Spotify’s Powerful New Tools to Grow Your Fanbase
This week Spotify unveiled a bunch of features for musicians who want to reach new listeners and deepen the connection with their existing audience.
You probably already know you can sell merch and list concert dates on your Spotify profile, or pitch your upcoming release to Spotify’s editorial team, but these newest features take things to a whole new level.
And to answer the question upfront for CD Baby clients, we’re working directly with Spotify to enable these features for you (as long as your tracks meets the given eligibility requirements for each particular feature).
As is often the case with big rollouts, Spotify is introducing these tools to artists in phases. So if you don’t see them currently available, please be patient and check back periodically in your Spotify for Artists dashboard.
Alright, let’s dive in! Spotify’s newest features include:
1. Clips
Clips are Spotify’s vertical video feature meant to put the spotlight on the music and its creators.
Spotify says:
Video and music go hand-in-hand, but on social media, music often gets cut short and pushed to the background. That’s why we built Clips: to give artists a platform that inspires fandom and long-term success – not quick hits tied to the latest meme. Clips are short, under-30-second vertical videos that allow you to express your artistry and invite fans into your creative process – all while keeping your music front-and-center.
2. Countdown Pages
Countdown Pages build anticipation and highlight Spotify’s native pre-save!
Here’s the official explanation:
There’s always been a disconnect between where music is teased and where it’s streamed – until now. With Countdown Pages, your fans can pre-save your upcoming release, preview the track list, pre-order new merch, watch video Clips you share with them, and watch the timer count down to the release moment – all in one place.
Taylor Swift, Karol G, Florence and the Machine, Quevedo, Paramore, and others have already tested Countdown Pages and the results have been stunning: On average, more than 80% of pre-savers have streamed the new release within the first week.
3. Discovery Mode
Discovery Mode allows Spotify to prioritize your music for discovery.
Spotify explains:
With Discovery Mode, artists and labels identify songs that are a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithms that determine personalized listening sessions. This signal increases the likelihood of the selected songs being recommended, but does not guarantee it.
But it only works if fans love it too. We take note when a listener isn’t engaging with a song — including those in Discovery Mode — and factor this in when determining what to recommend next. It’s all about harmony.
4. Marquee and Showcase
Marquee has been around for a bit, but with the addition of Showcase, you now have options to amplify both your newest tracks AND your back catalog!
For more info on these tools to help you build a fanbase, go here.
Many more exciting changes at Spotify
The new features described above are just some of the changes rolling out at Spotify.
There are a bunch of exciting developments on the listener/user side of the experience as well, including an AI DJ for customizable and interactive playlist building, Canvases getting a more prominent display placement, and more.
For all the details, check out this overview.