The music industry is a constantly shifting landscape, and right now the name of the game is streaming. Music streaming apps are how most people now listen to music, accounting for 85% of the revenue of music sales in the US. Spotify is the most popular music streaming app, boasting a 35% market share.
But how do you make it big on Spotify? The app is already overflowing with artists all trying to be the next big thing, and approximately 40,000 new songs are added to the platform every day!
This may seem like an impossible task, to try and make a name for yourself among all those other hopefuls. But fear not, there are things you can do to increase your followers, your plays, and your presence on the app.
- Develop a Growth Strategy
Use Spotify for Artists’ ‘source of streams’ chart to see where people are discovering you. it may be direct searches, playlist features, etc. This information is invaluable, as you now know what works for you. A lot of new artists focus purely on playlist features, but most users’ streams come from their own collections, and what has been recommended to them by the Spotify algorithm. To grow organically, you need genuine followers and for users to add you to their collections, where you will stay forever (hopefully!), instead of on a playlist for a couple of weeks. Aim for long-term genuine growth instead of short-term popularity! If you are unsure how to develop a good growth strategy, then you should check out the Spotify Marketing Services at Buy Social Today.
- Work with the algorithm
The Spotify algorithm is the backbone of the platform’s success, and it can help you massively if you know how to make it work for you. It is constantly changing and updating, but we know for sure that it favours artists with good engagement. So the more music you have saved in users’ collections, the more likely it is that the algorithm will feature you on Spotify-generated playlists.
- Try to get your music saved
People hardly ever delete music from their libraries, so getting even one song saved over just played is a great way to increase your favour with the algorithm. The more tracks you have saved in collections, the more likely those tracks are to be featured in the big three playlists, ‘Your Daily Mix,’ ‘Discover Weekly,’ and ‘Release Radar.’ These playlists can generate billions of streams. Using the pre-save feature for any new releases you have coming up is also a great way to sneak into users’ collections and build hype for new tracks.
- Use Follow-to-Unlock tools
There are various tools available now to encourage your fanbase to engage with you more to access more content. This may be podcast episodes, new songs, or previously unreleased material. Whatever it is, access will be restricted until they follow you, either on your Spotify account, or other social media pages.
- Claim your Profile
Spotify for Artists is a great tool for making your artist profile look more professional. You can get the coveted blue ‘verified’ check mark next to your artist name, and add graphics, a full bio, and tour dates etc. to your homepage. It goes a long way toward looking more professional, which in turn will help you garner more followers.
- Utilise a mailing list
Email marketing is a tried and tested tool for reaching out to potential customers, and it is used religiously across almost all businesses, whatever field they are in. Music is no different, so be sure to set up a bi-weekly or monthly email list to stay in touch with your fans, promote new releases, and encourage them to follow your page on Spotify to ensure they don’t miss out on anything.
- Create your own playlists
Although we’ve acknowledged that playlists aren’t the first and last thing you should try when it comes to promoting yourself, they definitely still serve an important function, and when used correctly, can help you reach new fans. Create a playlist yourself, that includes your music, alongside other artists and tracks that you feel compliment your work well. It could be songs that have inspired and influenced you and your art, or just other music that fits well with yours. Either way, it’s a great way to use already established artists to promote yourself.
So there we go, some helpful tips for you to increase your followers on Spotify. Remember, followers aren’t the be-all and end-all of your music career, but they do have a big impact on your road to success in the era of digital streaming. Good luck!
