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Music Industry

A Guide on How to Improve Reach and SEO on Spotify

Photograph of the blog post author, Maria Hanlon

Maria Hanlon

28.2.2022

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spotify plays

Are you wondering how to get Spotify plays? Look no further as we are about to reveal all you need to know about improving your reach and SEO on Spotify. 

Spotify streams don’t come easy, although there are a few things you can do to increase your Spotify plays including optimising SEO which we’ll look into first.

What Is SEO For Spotify?

Spotify launched in 2008 and has become one of the most popular music streaming platforms of all time. It currently has an impressive 130 million subscribers and 286 million monthly active users. It also boasts of over 50 million songs and is available in 92 markets worldwide.

But what is Spotify SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimisation and Spotify’s SEO increases your chances of being part of its algorithm and gaining new fans. 

Spotify‘s SEO gives you the tools to find your audience and makes your music easy to find. You can do this by using the right words (keywords and search terms) across your Spotify For Artists profile, playlists and songs. This can lead to you getting much-needed initial streams that can help launch your career in the music industry. 

If you haven’t signed up for Spotify Premium yet – what are you waiting for?! Sign up now to enjoy unlimited ad-free music, anywhere!

spotify for artists

What Is Spotify For Artists?

Spotify For Artists is the management tool provided by Spotify to help artists manage their profiles on Spotify. 

Spotify For Artists allows you to:

  • Manage your profile – add artist images, write your bio, create playlists, add an Artist Pick and feature an Artist Playlist.
  • Include a Artist Fundraising Pick.
  • Get verification – that little blue tick will show fans that it’s really you.
  • Have access to Spotify Analytics and audience statistics.
  • Manage your profile on the go with the mobile app.

Want to set your profile up? Let’s talk you through that next.

Set Up A Spotify For Artists Account

How do you get a Spotify For Artists account? Follow these simple steps below:

  • Go to artists.spotify.com in a desktop web browser. 
  • Search for yourself or enter your Spotify link. You can either search for keywords in your artist profile or enter the link to your Spotify artist profile.
  • Log in.
  • Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your artist profile. You’ll need to confirm the Spotify account and your information before continuing. 
  • Click ‘Next’ to continue through the on-screen instructions.
  • You’ll be asked to link your other social media accounts such as Twitter and Instagram.
  • Once you’ve clicked ‘Submit’ your request will be reviewed and you’ll usually have instant access to the artist profile page.
  • You can choose your profile’s images, bio, Artist’s Pick, and playlists next.

Once you’ve set up your Spotify For Artists account you’re ready to implement SEO for Spotify across your profile. 

spotify profile

Optimising Spotify For Artists Profile

Your Spotify For Artists Profile consists of three main sections: overview, about, and concerts. 

Each of these should be optimised accordingly to gain the benefits of Spotify SEO. 

Optimising Your About Page

In your about page, tell Spotify who you are and include all the genres your music matches within your bio text. 

For your unique description, you can also include instruments, influences, similar artists and any other factors that might be helpful.

The description should include anything you’re currently promoting for example, new songs, gig dates, a music video etc. This will elevate engagement and hopefully secure more streams.

Whilst keywords can be hard to find for music, you can think about words that your fans might use to describe you and your sound. 

spotify genres

Update Your Images

Make sure your images in your image gallery are high-quality and up to date. 

Images in your image gallery need to be 690 x 500px and we recommend you avoiding any logos, text or distracting backgrounds. The header image must be at least 2660 x 1140px, and it’s best to use a different image for your header and your gallery images.

Use the Artists Pick section in the overview to promote your music. Whilst your most recent release is often best to use here you could also try promoting songs that have gained the most streams.

Use Playlists To Gain Reach

Remember to feature playlists in your Spotify For Artists Profile as they’re a great way to connect with fans and to share tracks from other similar artists you love too.

Using playlists to your advantage in Spotify SEO is super important, as it’s one of the best ways to promote your music on the platform and ultimately get more Spotify plays. 

