How To Use Spotify To Promote Your Music

The age of the Internet has signalled the beginning of new and exciting opportunities for aspiring musicians. Where once only a recording contract with an established label would lead to chart success, anyone with the requisite talent can now ensure that their music is heard on a global stage. Spotify is the world's largest music streaming service of its kind in the world, and it allows users to listen to a huge catalogue of music for free, or with additional user options in exchange for a monthly subscription. You can now list your own compositions for streaming alongside those of the world's most successful recording artists, and it's probably easier than you think.

Enlist the help of nominated music distribution companies

Although it is not possible to directly upload music to the Spotify website, it is possible to do it through specialist music promotion companies. For a small charge, the service you choose will administer the royalties you receive from Spotify, as well as ensuring that your tracks are sent in the correct format.

During the sign-up process, it is important that you take the time to ensure that your biography and contact details are correct. You can't update them via the Spotify website, so any errors will need to be rectified through music distribution companies - a task that could take several weeks to complete.

Build a following

The key to success on Spotify is to accumulate a list of followers. As more people listen to your compositions, they will follow you - and hopefully persuade their friends to do the same. However, in order to give your presence on Spotify the required credibility, you will need to get verified.

Once your music has been uploaded to Spotify, you can create your own profile and link it to your Spotify discography. This is done through the verification form on the website. After supplying the URL of your discography, a profile name, an associated Twitter account and an acceptable photo, the verification process will begin - which can take up to three weeks. Verified artists can be identified by the 'blue tick' icon displayed next to their profile name.

When someone follows you, they will be instantly notified by email when you change your profile or add new tracks, so it's a great way of keeping your loyal fans in the loop. You can let them be the first to hear your new tracks - which they may share with other users. The Spotify activity feed will also keep your fans up to date with new material - and any songs you have added to your playlists recently.

Embrace Spotify playlists

Even the world's biggest recording artists are using Spotify playlists to engage with new fans and stay in touch with existing ones. Give your playlists appropriate names, and make them available to an audience of millions. Your fans and people looking for new artists in your genre will be able to access playlists on their mobiles and tablets too, which could further the reach of your own music.

Include Spotify on your own website

It is now easy to make your Spotify presence felt by fans through your own website. With the addition of some simple code, you can add a 'play' button to any page on your site. This will allow visitors to listen to your tracks with just one click. You can also place a link to your Spotify profile on your own website, which can grow your following quickly and organically.

Spotify allows you to sell music

As an artist on Spotify, you can now set up an online merchandise store with the help of artist link. Whether you want to sell CDs of your best work, branded clothing or signed photos, the automated, step-by-step process makes it easy. You can also direct listeners to your website, where you can sell to them directly.

Spotify is a convenient, easy-to-use and cheap way of giving your music a global audience. With the right help from music promotion companies, it can grow your legion of fans far quicker than you ever imagined.

Image Retrieved from Mashable

Have you used Spotify to promote your music? Does this post help you understand Spotify better? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Ditto Music is an online music record label services and digital distribution company servicing over 50,000 artists across the world. Services include chart eligibility, royalty collection and online promotion.