In the digital age of music consumption, streaming platforms have become the lifeblood of the music industry, and Spotify stands tall as the leader of the pack, but is it important to get playlisting, or more specifically get Spotify streams?
Do Spotify streams really benefit an artist's career, or are they just numbers?
Do professionals care about an artist's Spotify streams, or are there more important metrics?
In this blog, we'll delve into the importance of Spotify playlisting and whether it is actually even needed.
First let's talk about...
Discoverability
When you are looking to add new artists or songs to listen to, you used to have to go to record stores or rely solely on the radio, to discover new acts, or even worse... have to rely on your friends suggestions, which let's face it... are whack!!
Spotify has brought personalized music discovery to the forefront through its curated playlists, and quite incredible algorithm, putting songs in front of your that they believe you will enjoy based off your previous listening habits.
As a music maker, that's important, because you want your music to not only reach new listeners, but rather new listeners that will actually enjoy your art.
With Spotify's playlists (both editorial playlists and independent playlists), artists, both established and emerging, have a unique opportunity to introduce their music to new audiences who may not have stumbled upon their tracks otherwise.
As you may know, inclusion in a popular playlist can instantly expose an artist to thousands or even millions of potential listeners, igniting a chain reaction of fans and followers.
So for the standpoint of discoverability, Spotify playlisting is important, but does it really help all artists, or just major label artists?
Leveling the Playing Field
In the traditional music industry, breaking into the mainstream often required substantial financial backing, connections, and luck, and to be honest, when it comes to radio.. it still kind of does. Major labels account for about 80% of radio airplay, with payola still being extremely prevalent.
However, Spotify playlisting has disrupted this paradigm... well kind of. Labels and distributors still have inside deals with Spotify, to get artists featured on editorial playlists, but luckily for you, that does not mean there is no room for you.
If a song is captivating, resonates with listeners, and aligns with the mood of a playlist, curators will have no problem adding it to their playlists, regardless of the artist's background, or financial status.
This democratization of music distribution has empowered artists to connect with their audience on a deeper level.
So, from the standpoint of whether Spotify playlisting levels the field, to a certain degree, absolutely!
Data-Driven Insights
We have talked a lot about Spotify playlisting from the point of getting streams and reaching new fans, which is great, but there is a whole other side to Spotify, being the valuable insights it provides artists and their teams.
These include detailed demographic data about listeners, location-specific popularity, and engagement metrics.
This treasure trove of data empowers artists to refine their marketing strategies, plan tours based on popular locations, and tailor their content to cater to their fanbase's preferences.
In essence, playlisting (and streaming in general) arms musicians with the tools needed to make informed decisions and foster a stronger bond with their listeners.
This is absolutely crucial for all music makers, whether big or small. As long as the data is recent and from real listeners, data does not lie, so having analytics of your listeners at your disposal will absolutely help you.
Boosting Streams and Revenue
It's clear Spotify playlisting has some benefits, in terms of reaching new fans, and gaining data on your listeners, but... will Spotify playlisting help you have a sustainable career in music.
Let's face it... streaming is not a way towards a successful career in music (from a financial standpoint).
However, Spotify playlisting is a great way to boost your streams, that when paired with other revenue streams, can provide some nice residual royalties, especially when included on popular playlists.
The most important factor about Spotify streams however is not the residual income, it's the lucrative opportunities that can come from it, through attracting the attention of music industry professionals. So all in all...
In the modern music landscape, where attention spans are fleeting and choices are vast, Spotify playlisting has emerged as a dynamic force that shapes the trajectory of artists' careers.
From enabling discoverability and leveling the playing field to offering data-driven insights and boosting streams, the importance of Spotify playlisting cannot be overstated, but please understand, the return on investment from it, will not be great (in general).
In essence, Spotify playlisting can open the door for in so many areas, including attracting music industry professionals with opportunities, and gaining data that can be used to launch merchandise, to plan tours and more, but it is not the only area of focus for music promotion.