Posted on November 18, 2022

The Best Way To Grow Your Spotify Via Facebook Ads

By Yvonne Martin

Many people who have never used Facebook ads shudder at the thought because they believe it to be an outdated platform for boomers. However, you can grow your Spotify via Facebook Ads! How? Well, Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly users, and utilizing Facebook ads means running ads on:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Even Messenger!

Thus, Ads will appear on Facebook:

• News articles
• Marketplace items
• Feeds
• Stories
• Websites
• Applications

Do’s & Don’ts

This sort of campaign's fundamental premise is that you can use a conversion target that utilizes the advantage of the Facebook Pixel. 

Do’s:

Use conversions to:

• Exclude bots
  • Create retargeting audiences
• Utilize a Facebook Business Manager account and a verified domain to track the conversions.

Don’ts:

• Do not launch a traffic campaign and direct people to Spotify. 

Evidently, due to the lack of tracking, you can wind up with a lot of pointless bot clicks that result in no Spotify streams. 

As a result, this will allow you to run ads for other objectives to those who converted in the past. Consequently, we require a website on which we can set up our pixel code and launch "events" whenever a user clicks the Spotify button on the landing page.

Deep Dive Into Campaign Structures And Ads

What Is A Facebook Campaign? How Can You Use A Facebook Campaign To Grow Your Spotify Via Facebook Ads?

A Facebook campaign has three levels:

• The campaign → Establish your campaign's goal, start, and finish dates.
• The ad set →  Specify your target audience, market interest, and origin of your audience.
• The ad →  Select which Facebook and Instagram page the ad appears on.

Myth: Facebook Ads do Not Provide A Return On Investment For Spotify

The truth is that a typical return on investment will not ever be as high as $3 in Spotify royalties for every $1 spent on Facebook ads.

Undeniably, you can observe a rise in your:

• Following, a new fanbase
• Trustworthiness due to successful releases
• The number of data sources for future marketing campaigns

Certainly, the majority of independent musicians will make a modest living by:

• Gradually expanding their back catalog of songs
• Increasing the number of streams they receive through algorithmic or editorial playlists

Why Are Facebook Ads So Great? The Reason To Grow Your Spotify Via Facebook Ads.

Facebook offers:

• Comprehensive targeting choices
• Flexible budgeting
• An algorithm that can be self-optimized to get the best results at the lowest cost

Let us examine the advantages of Facebook advertisements in further detail:

1. In-depth targeting choices are available
2. Basic demographic choices are available for a very broad range of interests, including brands, genres, performers, goods, and more
3. The ads can be "scaled," and you can manage your spending; the more you spend, the better the results you receive, but you can still spend as little as $1 per day.
4. With Facebook's learning algorithm, you can receive the most results for the least amount of money.
5. People that interact with you can be added to "Custom Audiences" so that you can display your ads later on for less money than it cost to first reach them.
6. There are also "Lookalike Audiences" which are “Custom Audiences” that contain 1+ million or more people that are similar to your fans.

Thus, you are able to…

Apply The Following Strategies To Grow Your Spotify Via Facebook Ads

• Direct listeners who are specifically interested in your Spotify profile
• Utilize Facebook's tools and algorithm to get more of those fans at a lower cost
• Boost your chances of fooling the Spotify algorithm into giving you free access to even more of your followers

Strategies To Grow Your Spotify Via Facebook Ads

Every time you put out a new song, you have the opportunity to:

• Pitch it to the Spotify editors
• Have it added to the Release Radar playlist of your listeners
• Have it included in the Release Radar playlist of Spotify users who have similar listening habits to yours

Release one song each month, this way you will increase the:

• Amount of pitches you obtain
• Length of time your song is on Release Radar
• Monthly growth of your stream and followers

Final Thoughts

Do not anticipate a return on your initial investment from your first campaign. However, fans who follow your profile will be informed of any upcoming releases, which might expand your fan base and increase the number of plays you receive. 

Keep in mind that it is not a race, it is a marathon!

For further information, keep an eye on our blog and Instagram to make the procedure as simple as possible.

Posted on November 11, 2022

Are Apple Music’s Subscription Fees Rising For Good?

By John Reynolds

The recent price rise for Apple Music's subscription and a foreseeable price increase for Spotify would enhance music sales in the United States and throughout the world and have an influence on library values.

Increased rates for Apple Music and Spotify's individual plans can result in hundreds of millions of dollars more in subscription income each year in the United States.