Also, rather than just promoting one song, create playlists featuring all your songs. That way once someone has listened to one track they’ll continue listening to your music, giving you more plays. This might also result in your songs being added to other people’s Spotify playlists. 

spotify mobile app

Check Spotify For Artists Analytics

One of the key benefits of using Spotify For Artists is analytics and the audience data you can view.

Spotify Audience allows you to see exactly how many: 

  • Listeners you have.
  • Stream count the listeners generated.
  • And how many followers you have.

You can see how your stats have developed during the last seven days, which is very useful.

So that’s how to optimise SEO on Spotify, but what about improving reach? Let’s delve deep into that next.

Gain Momentum Around Your Release Date 

One of the best ways to gain listeners is promotion. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to plan ahead of your release date in order to gain momentum. You will have put a lot of work into shaping your sound so apply the same approach in building excitement around the anticipation of your release. There are a few ways you can do this, such as:

  • Social Media platforms – tease your fans before your release by posting a short clip from the music video or sharing a small section of the song you’re about to release.
  • Competitions – competitions are a brilliant way to gain fans before your release. You could offer a couple of tickets to an upcoming gig, or a signed record or merch in return for fans sharing your music.
  • Countdown – you could post a countdown on social media or on your website so people know how many days they have to wait until they can listen to your music.

MusixMatch

MusixMatch

MusixMatch, a premier global music data firm, is dedicated to enhancing the music experience for fans and businesses worldwide. Their robust data, innovative tools, and all-encompassing services aim to enrich global musical experiences. With a collection of lyrics for over 8 million songs in 80 languages, MusixMatch ensures that music enthusiasts can engage with their beloved tunes irrespective of language barriers. The feature of time-synced lines adds a visually engaging layer to song exploration, amplifying the overall listening experience.

However, MusixMatch offers more than just lyrics and translations. It provides an array of detailed metadata, including moods, genres, tempo and instruments, among other elements. This immense volume of information allows users to delve deeper into their preferred music and uncover new tracks that align with their tastes.

MusixMatch has partnered with industry giants like Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram, Amazon Music, Facebook, Tidal, Shazam, Vevo, Google, and numerous popular lyric websites. These alliances extend the reach and influence of MusixMatch’s services by integrating them seamlessly into platforms that music fans love.

With its user base reaching 80 million people globally, MusixMatch has significantly transformed how individuals explore, discover, share, enjoy, create, and consume music worldwide. Their vision is to become an essential part of international musical culture, breaking down geographical linguistic barriers. Whether you’re located in London or Tokyo or speak English or Swahili, MusixMatch is dedicated to delivering an extraordinary musical experience that overcomes language obstacles and promotes cultural exchange.

MusixMatch for Creators

MusixMatch offers a specialised platform for artists, songwriters, and lyricists to showcase their creativity to a worldwide audience. The platform equips creators with various tools to publicise their lyrics:

Adding, Editing and Syncing Lyrics: MusixMatch allows you to easily add or modify the lyrics of your songs, making it simple for your fans to sing along. You can also synchronise your lyrics with the music in real time – it’s like directing your own word orchestra!

Distributing Lyrics to DSPs: Want your lyrical brilliance spread far and wide? MusixMatch disseminates your lyrics to leading Digital Service Providers (DSPs) such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, as well as popular social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. This facilitates fans’ access to your work and helps you reach broader audiences while fostering fan engagement.

Creating Lyric Videos: With its superior lyric video tool, you can animate your words with just a few clicks. Choose a template, load up your lyrics and background image and receive an automatically produced lyric video that’s ideal for social media sharing within seconds.

Expert Lyric Curation: MusixMatch does more than just host lyrics. Their diverse team of expert curators specialising in different languages and genres ensures that the presentation of your lyrics is top-notch. These dedicated curators carefully format and verify the lyrics, providing an unmatched experience – freeing you up to concentrate on creating music.

