How to make more streaming revenue through Spotify
Spotify continues to be one of the most influential brands in the music industry. Despite the low royalty payments, the sheer volume of users on Spotify makes it an integral aspect of every artist’s career. The truth is, many artists aren’t making the most out of Spotify and are not reaching their full potential. Spotify holds endless earning potential but requires a great deal of strategy and planning. You can turn around your success level on the platform simply by taking a step back and planning your next move. If you do change your strategy, you should be able to drastically improve your income on the platform. But what are the methods for earning more from Spotify?
Consistent revenue
The great thing about earning money from Spotify streams is that you can be engaging in other activities but still earning money. For example, you could fly out to perform at a festival and people could stream your track while you’re in the air, meaning that you never stop earning money, even during time off. If you create a popular track, it will be streamed consistently. But, earning a real income from Spotify isn’t as simple as creating a track and adding it to the platform.
Playlist features
If you’re trying to improve your revenue on Spotify, you need to be featured on as many playlists as possible. Spotify’s recently added playlist submission feature allows you to submit your tracks to playlist owners for their consideration. The key with Spotify playlists is to work your way up. If you’re just starting out you are unlikely to be considered for playlists like Mint or Dance Party, both of which have millions of followers. The best way to improve your reach at the start of your career is to focus on submitting your music to niche playlists that include artists with a sound that is similar to yours. This way, you’ll reach the people who are most likely to become fans. Unfortunately, most of the major playlists are very selective and will only include music from artists who have already made a name for themselves. But don’t disregard smaller playlists. Being featured on multiple smaller playlists can be just as beneficial to you.
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Playlist services
Services like Playlist Pump and Playlist Push are great for helping you to get your music onto playlists. They do charge a fee, but the revenue and brand growth will be well worth the cost. Even if you only gained 100 streams, those 100 people could turn into dedicated fans and provide you with further streams in the future. Furthermore, every time a listener sees your name featuring on impressive playlists, this adds legitimacy to your brand providing endless long-term benefits.
Profile
Another important factor is ensuring that your profile is as good as it can be. Make sure to verify your account to add legitimacy, this will let your audience know that your profile is official. You should also make sure to add professional photos and an artist biography. If you want your biography to really represent you well, hire a freelance writer to put one together for you. If you already work with a PR agency, you may want to use the biography they have on file.
Creating your own playlists
As well as putting together a quality profile, you should also take the time to create your own playlists. This is yet another opportunity to showcase your own music by adding it into the mix with great tracks from other artists. This way, you can draw attention subtly while also providing your listeners with a selection of music that they will enjoy. If your playlist proves popular, more people are likely to find it, and thus, find your profile and stream your tracks.
Advertising
Another option is advertising on Spotify. While the platform has 87 million paying users, that leaves 104 million users that are not paying. These users must listen to adverts while using Spotify and many of these adverts are from musicians. These adverts usually follow the format of “what’s up this is Ed Sheeran, check out my new track” with the song in question playing in the background. These adverts can prove incredibly beneficial in reaching a high volume of people very quickly, many of whom may not have found your music organically.
Social media
Lastly, the simplest way to direct listeners to your Spotify and encourage streams is using social media posts and advertisements. This includes posting a link to your new track on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You may also choose to use paid advertisements to encourage even more people to click through to your profile. When advertising, be careful not to promote your content to an audience that is too broad. Try to focus on a more niche selection of individuals who are far more likely to enjoy your music. This way, you stand much less chance of wasting money and you will likely see a much better conversion rate.
Too many artists simply upload their music to Spotify and expect it to gain streams on its own. The key to gaining a substantial income on the platform is to always use all the tools available to drive clicks. All of the methods above should be part of your campaign strategy to really enable you to reach your full potential on Spotify. Every method you use to spread awareness about your latest release can only benefit you and your level of income in the long run.