The Spotify algorithm may be the driving force behind music tastes today. While some still enjoy crate digging and recommendations from friends, most people now discover music through algorithm-generated playlists and recommendations. This leads artists to question if their music is “algorithm friendly” and whether they can gain a large number of algorithm streams on Spotify. Although artists should never compromise their artistic integrity to conform to Spotify’s mold, there are actions they can take to improve their chances of getting streamed.
Let’s explore the mechanics of Spotify’s algorithm and discover music promotion tactics to reach new listeners.
What exactly is the Spotify algorithm?
The Spotify algorithm keeps the music playing continuously, engaging listeners with personalized recommendations on playlists and artists. It uses complex AI coding and analyzes user behavior and data to predict the next song they’ll likely listen to. Spotify monitors song skips, full listens, favorites, and artist follows to improve its recommendations. Favoriting recommended songs can lead to more tailored picks based on similar fan preferences.
How to get advantages from Spotify Algorithm for More Streams?
1. Stop being concerned about your appearance
Don’t change your sound or artistic integrity to fit a “Spotify friendly” trend. Create music that reflects your true self and honest expression. Authenticity attracts genuine attention, not music tailored for streaming platforms. Work hard on the music you love, and the fans will come. Use promotion tools without compromising your unique style.
2. Launch a pre-saving campaign
For a successful release, consider organizing a pre-save campaign before the launch. When you announce your album, encourage fans to pre-save it, ensuring they receive a reminder on release day. Early streams and engagement are crucial for the algorithm, indicating momentum behind your tracks.
However, it is also useful for creating organic buzz around your upcoming release.
3. Use solid metadata
Algorithms highly favor music metadata. It provides clear information for categorizing music and delivering it to relevant audiences. Metadata includes genres, sounds, languages, and more. To maximize the algorithm’s effectiveness, it’s essential to fill in as much detail as possible when submitting tracks to your digital distribution service provider. When selecting a genre and subgenre for your track, choose one that accurately reflects your sound rather than opting for a joke genre, as this could negatively impact your placement in streaming platforms like Spotify.
4. Create and personalize your artist profile
If you haven’t already claimed your Spotify for Artists profile, it’s advisable to do so without delay.
Regardless of whether you’ve claimed it or not, it’s highly recommended to log in to Spotify’s website and customize your profile with a bio, profile picture, artist playlist recommendations, details about upcoming concerts, merchandise, and more. This not only enhances the experience for your fans, providing them with valuable information, but it also provides the algorithm with additional data to understand your preferences and playlist choices better. Taking these steps will help you make the most of your presence on Spotify and connect more effectively with your audience.
5. Encourage your fans to like and follow you
There’s no better way to inform Spotify about the songs your fans adore than receiving likes on particular tracks or albums.
Don’t hesitate to employ the classic YouTube catchphrase “like and subscribe” and leverage social media to encourage your fans to follow your project and show their support by liking your tracks.
Having a larger follower base translates to an increase in monthly listeners, which, in turn, generates more recommendations from the Spotify algorithm. So, encouraging likes and growing your fanbase can significantly impact your visibility and success on the platform.
6. Take advantage of Spotify’s experience enhancement tools
Spotify has effectively empowered creators to enrich the music listening experience on their platform.
Artists can now use Spotify Canvas and scrolling lyrics to include looping videos. They can share lyrical content that scrolls along with their tracks.
By integrating experiential enhancements into your songs, you can encourage deeper engagement with your music. This leads to longer listening durations.. This increased engagement can positively impact your standing with the algorithm, potentially leading to broader exposure and greater success on the platform.
7. Submit your music for playlisting
Securing a spot on a major Spotify playlist is undoubtedly one of the surefire ways to give your music a significant algorithmic boost.
Playlist placements may not be easily attained as they require catching the attention of Spotify’s human curators. However, it’s entirely possible to achieve a favorable playlist placement.
Thankfully, Spotify stands out as the only platform that provides every artist with an upcoming release the chance to submit their tracks for playlist review. Once you’ve claimed your Spotify for Artists profile, you can easily submit an upcoming release through the platform.
This opportunity allows artists to increase their visibility and reach a broader audience, making it an essential step in enhancing the success of your music on Spotify.
Conclusion
If your goal is to achieve success on Spotify, your primary focus should be on creating good music. However, if you also aim to establish your brand and gain strong social proof to reach a wider audience, Build My Plays offers various high-quality Spotify service packages to assist you.
It’s important to understand that popularity on one platform does not guarantee success across all platforms. Building a successful music career requires hard work, a well-thought-out promotion plan, and a dedicated fan base.
Keep in mind that there are artists with a substantial following on other platforms and through live performances, yet they may not receive much attention on streaming platforms.
Stay true to yourself and your music, focusing on creating content for your fans. The right platform for your music will eventually find you. And by staying authentic, you can better connect with your audience and build a sustainable and fulfilling music career.