Make Music Videos 

Promotion outside of Spotify is essential for getting more Spotify plays and music videos are the perfect way to do this. By creating a music video, you’re giving yourself plenty of high-quality content to use across your social media pages before and after your release. 

Here are some examples of music video ideas:

  • Your official music video
  • Unofficial video
  • Behind the scenes
  • Live video
  • Acoustic video
  • Lyric videos
spotify desktop

Write Songs For Spotify Playlists

If you’re having writer’s block, you could try and write a song specifically for a Spotify playlist and a targeted audience. The most popular Spotify playlists are really difficult to get featured on as they’re managed by playlist curators, record labels and Spotify’s team. 

Although, you could bear these playlists in mind when writing music and write with a purpose. It’s like when artists write music for radio, they’re usually around 3 minutes long and don’t have a long intro. Playlists are the same, if you want to feature on them, your song will have to be a good fit.

Think about where to song would be played, here are a few suggestions:

  • The gym
  • A coffee shop
  • Whilst running
  • During a hot summer’s day
  • On a date
  • At pre drinks with friends
  • On a night out

This is one way to increase monthly listeners and Spotify plays. 

Pitch To Curators

To get your songs on Spotify playlists and get Spotify plays you’ll need to pitch to Curators, and in order to get noticed by them you’re going to need to stand out and tell your story. 

Consider the below:

  • How you felt when you wrote your song
  • What the song is about
  • How the song came together
  • Who the song is for

These answers form the backbone of the song, and they are vital to your pitch. Whether you’re pitching it directly to Spotify or playlist curators, tell your song’s story.

Set Goals 

What is your goal for Spotify streams? Is it 1000 plays, 10,000 plays or 100,000 plays? There’s no right or wrong, just what you’re aiming for.

Having a goal helps you plan your promotion effectively and gives you a guide of where you’re at.

spotify profile

Make Your Spotify Profile Stand Out

Your Spotify profile is like your CV as an artist, it reflects you and your music. Make a checklist and work through the below to ensure your Spotify profile is as good as possible.

  • Do you have high-quality images?
  • Is your bio up to date and well-written?
  • Have you added links to your social media pages?
  • Have you created your own playlist of songs?

Also, don’t be afraid to play the Spotify algorithm – keep Spotify happy by updating your Spotify account regularly.

Promote Your Spotify Profile

Social media is one of the easiest and most effective ways to promote your music online, so promote your Spotify profile amongst your other platforms too.

Here are our suggestions:

  • Mention your Spotify link in your Instagram bio or linktree link.
  • Put your Spotify profile in your email signature 
  • Include a pre-save link on your website
  • Promote it on your Instagram stories
  • Add it to your Facebook cover photo or banner
  • Include it in your YouTube bio and pin it on any videos.

Get your Spotify profile in as many places as possible so people can easily find and listen to your music.  

Maintain Consistency 

How often are you going to release music? Map out your release schedule and how often you’ll share your music with the world. Consistency is key as an artist, so create a time frame for your future releases. Give listeners a reason to come back to your Spotify profile. 


That’s All You Need To Know About Improving Reach And SEO On Spotify

We hope you now have a better understanding of how to effectively improve your reach, how SEO for Spotify works and how to get Spotify plays. If you implement all the suggestions, we have given you, we have no doubt that you’ll be successful on Spotify and hopefully we’ll come across your music on Spotify playlists very soon. Best of luck! 

Are You A Musician Or Artist?

Get Free Music Distribution and find opportunities to get your music in film, TV, and more through sync licensing. Plus get Music SupervisionMusic PublishingMusic MarketingArtist Development and utilize our Free Artist Websites and Rap Name Generator. Finally, you can amplify your music to those that need to hear it with music promotionTikTok promotion and professional sharing tool. Why not give the gift of music today with our Gifts for musicians package? 

Try all of this out for yourself by joining Мusic Gateway. Get your free trial, no strings attached.


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