By now, every artist on the planet is on Spotify, and those that aren’t are really, really missing out. One of the world’s biggest, most important, and most influential streaming music platforms, Spotify’s power and reach are undeniable, and while Spotify royalties are usually infinitesimal, there’s no avoiding it at this point.
So, once you have your music and a photo on Spotify via a distributor, is that it? No! Of course not! There’s so much more than can be done to add to your page, making the most of everything the company offers. Some of the items below are just about education or posturing, while others are focused on making you money.
Either way, you shouldn’t skip any of these, so dig in and get to work flushing out your Spotify page!
In This Article:
- Get Verified on Spotify
- Add An Artist Bio
- Tour Dates
- Merch
- Give Back
Get Verified
Have you ever noticed that on Spotify some of the biggest acts have blue check marks next to their name, while many up-and-coming artists don’t? Is this because they’re more famous, because they’ve reached some streaming milestone, or perhaps because their record labels spent a lot of money to see them earn that distinction?
No! It’s actually fairly easy to become verified on Spotify–unlike on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter–and while it doesn’t change much, it will make you look a bit more professional and established, and that’s always a good thing.
According to Spotify itself, all you need to do is go through the company’s own Spotify for Artists platform. The Swedish streamer shared a video that outlines the few clicks it takes to make this happen, so there’s no reason why every musician shouldn’t find a moment to go through this simple process.
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Add A Bio
Once you’ve claimed your page on Spotify for Artists, it’s time to make the most of what that industry-focused platform has to offer. One of the most important features is adding a bio, which appears at the bottom of a singer or band’s profile on the streaming site.
You’ve got 1,500 characters in which to discuss your work, your beginnings, who you are as an artist, what sets you apart, what you’ve accomplished, and anything else you want to share with the world. While it may be tempting to use lots of flowery language to describe your band’s sound, it’s best to keep this bio concise and professional. Yes, you can discuss your art, but don’t forget to get into specifics regarding tours, sales, awards, reviews, and more.
Keep in mind that some people may pull from this bio when writing about your band or telling others! So remember to consult your digital music marketing PR team before publishing anything crazy
Tour Dates
Many artists will also publicize their upcoming tour dates on their Spotify page, which makes perfect sense, as it’s where many of their biggest fans spend a lot of time interacting with them and their work. But how does one do this?
Tour dates can’t be added manually. Instead, you have to go through one of the streaming giant’s approved partners, meaning you need to sell tickets to your shows on sites like Ticketmaster, AXS, Dice, Eventbrite, or several others (you can find the full list here). While it does involve an outside outlet, this isn’t actually difficult to do. In fact, chances are you were already using one of the necessary platforms to sell tickets anyway!
Are you about to head out on the road? Planetary can help you market your tour dates so you reach new fans.
Merch
The vast majority of artists on Spotify can’t make a living from the royalties they receive, and that’s just a sad fact about today’s music industry. So, if this is going to be the case for the foreseeable future, you might as well earn as much money as you can from their site, and that means selling merchandise on your artist profile page.
Again, this involves an outside partner of the streaming company, but it won’t cost you much and it isn’t too hard to figure out. In fact, Spotify has once again provided a step-by-step guide that should take you through the entire process fairly quickly.
So, if you’re already selling band t-shirts, hoodies, stickers and more on your website and pushing them at shows and on social media, why not also feature them on Spotify? Just as is the case with tour dates, it’s important to remember that this is a place where many of your most die-hard fans are engaging with your work, so the more you can make of that valuable real estate and attention, the better.
Give Back
Spotify calls it Artist Fundraising Pick, but in the simplest terms, it means adding a charity to your page and giving back. This effort was introduced in 2020 during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many artists got in on the giving. The feature allows musicians to choose a nonprofit they support and ask their listeners to donate to it.
The great thing about fundraising on Spotify is that it’s not pushy or annoying, but it is there for fans who have a few extra bucks in their pocket and who want to give to the organization one of their favorite artists clearly supports. It’s likely that millions have already been raised, and anyone can get in on the love!
Choosing to engage in this feature allows you to forge a tighter bond with your fans, help others, and show the world that you care about more than streams and making money. It’s a win-win-win.
Ready to take your music career to the next level? Contact Planetary so we can talk about what you need to rise to new heights. Consult our music promotion team for an in depth look at what you and your band needs to turn it up to 11.
