Spotify Marquee vs Showcase: Which Tool to Use? | Dynamoi
Comparison
•
Updated
Spotify Marquee vs Showcase: Which Tool to Use?
Compare Spotify's two native ad tools. Marquee is a full-screen pop-up for new releases; Showcase promotes any release on the Home feed. Learn pricing, eligibility, and when to use each.
Spotify offers two native advertising tools through Spotify for Artists: Marquee and Showcase. Both drive streams, but they work differently, cost differently, and suit different release strategies. (For the full promotion playbook, see our complete Spotify promotion guide.)
Quick Comparison
Feature
Marquee
Showcase
Ad format
Full-screen pop-up when app opens
Placement in Home feed
Release timing
New releases only (within 18 days)
Any release (older than 18 days)
Campaign duration
Up to 10 days
Up to 14 days
Minimum budget
$100
$100
Maximum budget
$10,000
$10,000
Pricing model
Cost per click
Cost per click
Which Tool Should You Use?
Answer a few questions to get a recommendation
1. How old is your release?
2. What's your primary goal?
3. Where are you based?
How Marquee Works
Marquee displays a full-screen, sponsored recommendation when targeted listeners open the Spotify app. It appears to both Free and Premium users and drives listeners directly to your release.
Key constraints:
Only available for releases within their first 18 days
Campaign runs for up to 10 days (or until budget is spent)
You can cancel early if performance is weak
Because Marquee is full-screen, accidental clicks are rare. The gap between clicks and actual streams tends to be smaller than with feed-based placements.
How Showcase Works
Showcase places your release within the Spotify Home feed alongside other recommended content. It was designed to address a specific problem: 75% of a release's first-year streams happen after the first month.
Key constraints:
Only available for releases older than 18 days
Campaign runs for up to 14 days (or until budget is spent)
Works well for albums and EPs where "listening depth" matters
Showcase is best for re-engaging lapsed listeners or extending the life of catalog tracks.
Eligibility Requirements
Marquee eligibility:
At least 5,000 streams in the past 28 days OR more than 1,000 followers in at least one of 36 target markets
Targeting Options
Both Marquee and Showcase offer audience targeting:
Programmed Audience: Listeners who haven't deliberately streamed your music in the past two years but have encountered it via editorial playlists or algorithmic placements
Active Audience: Listeners who have chosen to stream your music in the past 28 days from active sources (your profile, their own playlists)
You can also target by market (country) to focus spend where your audience is strongest.
When to Use Each Tool
Use Marquee when:
You have a new release (within 18 days)
You want to re-engage existing fans around release week
You need the flexibility to cancel if results are poor
You want to maximize the "opens → streams" conversion rate
Use Showcase when:
You want to promote an older release (catalog revival)
You have an album or EP where deeper listening matters
You want to extend momentum after the initial release window
You are a US-based artist targeting US listeners
Performance Expectations
Spotify claims Marquee delivers up to 10x more listeners per dollar compared to social ads, and Showcase makes fans 6x more likely to stream.
Comparison
•
Updated
Spotify Marquee vs Showcase: Which Tool to Use?
Compare Spotify's two native ad tools. Marquee is a full-screen pop-up for new releases; Showcase promotes any release on the Home feed. Learn pricing, eligibility, and when to use each.
Spotify offers two native advertising tools through Spotify for Artists: Marquee and Showcase. Both drive streams, but they work differently, cost differently, and suit different release strategies. (For the full promotion playbook, see our complete Spotify promotion guide.)
Quick Comparison
Feature
Marquee
Showcase
Ad format
Full-screen pop-up when app opens
Placement in Home feed
Release timing
New releases only (within 18 days)
Any release (older than 18 days)
Campaign duration
Up to 10 days
Up to 14 days
Minimum budget
$100
$100
Maximum budget
$10,000
$10,000
Pricing model
Cost per click
Cost per click
Which Tool Should You Use?
Answer a few questions to get a recommendation
1. How old is your release?
2. What's your primary goal?
3. Where are you based?
How Marquee Works
Marquee displays a full-screen, sponsored recommendation when targeted listeners open the Spotify app. It appears to both Free and Premium users and drives listeners directly to your release.
Key constraints:
Only available for releases within their first 18 days
Campaign runs for up to 10 days (or until budget is spent)
You can cancel early if performance is weak
Because Marquee is full-screen, accidental clicks are rare. The gap between clicks and actual streams tends to be smaller than with feed-based placements.
How Showcase Works
Showcase places your release within the Spotify Home feed alongside other recommended content. It was designed to address a specific problem: 75% of a release's first-year streams happen after the first month.
