Spotify’s Discovery Mode: A New Way for Artists to Get More Listeners
As a musician, getting your songs heard by new audiences is a challenge, and it can be tough to know where to start. But with the introduction of Spotify’s new feature, Discovery Mode, promo just got a little easier. Over the past two years, the company has been testing this program with a select group of artists and labels, and it is now available to a wider audience.
Discovery Mode is essentially a way for artists to get their eligible songs inserted into other artists’ radio playlists and general “autoplay” sessions for an additional commission. This feature has the potential to increase streams and listeners, providing a much-needed boost to any artist’s career. Here’s how it works:
- Artists opt-in eligible songs to Discovery Mode via their profile.
- Spotify will test the songs in more radio playlists and algorithmically prioritizes the songs within the autoplay features.
- Artists will see a natural increase in their viewership from radio plays in their Spotify for Artists reports.
- Spotify will charge a 30% royalty for this promotion,
A much higher commission compared to regular streams and outrageous if you think about how much most artists make per stream. But despite this, the lift in streams and listeners is significant, and it could lead to more opportunities to be added to algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly. 30% for higher exposure may seem steep, but a proper strategy from a company like MPT Agency will see how profitable this leverage can be.
New artists that start with 800-1000 monthly listeners in a season can easily scale to around 20,000 monthly listeners. The healthy lift in listeners from similar audiences to your streams every month increases your bottom-line fanbase, which helps with the overall exposure of your campaign.
Let’s keep in mind that Spotify has been struggling with royalty repayments, as it reported another year in the reds for 2022. This new discovery mode may seem dishonest, but it can make a huge difference for early artists that are scaling their careers to a new level.
Key Takeaways:
- Discovery Mode is a program where eligible songs are inserted into other artists’ radio playlists and general “autoplay” sessions for an additional commission.
- Spotify charges a 30% royalty for this promotion, which is a higher commission compared to regular streams.
- This feature has the potential to increase streams and listeners, providing a much-needed boost to any artist’s career.
- Spotify will test the songs in more radio playlists and prioritize the songs within the autoplay feature, which could lead to more opportunities to be added to algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly.
- Discovery Mode can be particularly useful for new artists who are trying to build their fanbase and increase their exposure. It can help them get their music heard by people who are already listening to similar artists, increasing their chances of gaining new fans.
Spotify’s Discovery Mode is an excellent tool for artists who want to increase their exposure and gain more listeners. By opting in eligible songs, artists can gain access to more radio playlists and prioritize their songs within the autoplay feature. While the 30% royalty may seem steep, it can be well worth it for artists who are looking to build a fanbase in diagonal audiences.
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