3 Steps I Used To Go From 0 To 250k Spotify Streams A Month 🚀

Summary

In this video, John, founder of the music promotion platform Hyped, shares his three-step process for growing monthly Spotify streams to 250,000. Step one involves using Instagram and Facebook ads to target dedicated fans, leading to more sustained listeners than playlist promotions. Step two focuses on leveraging Spotify's popularity score, using ads to push tracks that approach a score of 20 to trigger more algorithmic exposure. Lastly, he uses Spotify's Discovery Mode to reach new listeners organically. Together, these strategies help artists grow their streams and fanbase.

Takeaways

• 📈 John shares how he grew from zero to 250,000 monthly streams on Spotify.
• 🎯 Step 1: Use automated Instagram and Facebook ads to target die-hard fans, generating lasting listeners instead of short-term gains from playlist promotions.
• 💡 Unlike playlist listeners, fans from ads are more likely to become repeat listeners because they engage directly with the artist's music.
• 🎶 John recommends driving ad traffic to a Spotify playlist featuring only your own music to increase streams across multiple tracks.
• 🔍 Step 2: Leverage Spotify’s popularity score by pushing songs close to a score of 20 with ads to trigger algorithmic boosts like Discover Weekly and Spotify Radio.
• 🚀 Once a song gets good engagement, Spotify's algorithm boosts it further, giving free organic exposure through recommendations.
• ✨ Step 3: Use Spotify’s Discovery Mode, which gives eligible tracks an additional boost in algorithmic recommendations.
• ✅ To qualify for Discovery Mode, artists typically need 250,000 monthly listeners and at least three eligible tracks, though exceptions may apply.
• 🎵 For house music, John suggests opting only the short versions of tracks into Discovery Mode to avoid competition between different versions.
• 🌟 Consistently applying these three strategies — ads, popularity score leverage, and Discovery Mode — helped John grow his streams significantly.

Q & A

What is the current monthly stream count for John's music on Spotify?

John's music currently has around 250,000 monthly streams on Spotify.

What is the name of the music promotion platform founded by John?

The name of the music promotion platform founded by John is Hyped.

How many artists has John helped to grow their music on Spotify?

John has helped over 10,000 artists and bands grow their music on Spotify.

What is the first step John took to increase his streams on Spotify?

The first step John took was to use automated Instagram and Facebook ads to target die-hard fans of his music.

Why does John prefer using Instagram and Facebook ads over playlist promotion?

John prefers Instagram and Facebook ads because the results stack up over time, whereas playlist promotion listeners often leave once the campaign ends.

What is the difference between passive listeners on a playlist and those who come from music ads?

Passive playlist listeners are there for the playlist, not a specific artist, and are unlikely to engage or become repeat listeners. In contrast, those who come from music ads are more likely to save and repeat listen because they discovered the artist on Instagram or Facebook.

What did John change in his ad strategy to maximize streams?

Instead of sending music fans from ads to a single release or song, John started driving traffic to a Spotify playlist featuring only his music.

What is the Spotify growth switch mentioned in the script?

The Spotify growth switch is a system that uses AI to launch Spotify promo campaigns in seconds, which John suggests can help grow one's fan base on Spotify.

How does Spotify's popularity score influence John's promotion strategy?

John manages his promotion strategy based on Spotify's popularity score, pushing tracks with scores close to 20 harder with ads to bump them into the mid-20s to get more algorithmic boost.

What is Spotify's discovery mode and how does it help John's music?

Spotify's discovery mode is a feature that allows artists to boost their music's visibility. John uses it to get more listener streams and fans by opting as many tracks as possible into this mode.

What are the criteria to access Spotify's discovery mode?

To access Spotify's discovery mode, an artist needs to have at least three eligible songs, 250,000 monthly listeners, and be in a country where discovery mode is available.

What is the main takeaway from John's three-step process for increasing streams on Spotify?

The main takeaway is that by using Instagram and Facebook ads, leveraging Spotify's popularity score, and utilizing discovery mode, an artist can significantly increase their monthly streams.