If you’ve ever dreamed of hitting that magical milestone of 1,000,000 streams on Spotify, you’re not alone. Every artist wants their music to be heard, shared, and loved by the masses. But let’s be real—it can feel impossible when you’re starting from zero. How to get millions of streams on Spotify isn’t just about luck; it’s about strategy, consistency, and understanding how the game works. Maybe you’ve spent years perfecting your sound, pouring your heart into your lyrics, and yet… crickets. Streams trickle in, but they’re nowhere near the numbers you need to break through. You watch other artists rack up millions of plays, land on curated playlists, and even go viral—but how did they do it? Did they have a major label backing them? A massive marketing budget? Or did they just get lucky?
Here’s the truth: success on Spotify is possible, even without a label or a ton of money. The artists who rack up millions of streams aren’t necessarily the biggest names with the deepest pockets—they’re the ones who know how to work the system, engage their audience, and use every tool at their disposal.
If you’re serious about making it, you need to stop hoping and start learning the strategies that actually drive streams. In this guide, we’re going to break down exactly what it takes to go from zero to one million streams—step by step. Let’s get to work.
What Exactly are Spotify Streams?
On Spotify, a stream is counted when a listener plays your song for more than 30 seconds. Every stream offers valuable insights into how your audience discovers, engages with, and responds to your music.
If you want to track your streams, check out our guide on how to monitor your Spotify stream count.
For independent artists, understanding stream metrics on platforms like Spotify is crucial. It helps you identify which tracks resonate most with your audience and refine your promotion strategy across different music platforms.
But remember—hitting one million streams is just the beginning. To keep growing, use this data to strengthen your connection with listeners, improve your reach, and stand out not just on Spotify, but across platforms like Apple Music and beyond.
How To Get Millions of Streams On Spotify?
1. Set Up and Verify Your Spotify for Artists Profile
Before anything else, the first major step to increasing your Spotify streams is becoming a verified artist through Spotify’s built-in artist platform.
With a Spotify for Artists account, you’ll be able to:
- Customize your profile – Update your profile image and write a compelling bio to share more about yourself, your brand, and upcoming releases, shows, or projects.
- Pitch unreleased music – Submit your songs directly to Spotify’s editorial team for playlist consideration.
- Access detailed analytics – Get insights into your streaming data, audience demographics, and listener behaviors to refine your promotional strategies.
- Gain a verified checkmark – Display the blue verification badge on your profile, showing fans and Spotify curators that you’re an official artist.
- Utilize promotional tools – Stay updated on new features, artist tools, and marketing resources available through Spotify.
All these tools are essential for building your audience, both on and off Spotify, and ultimately driving more streams for your music.
2. Make Your Spotify Artist Profile Look Professional
Once you’ve set up your Spotify for Artists profile, it’s time to make it look polished and engaging. A well-designed profile can help attract more listeners, boost your credibility, and increase your streams.
Here’s what to include:
- A clear, high-quality profile picture – Choose an image that represents you as an artist.
- An interesting artist bio – Tell your story in a way that connects with fans.
- Links to your social media – Make it easy for people to follow you outside of Spotify.
- A featured “Artist’s Pick” – Highlight your latest song, album, or playlist.
- Eye-catching track artwork – Professional visuals make your music more appealing.
Think of your Spotify profile as your online home for fans and industry professionals. A well-maintained page encourages visitors to stay longer and engage with your music.
Keeping your profile updated also signals to Spotify that you’re an active artist, increasing your chances of getting featured on playlists, “Fans Also Like” sections, and other discovery tools.
Take a few minutes to refine your profile—it’s an easy way to attract more listeners and grow your music career!
3. Say No to Fake Streams
Thinking about buying fake streams? Don’t do it.
Buying artificial streams (or fake followers) can lead to serious consequences, including:
- Getting your music removed from Spotify
- Lowering industry royalty rates, meaning less money for your streams
- Facing penalties or even having your Spotify account permanently disabled
If your goal is to grow as an artist and build a sustainable music career, genuine engagement is key. Organic growth ensures that real listeners are discovering and enjoying your music, which increases your chances of landing on editorial playlists, algorithmic recommendations, and even industry opportunities.
But if you want a legitimate boost, consider purchasing high-quality, real streams from trusted services like Buildmyplays. Unlike shady services that use bots, Buildmyplays provides authentic streams from real listeners, helping you grow your fanbase without breaking Spotify’s guidelines. With thousands of positive reviews for Buildmyplays from artists and industry professionals, it’s a safe and effective way to gain visibility and reach a wider audience—without risking your career.
At the end of the day, nothing beats real fans who genuinely appreciate your music. Stay smart, build your audience the right way, and watch your Spotify streams grow the right way!
4. Use Spotify Pre-Save Campaigns
Your music deserves the best chance to succeed, and that starts with a strong release strategy.
Even the best track can go unnoticed if you don’t plan your launch properly. With thousands of new songs uploaded to Spotify daily, hoping for organic discovery without a solid strategy is a long shot.
That’s where Spotify Pre-Save campaigns come in. By setting up a pre-save campaign before your release, you encourage fans to save your track to their Spotify library ahead of time. This ensures your song appears on their Release Radar playlist the moment it drops—driving immediate engagement and boosting early streams.
A successful pre-save campaign increases the likelihood of landing on major algorithmic and editorial playlists, such as Discover Weekly or New Music Friday. Plus, it builds hype and anticipation around your release, creating momentum that can propel your track to a much wider audience.
Plan ahead, get your fans excited, and maximize your song’s potential with a Spotify Pre-Save campaign!
5. Pitch to Spotify Playlists
Landing your music on an official Spotify playlist is one of the best ways to gain exposure and significantly increase your streams. Spotify’s in-house curators manage some of the most influential playlists on the platform, and getting featured can put your track in front of thousands—if not millions—of listeners.