What Is The Expected Revenue?

The expected incremental earnings from these pricing hikes for streaming services is around $650 million per year. That is predicated on a 7% increase in subscriber growth in 2023, no further churn, a whole year of price increases, and higher costs including both self-paid and promotional subscription plans.

Will Every Aspect Be Affected?

A tiny amount of churning is anticipated, though, and Spotify is not expected to increase its prices at the start of the new year. Not all subscription plans are liable to price increases, too. (For instance, Apple is not raising the cost of Apple Music Voice.) As a result, the actual impact is probably going to be less next year and during the years to come.

Let us Get Into Specifics

• Individual subscriptions for Apple Music now cost $10.99 per month instead of $9.99. 
• The cost of the family plan went up $2 from $14.99 to $16.99. 
• The price of Apple One, a package that includes services like Apple Music, Apple TV+
• Others increased by $2 for the solo plan and by $3 for the family (which includes Apple Arcade and iCloud+) and premier plans (which adds Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+).

How Will Apple Music’s Subscription Affect Spotify?

• In the United States, Spotify could follow with a $1 per individual membership price rise. 
• It is prohibited from raising the cost of the family plan by more than the $1 it added in April, to $15.99. 
• Student rates on Spotify are available for $4.99 per month. 
• Billboard anticipates that the reduced plans will remain unchanged for these intents.

How Will Apple Music’s Subscription Affect Musicians?

A price rise essentially results in a pay hike for creators and copyright owners. The same portion of streaming services' earnings would go to labels and publishers as royalties. 

Although some churn is likely, higher costs wouldn't affect listeners' habits, thus the arithmetic would be in favor of musicians and rights holders: a bigger royalty pool would be split by the same number of streams to determine the per-stream fee owing to each track.

Songs and recordings would also be worth more if the two biggest subscription services in the US charged higher charges. 

• A catalog's current royalty income will rise with increased prices
• Streaming growth has a positive correlation with greater catalog values. 

According to a recent study by Professor Larry Miller of New York University, streaming accounted for 62% of the typical multiple paid-for composition portfolios in 2021, Billboard reported this week.

While Spotify's CEO Daniel Ek claimed the firm will likely follow Apple Music's path when chatting to investors on Spotify's Oct. 25 earnings call, the company has not yet announced a general price rise on its individual and family plan subscriptions. 

Ek told investors that raising the price in the United States is "one of the things we would like to do" and that Spotify will speak with labels "in light of these recent events with our label partners."

Expect prices to rise as a matter of course. In May, Amazon Music Unlimited increased its pricing. In its biggest market, France, Deezer increased subscription rates in January. Rate increases are also scheduled for December in Germany and the United States. According to Deezer CEO Jeronimo Folgueira, the price hike by Apple Music "opens the door for further price increases down the line."

Final Thoughts

Numerous factors will influence just how much additional funds these price increases will bring in. In any scenario, musicians and owners of the associated rights can anticipate higher subscription payments through 2023.

To find out what services can enhance your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.

Posted on November 10, 2022

How To Utilize Spotify Wrapped 2022 As A Musician?

By Yvonne Martin

The time has come! Spotify Wrapped will now let you see a "snapshot" of your entire year! We all eagerly await the announcement of the music we've been listening to during the previous year.

As Spotify Wrapped summarizes your musical year, it shares your favorite musicians, tracks, genres, artists to explore, and even your moods.

Thousands of people share their "Wrapped" every year in what started as a viral marketing campaign in 2016 and has since grown into a significant event for music lovers and social media users.

When Will Spotify Wrapped 2022 Be Released?

Launching a website promoting the feature and making a data-sharing hint: 

“Wrapped is a deep dive into the music and podcasts that defined your 2022. Keep listening to what you love, and we’ll shout when it’s ready.”

Spotify discontinued the function in recent years at the beginning of December; in 2021 it was done so on December 1 and 2020 on December 2. Consequently, it won't be long before you may hear how your music is summarized in 2022.

How To Access Spotify Wrapped 2022

Your Spotify Wrapped 2022 can be accessed here. Additionally, it will be shown on your homepage, and you'll probably get a notification when it's prepared for viewing.

Why The Last Two Months Of The Year Are Not Included In Spotify Wrapped 2022 Results?

