Get More Spotify Plays: 10 Tips For Musicians & Podcasters

Table of Contents

Introduction

No one ever questioned why increasing Spotify plays is important for musicians and podcasters. But in case you did…

The simple answer would be to gain exposure. Once smaller artists like Lorde, Luv, and Ritviz, or podcasters like Jake Brennan and Jonathan Goldstein, became overnight celebrities, thanks to Spotify.

But that was quite a few years back. Now Spotify has over 11 million artists and creators under its ecosystem, including podcast creators.

So, the problem is- how to get more Spotify plays when the competition is so high?

Only a sure-shot strategy can help you break through and shine. Practices like- consistent posting, high-quality content, and utilizing social media can help you get more Spotify plays.

But it needs to be executed properly.

Or you can take the easy route and buy Spotify streams from a reliable vendor.

In today’s article, I’ll lay down the ultimate step-by-step roadmap for you to increase Spotify plays. So without further ado, let’s get started!

10 Tips To Get More More Plays On Spotify

The following are 10 indispensable strategies to ace your Spotify game as a musician or a podcaster.

Start With Optimizing Your Profile
Produce High-Quality Content
Leverage Other Social Media Platforms
Collaborate With Other Artists
Do Giveaways & Promotional Campaigns
Be Consistent- Follow A Release Schedule
Interact With your Listeners
Create Your Own Playlist
Follow The Numbers- Anlyze Your Spotify Insights
Upgrade To Spotify for Artists

Each step mentioned here holds importance. So make sure you follow each step to get the maximum results.

You can use this plan to get more plays on Soundcloud too.

#1- Start With Optimizing Your Profile

No matter how good your content is, if listeners can’t find it, you aren’t getting any plays!

So your first step should be to optimize your profile.

If you are an artist, don’t forget to use your stage name and a striking cover photo. Along with that, keep your playlist nicely arranged.

You can also mark your favorite track as an ‘artist’s pick.’

You can use this to showcase your best work. Or to simply promote your latest release.

Now if you are a podcaster, there is a lot more room for you to optimize your channel.

Start by adding a distinct cover photo and banner. Both of these should give away some important information.

For example, the name of the show, the host, or other important details like associated partners.

As you can see in the image below, apart from the general information, they have also mentioned the fact that it is partnered with Hubspot. This will help them leverage Hubspot’s existing follower base.

Also, notice how they have used the About section to give a brief idea of their show.

Pro tip: Keep your About section short, simple, and in sync with your show’s personality.

Right below are the metatags. Use tags that are relevant to your channel.

#2- Produce High-Quality Content

Bringing listeners to your channel won’t be enough if you can’t grab their attention. And to ensure your listeners come back often, you must produce play-worthy content.

Here are some tips for you to produce high-quality content on Spotify.

Always record in 320kbps: To provide your audience with the best listening experience, always stream in 320kbps on your recordings. It is the highest streaming quality compatible with the platform. Along with that, ensure that the sample rate is 44.1 kHz and channels are stereo.
Deliver audio files in FLAC or WAV format: This type of audio format has the least chance of distortion. So you can make sure your listeners are getting the best experience.

Now, for podcasters, things will be a little more elaborate. So here are some best practices for them.

Submit your RSS feed: It is the online file that contains details about the podcasts you are uploading. Your RSS feed should list all the latest episodes of your channel.

Use Spotify for Podcasters: It is a tool specially made to help you create, distribute, analyze, and grow your show. It also integrates the latest earning tools to make things easier.

Include sub topics: This helps your listeners to skim through your podcast easily, saving their time.

Use your episode descriptions wisely: While some might think episode descriptions can be spoilers, most people prefer reading them first and then investing their time on the episode. Hence, having a thought-provoking episode description can really make or break things.

If you want valuable tips like these on how to start your own podcast, don’t forget to check out our other posts.

#3- Leverage Other Social Media Platforms

You can increase your Spotify reach to another extent by leveraging other social media platforms.

Share your music/podcast sneak peeks on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to tap into diverse audiences.

One of the best ways of doing that would be sharing behind-the-scenes content. They are not only a seamless way of promoting your content, but people get to see the amount of hard work you are putting into it, making you more relatable.

Don’t forget to use trending hashtags while doing so to boost visibility.

You can also put your Spotify playlist link in your Instagram, Threads, and Twitter bio to redirect listeners.

#4- Collaborate With Other Artists

If you are a small, independent artist or budding podcaster, collaborating with other creators can do wonders for you.

Partnering with others introduces your music to new audiences, expanding your reach organically.

