Clearing Up Myths About Music Promotion on Spotify

 

In the vast world of music promotion on Spotify, there are numerous myths circulating that can mislead aspiring musicians and potentially harm their long-term growth. It's essential to distinguish fact from fiction, especially for those less experienced in the subject. Two primary methods artists use for Spotify promotion are playlisting and social media ads. Let's delve into the realities, misconceptions, and advantages of each approach to help you make informed decisions about where to allocate your marketing budget.

The Origin of Misinformation

Unfortunately, some online courses encourage artists to invest in social media ads to direct traffic to their Spotify profiles. While this strategy isn't inherently bad, it often neglects essential information that can impact its success. That's why I offer both social media ads and playlist promotion services, having run over a 1,000 campaigns and spent more than 2,000,000 dollars in marketing. I believe this unique experience allows me to provide valuable insights.

Pros and Cons of Spotify Playlisting

Here are the key pros and cons you should be aware of when considering Spotify playlist promotion:

Pros:

1. Lower Cost Per Stream: Playlisting generally results in a lower cost per stream compared to driving traffic from social media.

2. Spotify Metrics: When using playlists, streaming metrics remain on Spotify itself, which can be advantageous for your overall presence on the platform.

Cons:

1. Lower Save Rate: Playlist promotion might yield a lower save rate compared to driving traffic from social media. This is because those who click on social media ads already have an interest in your song, whereas playlist placements introduce your song to new audiences.

2. Playlist Selection: Finding suitable playlists to get featured on requires knowledge and effort.

Vetting Playlist Curators for My Network

To ensure the quality of playlists in my network, I consider various factors, including:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): I assess whether the playlist titles are search-friendly and can attract followers based on search volume.

2. Advertising: I check if playlists are running ads to gain listeners.

3. Follower Count: Playlists with more significant variation in the number of followers are often favorable.

4. Follower Graph: Analyzing the follower growth pattern of playlists helps me make informed decisions.

5. Listeners per Follower: I examine the ratio of listeners to followers to gauge playlist engagement.

Pros and Cons of Social Media Ads for Spotify Streams

When using social media ads to drive traffic to Spotify, these are the potential advantages and disadvantages:

Pros:

1. Higher Save Rate: Social media ads typically result in a higher save rate as the audience clicking on your ad is already interested in your music.

2. Targeted Audience: You can choose the primary location from which you want to attract listeners.

Cons:

1. Higher Costs: Driving traffic from one platform to another, like social media to Spotify, often incurs higher expenses compared to native advertising on the same platform.

2. Optimization Complexity: For inexperienced marketers, optimizing social media ads can be challenging.

Common Misconceptions About Both Approaches

It's essential to debunk some misconceptions surrounding playlisting and social media ads:

1. Metric Focus: While streams and saves are important measures of success for playlisting, gaining followers on Spotify alone might not significantly impact your career. Building a follower base on social media can be more beneficial.

2. Advertising Dependency: If your music is removed from advertising, whether on playlists or social media, your streams may decline unless you have a substantial presence on algorithm-driven playlists.

Smart Allocation of Your Music Marketing Budget

Instead of choosing one approach over the other, it's wise to allocate your marketing budget thoughtfully:

1. Social Media Ads: Allocate around 40% of your marketing budget to Instagram and potentially Facebook, depending on your goals.

2. YouTube/Google: Dedicate 20-25% of your budget to promote your music on YouTube and Google platforms.

3. Spotify Playlisting: Invest another 20-25% of your budget into playlist promotion on Spotify.

4. Testing Other Platforms: Reserve the remaining portion of your budget for testing promotions on platforms like Apple Music or TikTok.

WRAPPING UP

By understanding the realities of playlist promotion and social media ads on Spotify, you can make informed decisions about how to invest your marketing budget wisely. Building a diverse audience across various platforms is crucial for long-term success in the competitive music industry.