You aren’t the only one that is constantly looking for a better way to have higher play counts on Spotify. Anyone who has a song, playlist, or profile is looking to boost their rankings and build their exposure. The end goal is to get noticed, played, and accumulate royalties. This is a pretty tough goal though when you think about it. Most artists on Spotify that get played on a regular basis have hundreds if not thousands of plays. What do you do if you are stuck at a low number or no plays at all? (Image Credit: Freepik)
You found the right place for a quick introduction on the wild world of Spotify artist digital marketing. When you need to boost your Spotify account and grow your royalties you need a following. You need a following that wants to listen to your music and you need to show Spotify that you are not only worthy of additional exposure but also deserve and demand that additional exposure via recommended listening spots. Find out below how you can start building plays immediately and end those long nights of wondering if anything would ever change.
What Is Organic Growth
Everyone dreams of organic growth. Every star already has it and every influencer makes money based on it. It isn’t that hard of a concept. Organic growth is the basic idea of words, thoughts, products, brands, or movements spread via voluntary public action. This could be in the form of word of mouth, a tweet, share on Instagram, like on Facebook, or any other action that isn’t prompted by the artist alone. Organic growth is the difference between something being good and something being great. It is the difference between something breaking even and being a cash cow. It is the difference between something being ok and something being a viral hit.
Everyone must have organic growth if it is going to be sustainably strong on Spotify. Music tastes change as quickly as cloths choices. So, you need organic growth to stay on top, but you need non-organic growth to show Spotify that you are worthy of being shared to begin with. But what is non-organic growth?
What Is Paid Growth
If organic is something that happens without being prompted, then non-organic growth is something that is proactively prompted to happen. If you think about it from an Influencer standpoint, an Instagram Influencer is paid to promote an item. The promotion may not have happened but for the prompt of being paid or getting some other type of benefit from the arrangement. This is called paid growth or paid digital marketing.
All artists and brands use paid digital marketing to get their image in front of their target audience. Have you ever seen an advertisement on the internet? That is paid digital marketing. You just need to learn how to maximize your dollars to specifically grow your Spotify profile, plays, followers, and shares.
Is Organic or Paid Growth Better?
The better question is related to timing. Both organic and paid growth are necessary and equally important in the artist development process. However, they aren’t both important at the same time. If Nike decided to halt advertising people would still buy their brand. They may even buy at a higher rate. However, if your mom and pop shop down the street decided to stop advertising then they may go out of business. It all depends on what point your business is at in the natural lifecycle of a brand.
When you are just starting out and need more exposure organic growth will never happen unless you go viral or have a one hit wonder. Don’t rely on this and don’t expect it to happen. Instead, you need to have paid growth at first to get your name out there. Once you have become established you will see organic growth building. At that point you can back off the paid marketing as needed and as much as necessary and still be sustainable.
What Type of Spotify Metrics are Most Important?
If you need to focus on your paid digital marketing, then you absolutely need to content with all of the others doing the same thing. The best way to do this is to buy Spotify plays.
When you are looking to build your Spotify profile, you need to be aware of two very important metrics. First, you need to build your song, album, or playlist plays. The Spotify algorithm will never take you seriously if your songs are never played. That makes sense but sometimes it is easily overlooked. Second, you need to grow your followers. Every hit artist or at least every artist Spotify share has a decent number of followers. Followers tell Spotify that this artist is worthy of recognition beyond a song or two. Followers show that the artist as an individual or group if it is a band is worthy of the recognition of recommending to other people.
Building Spotify plays and boosting exposure can indeed be a challenging yet rewarding process. Here are some actionable strategies to help you grow your plays and build a loyal following:
### 1. **Optimize Your Profile and Music**
– **Profile Optimization**: Make sure your Spotify artist profile is fully optimized with a compelling bio, high-quality images, and links to your social media. A well-crafted profile can turn casual listeners into dedicated fans.
– **Release Consistently**: Releasing singles or albums regularly ensures that you stay on the radar of your listeners. Even if you’re starting small, keeping a consistent flow of new music keeps your profile active and more likely to be recommended by Spotify.
### 2. **Get on Playlists**
– **Pitch to Editorial Playlists**: Submit your tracks to Spotify’s editorial team through Spotify for Artists. Getting on one of Spotify’s curated playlists can lead to massive exposure.
– **Engage with Independent Curators**: There are many independent playlist curators who are looking for fresh music. Research playlists that match your style and pitch your tracks.
– **Create Your Own Playlists**: Curate and share your own playlists with your music included. When you share it with your followers, they’ll often share it with their networks too.
### 3. **Promote on Social Media**
– **Cross-Promote**: Use your social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter) to drive traffic to your Spotify account. Share snippets, behind-the-scenes content, or even exclusive updates about your music.
– **Engage with Fans**: Respond to comments, messages, and posts from fans. Building a community of engaged listeners will keep your Spotify plays growing.
– **Collaborate with Influencers**: Work with influencers who can help you reach new audiences. A TikTok influencer using your track in their video can expose your music to thousands, if not millions, of new listeners.
### 4. **Utilize Spotify Ads**
– **Spotify Ad Studio**: Invest in Spotify’s ad platform to create ads that promote your music. You can target specific audiences based on their listening habits and demographics to get your tracks heard by the right people.
### 5. **Encourage User-Generated Content**
– **Use Hashtags**: Create catchy hashtags for your music and encourage fans to use them. Fans creating content with your music can spread awareness, and viral trends on platforms like TikTok can quickly lead to increased streams.
– **Share Fan Content**: If fans are posting about your music, repost it on your profile to engage and encourage others to do the same.
### 6. **Monitor Your Performance**
– **Use Spotify for Artists**: Keep track of your performance using Spotify’s analytics tools. These insights will help you understand where your plays are coming from and allow you to optimize your strategy accordingly.
### 7. **Engage with Other Artists**
– **Collaborate with Fellow Musicians**: Partnering with other artists for features, joint tracks, or even shout-outs can help you tap into their fanbase and gain new listeners.
– **Join Music Communities**: Online communities like Reddit, Facebook groups, or forums where music lovers and artists gather can be great places to share your music.
### 8. **Consistency and Patience**
– **Stay Consistent**: Success on Spotify doesn’t happen overnight. Stay consistent with your releases, promotions, and engagement efforts. Over time, your fanbase will grow, and so will your play count.
– **Patience is Key**: The journey may take time, but persistence will pay off. The more actively you engage with your audience and promote your music, the greater the likelihood that your plays will increase.
By implementing these strategies, you can start building your Spotify plays immediately, attract more followers, and ultimately increase your royalties.