Key constraints:
Only available for releases older than 18 days
Campaign runs for up to 14 days (or until budget is spent)
Works well for albums and EPs where "listening depth" matters
Showcase is best for re-engaging lapsed listeners or extending the life of catalog tracks.
Eligibility Requirements
Marquee eligibility:
At least 5,000 streams in the past 28 days OR more than 1,000 followers in at least one of 36 target markets
Targeting Options
Both Marquee and Showcase offer audience targeting:
Programmed Audience: Listeners who haven't deliberately streamed your music in the past two years but have encountered it via editorial playlists or algorithmic placements
Active Audience: Listeners who have chosen to stream your music in the past 28 days from active sources (your profile, their own playlists)
You can also target by market (country) to focus spend where your audience is strongest.
When to Use Each Tool
Use Marquee when:
You have a new release (within 18 days)
You want to re-engage existing fans around release week
You need the flexibility to cancel if results are poor
You want to maximize the "opens → streams" conversion rate
Use Showcase when:
You want to promote an older release (catalog revival)
You have an album or EP where deeper listening matters
You want to extend momentum after the initial release window
You are a US-based artist targeting US listeners
Performance Expectations
Spotify claims Marquee delivers up to 10x more listeners per dollar compared to social ads, and Showcase makes fans 6x more likely to stream.
Artist must be based in an eligible territory (currently 11 countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia)
Showcase eligibility:
At least 1,000 streams in the past 28 days in any one of 30 targetable countries
Currently available to US-based artists only
Both tools require admin or editor access to your Spotify for Artists team and valid payment information.
Pricing and Costs
Both tools use cost-per-click billing. You pay only for clicks (including saves), so your final spend may be lower than your budget.
Minimum budget: $100
Maximum budget: $10,000
Cost per click: Varies by audience and market; typically ranges from $0.30-$0.40 for Showcase
Prices fluctuate based on available inventory, targeting choices, and market dynamics. Spotify does not publish fixed rate cards.
In practice, Marquee tends to outperform Showcase on raw conversion metrics. The full-screen format creates a clearer user experience with fewer accidental clicks.
Showcase may perform better for albums and EPs where initial click-through leads to multiple track plays.
Limitations
Both tools have significant constraints:
Budget cannot increase: Once a campaign launches, you cannot add budget. You can only create a new campaign.
Geographic restrictions: Marquee and Showcase are not available to artists in all countries.
Eligibility thresholds: Newer artists without 1,000+ followers or 1,000-5,000 recent streams may not qualify.
No A/B testing: You cannot run simultaneous variants to test creative.
Summary
Marquee is for new releases. Showcase is for everything else. Both use the same pricing model and minimum budget, but they serve different strategic purposes.
For release-week momentum, Marquee's full-screen format typically converts better. For catalog revival or extending an album's run, Showcase is the only native option within Spotify.
Neither tool replaces external promotion. They work best as part of a broader strategy that includes Meta ads, organic content, and editorial pitching.
Artist must be based in an eligible territory (currently 11 countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, Colombia)
Showcase eligibility:
At least 1,000 streams in the past 28 days in any one of 30 targetable countries
Currently available to US-based artists only
Both tools require admin or editor access to your Spotify for Artists team and valid payment information.
Pricing and Costs
Both tools use cost-per-click billing. You pay only for clicks (including saves), so your final spend may be lower than your budget.
Minimum budget: $100
Maximum budget: $10,000
Cost per click: Varies by audience and market; typically ranges from $0.30-$0.40 for Showcase
Prices fluctuate based on available inventory, targeting choices, and market dynamics. Spotify does not publish fixed rate cards.
In practice, Marquee tends to outperform Showcase on raw conversion metrics. The full-screen format creates a clearer user experience with fewer accidental clicks.
Showcase may perform better for albums and EPs where initial click-through leads to multiple track plays.
Limitations
Both tools have significant constraints:
Budget cannot increase: Once a campaign launches, you cannot add budget. You can only create a new campaign.
Geographic restrictions: Marquee and Showcase are not available to artists in all countries.
Eligibility thresholds: Newer artists without 1,000+ followers or 1,000-5,000 recent streams may not qualify.
No A/B testing: You cannot run simultaneous variants to test creative.
Summary
Marquee is for new releases. Showcase is for everything else. Both use the same pricing model and minimum budget, but they serve different strategic purposes.
For release-week momentum, Marquee's full-screen format typically converts better. For catalog revival or extending an album's run, Showcase is the only native option within Spotify.
Neither tool replaces external promotion. They work best as part of a broader strategy that includes Meta ads, organic content, and editorial pitching.