The last two months of the year are not tracked for Wrapped, as Spotify previously said on Twitter, saying:

“We’re afraid that listening to a bunch of stuff right now will not make any difference to this year’s or next year’s Spotify Wrapped. This is because it only covers from January 1 to October 31. Hope this clears things up.”

Although they have not yet provided a concrete explanation, many believe it is because it is the holiday season and people begin to play Christmas music nonstop as soon as Halloween is over. 

Others believe it is simply because the company wants to give themselves enough time to get the app and your results ready for the end of the year.

A Complete Checklist Of Actions You Should Take Now

With Spotify Wrapped 2022, hundreds of millions of listeners from all over the world get together to discuss the songs that helped shape their year. Spotify is bringing Wrapped the biggest one yet in 2022 and giving fans new ways to interact with the musicians they most frequently listened to.

Upload A Video For Your Top Listeners

Personalize your message with a video. Thank your best listeners for making this year's celebration possible. Make a 30-second clip to share with your audience what their support means to you in 2022. 

• Express gratitude to your audience.
• Hint at upcoming projects.
• Share a memorable moment from the last year.

Before November 18th, upload your video through Spotify for Artists for a chance to be included in your fans' 2022 Wrapped experience on Spotify.

How To Accomplish This:

• Use a smartphone device to record a vertical, under-30-second "thank you" video.
• Ensure that your video is free of music, singing, or lyrics; explicit material; brand or logos; and additional text, graphics, or filters.
• Upload using the desktop web or Spotify for Artists app.

Advertise Your Merch

Make your newest merch the spotlight at Wrapped in 2022. This year, Spotify will use its Wrapped experience to advertise your merchandise to your most devoted followers via email, Spotify, and other channels. 

How To Accomplish This:

• Connect Spotify for Artists to your Shopify store.
• Use Shopify to publish new or exclusive merch to the Spotify Sales Channel.

For further details, link your store here.

Highlight Your Upcoming Concerts

Are there any upcoming tour dates? Let your followers know when and where they can join you in toasting a fantastic year. This year, Spotify will be presenting tailored concert recommendations to your most devoted listeners in this year's Wrapped. Encourage your audience to switch from streaming to front-row screams.

How To Accomplish This:

• Add your concerts to one of Spotify's affiliate sites. 
• Make sure the dates in the “On Tour” part of your artist profile are accurate by checking your artist profile.
• During Wrapped, Spotify will let your best listeners know about your upcoming concerts.

To get your shows and concerts listen, click here. 

Encourage Your Fans To A Cause

The edition of Wrapped is ideal for rallying followers around a fundraising objective. Use Fan Support to raise money for a worthy cause you support or to gather end-of-year tips during a season known for generosity and demonstrating affection.

How To Accomplish This:

• Create a fan support link on your profile using Spotify for Artists' fan support feature.
• Obtain money through one of Spotify’s fundraising partners.

Start your fundraising journey by clicking here.

Final Thoughts On Spotify Wrapped

You cannot argue against technical advancement, as MPT Agency has seen throughout history in all industries. If simply for fan convenience or visibility, all artists need to be available on all platforms.

MPT Agency helps you automate and optimize your music listening experience. Check out our blog to learn more about the latest industry news and make sure to follow us on Instagram for additional music marketing-related updates.

Posted on October 6, 2022

How Playlist Promotions work and Calculating The Results

By John Reynolds

You get a lot of insights from social platforms but how to calculate playlist promo and results is still tricky.

A performing, recording, or independent musician has a 5% chance to live solely off their music. This includes musicians who live with their family unit. Those who are a part of a large music label, and finally the ones who spend at least 30% of their working hours performing in venues, bars, and everything in between.

The stereotype of the starving artist has seldom changed over the last century. However, the hope digital outlets generate has given musicians of this generation a leg up on their senior counterparts.

CD sales and demo tapes dominated the revenue stream only 30 years ago. Today the individual track, the stream, the view, and finally the live show, are inescapable reaching one's fans and monetizing a career.

In light of this new form of digital dominion, the industry of playlist curators exploded and is the main gateway for artists to get their music out.

Riddled with bot accounts the market is difficult to navigate. Yet, there is hope if you find the right agency to rummage through the fraudulent accounts.

Playlist marketplaces are important to engage in Playlist Promotion

Playlist marketplaces are a jungle of questions for most artists. Will the streams count, will they lead to more, and is it really worth it? Usually composed of a shadowy SEO-jammed website with user-friendly buy buttons, playlist marketplaces are in the grey zone of the music promotions tool kit.