With a Spotify for Artists account, you can submit your music directly for playlist consideration through a simple online process.
Key Guidelines for Submitting to Spotify Editorial Playlists:
- Only unreleased music can be submitted.
- You can only pitch one track at a time per release.
- Submissions should be made at least 7 days before release day for the best chance of consideration.
- Playlist submissions must be done from a desktop computer (not mobile).
It’s important to remember that getting featured doesn’t happen overnight. It may take multiple releases and consistent pitching before your music is picked up. But don’t let that discourage you! Keep submitting, keep engaging with fans, and explore other playlisting strategies while you wait.
6. Creating Your Own Spotify Playlists
Getting your song on a highly-followed Spotify playlist can skyrocket your streams—but let’s be honest, it’s not easy to land a spot on editorial playlists. That doesn’t mean you should sit back and wait. Instead, take control and build your own playlists to feature your music while engaging listeners in an authentic way.
Here are some creative ways to make playlists that drive streams:
- Showcase Your Own Music: Create a playlist featuring your best tracks and pin it to the top of your profile. This ensures listeners see and hear your music the moment they visit your page.
- Blend Your Tracks with Popular Songs: Curate a playlist with your favorite artists and well-known songs, strategically placing your own tracks within the mix. This makes the playlist more appealing while subtly introducing listeners to your music.
Pro Tip: Choose a theme (e.g., workout jams, chill vibes, road trip anthems) to make your playlist more discoverable and engaging.
- Collaborate with Other Artists: Partner with another musician in your niche to create a shared playlist featuring both of your songs. Promoting the playlist to both audiences increases reach and potential streams.
Having playlists on your profile keeps listeners engaged for longer. If they enjoy one song, they’re likely to stick around and stream more, doubling or tripling their impact on your stream count.
Plus, Spotify’s algorithm rewards playlist placements, even if they’re your own. Just make sure to update your playlists regularly by adding fresh tracks and removing old ones. Spotify will notify followers whenever there’s an update, bringing returning listeners back to your page and giving your music even more streaming potential!
7. Linking Spotify on All Platforms
A solid music marketing strategy covers everything—email campaigns, social media, press releases, your website, and even YouTube videos. But if your goal is to increase your Spotify streams, your marketing efforts must lead listeners directly to your Spotify profile.
The best way to do this? Include a direct Spotify link everywhere possible.
Make sure your Spotify link is placed in:
- Your Instagram and Twitter bios
- Your email signature for easy access
- Your music bio, EPK, or press release
- A Spotify pre-save link on your website
- A pinned comment on your YouTube videos
While a multi-platform marketing strategy is key to growing your audience, it’s direct links that actually convert listeners into streams. Make it easy for people to find and play your music on Spotify, and watch your numbers grow!
8. Promote Your Music with Spotify’s Built-in Tools
If you’re serious about growing your streams on Spotify, using Spotify Ad Studio and Spotify Codes can be a game-changer. These tools help promote your music, reach new listeners, and make it easier for fans to find your tracks.
Spotify Ad Studio is a powerful advertising platform that allows artists with a budget to create custom audio and video ads that play between songs on both desktop and mobile. Here’s how you can use it:
- Submit a script, pick a background track, and upload your cover art.
- Spotify will produce the ad with a professional voiceover.
- Ads play between songs, ensuring your music gets heard.
- Customize your target audience, budget, and campaign duration to reach the right listeners.
- Each 30-second ad includes a clickable image, directing users straight to your music.
Spotify Codes function like QR codes, allowing users to instantly access your content with a simple scan. You can generate codes for:
- Songs
- Albums
- Playlists
- Your artist profile
These codes are highly shareable and can be placed on social media, websites, merch, posters, and more. Fans can scan the code using the Spotify app and be instantly redirected to your music—making discovery effortless!
The secret to increasing your Spotify streams is maximizing visibility and accessibility. By using Spotify Ad Studio and Spotify Codes, you ensure that more people hear your music and engage with your brand.
9. Stay Consistent with Your Music Releases
If you want to increase your streams on Spotify, one of the most important things you can do is release music consistently. Keeping your audience engaged with fresh content gives them a reason to return, stream your tracks, and stay connected to your artistry.
Spotify’s algorithm loves active artists. The platform prioritizes profiles with frequent engagement, making consistent releases a key strategy for getting into algorithmic playlists and boosting your visibility. The more your listeners return, the more Spotify recognizes your music as relevant—helping you land in playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly.
Of course, creating high-quality music takes time, and you should never sacrifice quality for the sake of releasing more frequently. But there are smart ways to maintain consistency without overextending yourself.
Consider releasing alternate versions of your tracks, such as:
- Remixes – Collaborate with DJs or producers for a fresh spin on your original songs.
- Acoustic Versions – Strip it down for an intimate, unplugged feel.
- Covers – Reimagine popular songs to attract new listeners.
These variations allow you to keep your audience engaged and maintain a steady release schedule without rushing the creative process. Consistency is key—not just for your listeners but for Spotify’s algorithm, too!
Conclusion
Getting millions of streams on Spotify doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right strategy, consistency, and dedication, it’s absolutely possible.
From optimizing your Spotify for Artists profile and pitching to playlists to leveraging smart marketing techniques and releasing music consistently, every step you take increases your chances of success. The more active and strategic you are, the more likely your music will be discovered, streamed, and shared.
Most importantly, don’t lose sight of why you started—creating music that resonates with people. Stay patient, keep learning, and never stop promoting your art. Your first million streams is just the beginning! Keep pushing, and soon enough, you’ll be celebrating even bigger milestones.