It is easier for musicians. They can start with as little as making a Spotify blend with other artists or making a collaborative playlist.

For podcasters, things have to be more technical. In most cases, two podcasters collaborate by inviting each other to their episodes.

Similar to how YouTube collaborations are done.

In collaboration, you also cross-promote each other’s work on social media, creating a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties.

#5- Do Giveaways & Promotional Campaigns

If your social media game isn’t that strong, you won’t be able to reap its benefits.

To gain more followers in a short time, try giveaways and other promotional campaigns.

Design giveaways in a way that encourages your listeners to stream, share, or create content related to your tracks for a chance to win prizes. For example, you can start a TikTok/Reels dance challenge with your track.

Or ask your followers to put up a story where they share their learnings from your podcast. But make sure the challenges are easy and fun to do, or they’ll fail miserably.

These campaigns generate excitement, increase visibility, and actively involve your audience in promoting your music.

#6- Be Consistent- Follow A Release Schedule

This tip is extremely crucial for new podcasters who want to build a loyal audience base.

Loyal listeners are those who help you grow your play count consistently. They know what your show is about and when to expect the next episode.

Most of the time, they won’t even read the episode description and have added you to their library.

And the last thing you would want is to lose them by being inconsistent!

Stick to a regular posting schedule for releasing new songs, updating playlists, releasing episodes and even interacting with your fans on social media.

In case you are going to miss a deadline, use your social media to keep them posted about it, along with an ETA.

A predictable routine creates anticipation among your followers, keeping them engaged and eager to discover your latest releases.

#7- Interact With your Listeners

Actively engage with your Spotify listeners to foster a sense of community.

Some indirect ways would be to update your playlist regularly. Direct ways include interacting with them on social media, Canvas, and Marquee, and responding to their feedback and questions.

On social media, respond promptly to comments, messages, and reviews on your tracks.

Don’t forget to show appreciation for positive feedback and address concerns to build a responsive and supportive fan base.

#8- Create Your Own Playlist

As a musician, you can create your own playlist on Spotify to expand your presence. You can create multiple playlists, some of which can purely be based on your tracks and some including tracks you like.

This can be another great way of interacting with your audience by giving them insights into your musical tastes.

To make it more thoughtful, you can create different mood playlists for your listeners and share them as a token of love. Share these on your social media so more people get drawn to your profile.

The more visits you have, the more plays you will get!

#9- Follow The Numbers- Anlyze Your Spotify Insights

Those days are gone when you made decisions based on your guts. Now the number game is more dominant than ever.

So you must harness the power of data by regularly analyzing your ‘Spotify for Artists’ insights.

Understand listener demographics, track performance, and identify trends.

Use those valuable insights to tailor your content and promotional efforts to align with your audience’s preferences.

#10- Upgrade To Spotify for Artists

If you want to be a successful artist on Spotify and haven’t upgraded to Spotify for Artists, you are missing out!

This feature lets you manage your artist profile and get to know your fans. Think of it as upgrading your Instagram account to a creator’s profile.

You get a dashboard where you get all the crucial information about your listeners.

But along with that you also get guidance on how to get your music on Spotify, fix content errors, and more.

And it is FREE!

So upgrade to this service and make data-driven decisions.

Wrapping Up

Finally, remember that these are organic ways of getting more Spotify plays. And while organic ways do work, they sure take a lot of time, persistence, and hard work!

There is no overnight wonder with organic growth.

However, if you ever feel demotivated, you can always buy Spotify streams as a little pick-me-up. But make sure you buy them from a reliable vendor like PopularityBazaar, with a secure payment and money-back guarantee.

FAQs On How To Get More Spotify Plays

Is getting featured on Spotify playlists effective for boosting plays?

Yes, getting featured on a Spotify playlist is proven to boost your plays. According to research, artists who got featured on Spotify noticed a 20% increase in streams and followers in the first month.

How can Spotify analytics inform content strategy and promotion efforts?

You can use the insights of Spotify analytics to make more informed decisions. It includes information regarding audience demographics like their age, country, etc., which can help you build more targeted campaigns and promotional strategies.

The analytics can also help you understand your track’s performance, so you can decide which track to promote.

How can podcasters improve engagement on Spotify?

Here are some tips for you to improve engagement on Spotify podcasts. Ask your listeners to follow your show, embed your show link on your website and other social media platforms, ask your listeners to leave their suggestions, opinions, or questions in the comment section, optimize your metadata to be more discoverable, and collaborate with other shows and influential people.