As buying views is pretty controversial on account of bot accounts and automation, the proper way of addressing playlist curators is the classic pitch, which an artist can do via submission portals or directly by finding the owner of the playlist in question. 

Not always the simplest method, nor does it usually garner a lot of response, but if your music is fly, your pitch is clean and your timing on when you sent the message was properly throughout, you should expect at least a 15% positive response rate. Which is not bad, considering it's a question of numbers. The more playlists you are on, the more views or streams you get. 

The Reality of Streaming Royalties

Despite streaming making up over 60% of all redistributed revenue in the music industry, the average artist will be making under 1000$ a year from streaming. In the case of Spotify, arguably the largest streaming platform in the world, a recent study by Forbes demonstrated that from their 7 billion dollars of royalty payouts, 28% of the artists received over 10 000$.

Now, that might seem like a lot, but consider that the 28% includes label artists, superstars, film scores, and legacy artists that have spent decades making a career. This essentially means that they are most likely equipped with a promotional or marketing team, that monitors, tracks, and adjusts their reach metrics to maintain a steady flow of listeners and onboard new fans. 

Calculating Playlist Promotion Campaigns

So, let’s do some calculations. At an average market payout of 0.006325 $ / stream, 159 000 streams would gross roughly 1000 USD, which means to reach that 10k revenue milestone an artist would need to generate close to 1,59 million views in the first year of their Spotify career.

With Spotify advertising starting at 250 USD per ad campaign, and pseudo-view marketplaces selling 10k views for an average of 50 USD, an artist would be able to hit 100k views with roughly 750 USD. Assuming that they would make an extra 30% viewership count due to the ad push, 130k views would have an average cost of 0.005769 $, at a margin of roughly 8% grossing  822.25 USD a profit of 72.25 USD. Following the numbers, the average value of your first batch of streams is 0.000556 $. That's right, dollars, not satoshi’s. 

Streamlining your work and pushing with paid advertising is an option. But at an 8% margin, not counting the risk, the time, the constant monitoring, and the artists' scalable popularity, which needs to break through the industry's saturated market, it is not a good business case and does not offer a livable wage for anyone. 

Creative Time

Firstly it is important to realize that your chances of reaching monetization amounts with a laissez-faire attitude on streaming platforms like Spotify are slim to none. All streaming platforms are marketing or promo dependent if you want to use them as a source of revenue, rather than just another profile. According to Spotify, 57 000 of its nearly 10 million creators represent over 90% of the streams, and therefore its royalty redistribution

Marketing Time

The rule of thumb for most professional artists is 50 / 50, 50% of the time you market and build your brand, and 50% of the time you make your art; fair enough. But this means your learning curve, the trial, and error of target markets, the engagement analysis, and of course the adaptation of your strategy can only be done during 50% of your waking & working hours.

If algorithms were that simple to adapt to, there wouldn't be a 50 billion $ market cap in music marketing technology. The reality of the situation is that without professional help or some type of technological literacy, you are basically shooting in the dark hoping to hit a fly on the nose. Reliant on fan 2 fan engagement, the artist without a team nor the digital know-how is setting themselves up for failure and is unfortunately caught in the blaze of hopium offered by most platforms. 

Taking into account that a salary of 10 - 30k USD may be an upper or middle-class income for the developing world, but in all major North American and European cities, where the average rent is between 1000 - 1800 USD, an annual income under 30k means you are spending over 50% of your net on basic housing before taxes and food are even brought into the mix.

Needless to say, if this is your only income, you are stuck in a literal poverty cycle and will most likely be going through serious financial stress as life is far from being a predictable path.

To stream or not to stream why it matters when you calculate playlist promo?

For MPT Agency, all industries throughout history have demonstrated, you cannot challenge technological innovation. All artists should be present on all streaming platforms, be it only for the visibility or convenience factor for fans. The one they ultimately choose to use in their conversion funnel is dependent on the artists' budget, their time metrics, and of course, their understanding of the algorithmic ecosystem that governs the how's and why’s of visibility. 

Paying for streams can be a part of larger campaigns the artist adopts in their path to success, but in no way, shape or form should it be the be-all and end-all of their exposure strategy.

Make sure you check our blog about influencers who can be a huge help to your playlist campaign. We regularly post key artist content so make sure to follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.