Spotify for Artists is a powerful promotional platform designed to provide artists and labels with the opportunity to expand their music’s reach on Spotify. Among its many specialised features, such as its detailed audience statistics, its campaign kit stands out. These tools help artists attract new listeners, engage with existing fans, and optimise their marketing and PR efforts.
Simply, Spotify decided that there was value in targeted marketing compared to mass marketing. The tools that can be found in the campaign kit offer artists a more simple and targeted approach to music marketing. Some of these range from free tools to paid-for services. Here’s a detailed look at what campaigns on Spotify for Artists entail and what they offer.
1. Spotify Marquee
What is it?
Spotify Marquee is a paid promotional tool that allows artists to create full-screen, sponsored recommendations for their new releases.
These pop-up notifications appear to users who have shown an interest in the artist’s music, such as those who have saved or streamed their songs.
What Can It Offer?
- Targeted Reach: Marquee targets users who are more likely to engage with the new release, ensuring that the promotion reaches a receptive audience.
- High Visibility: The full-screen format ensures that the promotion grabs attention, increasing the chances of the user interacting with the new release.
- Actionable Insights: Artists can access detailed analytics to measure the effectiveness of their Marquee campaigns, such as conversion rates and listener engagement metrics.
Budget
The minimum budget is $100 USD (or equivalent in local currency), with a maximum budget of $10,000 USD. You must have at least 5,000 streams over the last 28 days or more than 1,000 followers in at least one of the target markets to qualify. Accessed on Spotify for Artists.
Purpose
To boost streams and visibility for new releases by reaching an audience that is already inclined to enjoy the artist’s music.
2. Showcase
What is it?
Showcase allows you to promote your music to likely listeners at any time with a mobile banner at the top of Spotify’s Home Page. “Likely listeners” are listeners that may take an interest in your music due to their listening patterns – they will not have streamed your music in the past 28 days.
What Can It Offer?
- High Visibility: Targets users who are more likely to engage with the new release, ensuring that the promotion reaches a receptive audience.
- Specialised Marketing: You can spotlight both new releases and music from your catalogue for any occasion, like if your song is going viral or if you’re drumming up interest in a tour.
- New Audience Exposure: This ad will mainly target an audience that has never heard your music before thus exposing your music to new fans.
Budget
You pay per click, usually between $0.30 and $0.40, depending on your targeting. To qualify, you need at least 1,000 streams in the past 28 days from any of Spotify’s 30 targetable countries. Accessed on Spotify for Artists.
Purpose
To boost streams and visibility for new releases by reaching an audience that is already inclined to enjoy the artist’s music.
3. Pitching to playlists
What is it?
Playlist pitching is a feature that allows artists and their teams to submit unreleased music directly to Spotify’s editorial team for consideration in Spotify’s curated playlists and inclusion into release radar.
What Can It Offer?
- Increased Exposure: Getting featured on a popular playlist can significantly increase an artist’s streams and follower count.
- Editorial Support: Artists can receive support and visibility through Spotify’s curated playlists, which are followed by millions of users.
- Pre-Release Hype: By pitching before the release date, artists can generate buzz and anticipation for their new music.
Budget
Free to any Spotify for Artist’s user. You need to pitch at least 7 days before release day. Accessed on Spotify for Artists.
Purpose
To provide a direct channel for artists to promote their music to Spotify’s editorial team, increasing the chances of being featured on influential playlists.
4. Spotify Discovery Mode
What is it?
Spotify Discovery Mode is a promotional tool that allows artists to prioritise specific tracks for inclusion in personalised listening sessions like Radio and Autoplay. By opting in, artists can boost the likelihood of their tracks being recommended to new listeners. Statistical modelling shows that, on average, artists see +50% in saves, +44% in user playlist adds, and +37% in follows during the first month of Discovery Mode.
What Can It Offer?
- Increased Reach: Discovery Mode helps artists reach listeners who might not have discovered their music otherwise, expanding their audience.
- Enhanced Exposure: By prioritising tracks, artists can gain more streams and potentially more followers as their music is exposed to a broader audience.
- Detailed Reporting: Artists receive insights into how their tracks are performing within Discovery Mode, including metrics on listener engagement and conversion rates.
Budget
Please click this link to see the requirements. There’s no upfront budget required; instead, a 30% commission applies to recording royalties from streams in Radio and Autoplay placements, while other streams remain commission-free.
Purpose
To help artists gain new listeners by prioritising their tracks in Spotify’s personalised listening sessions, thereby increasing streams and exposure.
Other spotify marketing tips
1. CANVAS
What is it?
Canvas is a feature that allows artists to add short, looping visual clips to their tracks. These visuals appear in the Now Playing view on the Spotify app, replacing the static album art.
What Can It Offer?
- Enhanced Engagement: Visuals can make the listening experience more immersive, increasing the likelihood of users sharing the track.
- Creative Expression: Artists can use Canvas to visually express their music’s mood and theme, providing a deeper connection with their audience.
- Better Metrics: Tracks with Canvas tend to have higher shares, saves, and repeat listens.
How to Use it?
- Log in to artists.spotify.com
- Go to Music.
- Select a track.
- Click Add Canvas (web) / Create Canvas (mobile app).
Purpose
To create a more engaging and visually appealing listening experience, encouraging listeners to share the music and engage more deeply with the track.
2. Promo Cards
What is it?
Promo Cards are customisable graphics that artists can create to promote their music on social media. These cards can highlight albums, songs, chart positions, or playlist features.
What Can It Offer?
- Social Media Ready: The cards are designed for sharing across various social media platforms, helping artists to easily promote their music outside of Spotify.
- Customisable Design: Artists can tailor the look of the promo cards to fit their branding and promotional needs.
- Engagement Boost: Visual content is more likely to be noticed and shared on social media, driving traffic back to the artist’s Spotify profile.
How to Use it?
Purpose
To provide artists with an easy-to-use tool for promoting their music on social media, driving more traffic and engagement to their Spotify content.
3. Spotify codes
What is it?
Spotify Codes allow users to quickly access songs, albums, playlists, or artist profiles by scanning a unique code with their phone’s camera.
What Can It Offer?
- Unlock significant playlisting opportunities on Spotify. With a focus on algorithmic traction, the platform’s “For You” playlists are prime targets. Boost your track’s chances of being featured by generating substantial pre-saves or by driving traction on release day through user scans of the Spotify Code.
How to Use it?
Purpose
To help drive traffic to your Spotify profile around your music marketing campaigns.