to increase your exposure to new audiences and potentially more followers. Also encouraging listeners to add your music to their playlists can increase your likelihood of being included in Spotify’s own playlists (Discover Weekly/Release Radar).
Reddit is a social culture platform that ranks highly in search engines and another avenue for you to explore in search of more exposure for your music. It reaches millions of people every day and has something for everyone, including a subreddit entitled ‘Spotify Playlists’. You can link your playlist in this section and increase your exposure. It might also be worth considering submitting your content to playlisting sites like Playlists.net or Sound Plate.

Cross-platform promotion

  • YouTube- add Spotify links in the video description box and utilize the channel quick links that make it easy for people to bounce from your YouTube to your Spotify.
  • Website- add a ‘follow’ widget to your site. Log into Spotify for Artists and use the ‘Tools’ section to get the widget.
  • Facebook/Twitter/Instagram- ask your followers on your social sites to follow you on Spotify. If you do this be creative and most importantly provide them with a reason to follow you and explain what are you offering? (New music notification, updated playlists etc.)

Spotify codes

These are a relatively new tool on the platform and not widely used yet but there is merit in their existence. Spotify Codes allow you to add a unique QR code to your images, printed posters or social media posts that any person (with a Spotify account) can scan and it will bring them directly to your track/playlist on Spotify.
Streaming is the future and it’s here to stay so make sure to be on top of the streaming game and keep regularly updated on advancements on this crucial platform.