No matter how good you are (or how good your mom says you are… trust me on that one), it’s going to take some real hustle to increase Spotify streams. In days past, you needed to gig often, play shows/festivals, network in person, post flyers, etc. Really, anything to get your name out there. And don’t misunderstand, those things are still incredibly effective and important.
But with digital music in a digital age, we now find ourselves focusing on how we can get more streams and monthly listeners, especially on Spotify. Some of these tips might seem like no-brainers, but a few others may surprise you!
Fortunately, we have musicbyLUKAS to impart his music marketing knowledge upon us, giving us five FREE ways that you can get millions of new Spotify streams. Let’s let him show us how it’s done.
But just before we get started, we want to remind you (as always) about our monthly $500 giveaway! Just leave a comment on the video with your next track’s release date, or tell us what new music you’re working on and what style it is, and you’ll be automatically entered to win $500 that you can use on some great new studio gear.
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Build a story with your music.
Many don’t usually think of this strategy, but it’s very effective. Many will pick a release date, maybe hype it up a bit on their socials the week before, and that’s pretty much it.
See, the release of a new track is a perfect opportunity for you to tell a story.
What’s the purpose for your song? What efforts went into it? What were your feelings and inspirations? What’s the story? What happened behind the scenes? Did everything come together quickly, or was it a slower process? Were you going through a tough breakup? Was it written during a difficult period in your life? Or was it a particularly happy moment?
All of these things can help people to connect with your new track.
The title, the artwork, the BTS content, the way in which you announce it, etc. These aspects can all come together to help you tell a story. It helps people to feel connected to the song and influences them to be a part of it too. They’ll want to be there when it comes out.
Even when you have artists drop a surprise album on an unannounced date, there’s still a story in there somewhere. They plan it in advance, hint at it on their socials, get people talking, etc. And then, “have you heard about so-and-so’s secret track?” becomes the story.
Basically, what we’re saying is that every new track release should have an intention and a good story behind it. Fans will respond.
Collaborate with people who have monthly listeners.
As you might already suspect, this is certainly a big one. If you want a lot of people present on Spotify release day, you’re going to want to collaborate with other artists, particularly ones with monthly listeners.
This way, when a collab track is released, not only does it go out to all of your own listeners but to your collaborator’s listeners as well.
This is a great reason to collab with other producers, vocalists, or really any people who have built-in monthly listeners. Think of it this way: if you release a track that’s a collab with a producer with good streams and a vocalist with good streams, that’s automatically tapping into two separate fan bases that previously didn’t know you. Win-win!
You know what’s extra cool? If you frequently collaborate with different artists, then you are continually tapping into new, different fan bases, and on a consistent basis. You often see this cross-genre too. You might see a pop artist collaborate with an EDM artist, where both parties want to reach new fans.
And if collaboration sounds right up your alley (it should), of course, look no further than Boombox. It’s the tool for modern collaboration. No need for Dropbox or Google Drive anymore. You can store all your files and easily collab with anyone across the globe. Check the link at the top of the description for more.
Release on labels who have good playlists.
You need to do a little research on which labels share the best playlists. Find playlists that have a good amount of monthly listeners, and you can definitely benefit.
Look at how many different playlists a label has, and see how often they put out newer artists on those playlists. Sometimes labels will have a really great playlist but only prioritize it for their much-bigger artists.
Whichever label you plan on sending your music into, check to see if they have big playlists, how many they have, and if they’re frequently putting their newer artists’ music on those playlists and prioritizing them.
Remix other artists who have good streams.
This is a very similar tactic to collaborating with other artists with good streams, because when you remix a popular artist, it will show up on that artist’s profile as well as yours (sorta like a collab), and that can help you get many more streams on Spotify, especially if that artist already has some healthy stream numbers.
The trickier part? Of course, it needs to be an “official” remix. If you’re wondering how to do that as a smaller artist, you may want to consider continuing work on a few “unofficial” remixes. You know, the ones you put up on your Instagram or TikTok and tag the artist to get their attention.
The idea is that, if you’re making really good music, then this is a great way to get their attention. And if they like the track, that’s one of the best ways to turn an unofficial remix into an official one. This can be quite an effective strategy.
Release every 4-6 weeks.
If you’ve ever wondered how often you should be releasing new material, the sweet spot would be right in the four to six week range if you’re releasing singles. The idea here is to stay algorithmically in front of the people who are already listening to your music. If the gaps between releases get too wide, then you may start to fall off peoples’ radar playlists.
For example, there’s a particular artist that you’re listening to a lot. When that artist releases new music, Spotify is going to put them up on your release radar, then your release radar playlist, and essentially will recommend that artist’s new releases to you more often.
But if that artist doesn’t release new music for a long time and you go off and start listening to other artists more frequently, it will then start to give prioritization to the other people. Get it? ‘Cuz those are the ones you’ve been listening to more (lately).
So that’s the point, really. You want to keep that momentum going for releasing new singles. Imagine if every four or five weeks you’re releasing collabs with other artists, other vocalists, other producers. Every few weeks enjoying more and more exposure to previously-untapped audiences.
With more fans that start to accumulate, you may even find yourself on the Spotify editorial playlist, and that’s going to get you even more listeners. And if you keep releasing new material consistently, you’re much more likely to keep those listeners.
And once your fanbase gets to a certain level, there’s no limit to the opportunities that might come your way.