Quick spec cheatsheet

Canvas and short visuals that earn saves

Short visuals increase sharing and intent when they feel native to the song.

• Why bother: Spotify has reported that tracks with Canvas are 145% more likely to be shared on average, which compounds discovery when fans post to Stories. Source: Spotify blog on global listenership.
• What works in 2025: lyric micro-animations, a 6–8 second studio moment that loops cleanly, or a hypnotic abstract tied to the groove. Avoid jarring restarts or generic stock footage.
• Ship it fast: start with three versions per focus track, measure which one drives higher saves and completion, then roll that visual language across your catalog.

Audience insights that drive real-world decisions

The Audience and Music tabs are a planning engine, not just a dashboard.

• Top cities tell you where to route small shows and run geo-specific ads. If a secondary city is surging, greet them in a pinned video and feature that city’s show first.
• Source of streams reveals what to double down on. If listeners come mainly from their own libraries and your profile, you have fertile ground to nudge for follows. If algorithmic sources lead, lean into tracks with higher completion and save behavior. Definitions: Source of streams help.
• Listeners vs streams: for the last 28 days, sort by Listeners to see where new demand is forming, then plan targeted content or a live date there.

Playlists you control vs playlists you earn

Think of playlists in tiers of control.

• You control: your own artist playlists. Curate around moods or scenes, keep updates regular, and seed 25–40% of your own tracks among complementary artists to grow follower counts without feeling self-promotional.
• You co-control: collaborative lists with 3–4 peer artists at your level. Everyone brings fans, everyone wins.
• You influence: independent curators. Build relationships with context, not blasts. Share the story and the use case for the song.
• You earn: algorithmic placements like Radio and Discover Weekly. These follow from saves, follows, and strong completion rates. Focus on the behaviors that earn you into them.

Campaign tools: Showcase, Marquee, Discovery Mode

Use Spotify’s native tools for leverage, not as a crutch.

• Showcase places a sponsored recommendation on Home for likely listeners, great for catalog or moments between releases. Overview: Showcase page.
• Marquee is the full-screen new-release prompt that hits when people open the app, best when you have a concentrated audience in a market. Budgets are flexible with published minimums and caps; check the current ranges in Spotify’s support docs: Budgeting for Marquee & Showcase. Eligibility varies by market and audience size.
• Discovery Mode applies a promotional royalty rate on streams in specific contexts in exchange for increased recommendations. Use it surgically on songs with strong save behavior and clear audience fit. Details: Discovery Mode explainer.

Practical splits to start: one Showcased catalog moment per quarter, one Marquee on your biggest release per cycle, and Discovery Mode on 1–2 back-catalog tracks with proven retention. Expand only where the cost per incremental save falls as you scale.

Live Events, merch, and profile modules

Turn on the modules that translate attention into tickets and revenue.

• Live Events: connect through Bandsintown so your concerts appear in-app and in the Live Events feed. Start here: Spotify Live Events.
• Merch: surface evergreen items with clean product photos that match your profile. Avoid clutter and keep SKU count small.
• Promo Cards: generate on-brand assets for milestones, playlist adds, and releases at promocards.byspotify.com. They are quick to post and keep your social visuals consistent.

Release mechanics that compound

Treat release week like a short campaign.

• Before day 0: lock your Canvas, header image, and Artist Pick message. Prep a short bio tweak that mentions the new single and theme.
• Days 1–3: reply to comments with short videos, publish one live or behind-the-scenes clip, and update your artist playlist to put the new track first. This concentrates early saves and improves downstream recommendations.
• Days 4–10: rotate alternate versions, acoustic or sped-up edits, and highlight fan UGC on socials with links back to your profile.

Metrics that predict growth

Track a few leading indicators instead of chasing vanity totals.

• Saves per listener - if this climbs, you are building durable demand.
• First 30 seconds completion - front-loaded hooks win both human attention and recommendation contexts.
• Return listeners, 7 and 28 days - rising return rates are the clearest early signal for future algorithmic reach.
• Cost per incremental save on any paid effort - if it falls as you scale, keep going; if it rises, pause and rethink creative or geo.

A simple monthly cadence

Consistency beats intensity.

1. Week 1: refresh Artist Pick, swap header if needed, and roll out a new Canvas on one focus track.
2. Week 2: publish or update one mood playlist and invite a collaborator.
3. Week 3: post a Promo Card moment and a short live clip tied to a top city.
4. Week 4: review Audience and Source of streams, then plan next month’s creative and any Showcase or Marquee tests.

FAQ

Should I always pin the newest release in Artist Pick?
Pin the song that converts strangers fastest. Newest and best converter are not always the same.

Is Canvas worth the extra effort?
Yes. Spotify reports a large share-rate lift for tracks with Canvas, and the loop often nudges saves when the visual matches the song’s emotional core.

How do I know if Marquee is right for me now?
If you have a concentrated active audience in one market and a tentpole release, test a modest Marquee. If your audience is still dispersed or very early, start with Showcase or focus on organic conversion first.

What about Discovery Mode’s royalty impact?
It only applies in specific recommendation contexts, and it is a marketing cost. Use it on songs that already retain listeners well, and monitor return listener rate and saves before expanding.

Quick spec cheatsheet

Canvas and short visuals that earn saves

Short visuals increase sharing and intent when they feel native to the song.

• Why bother: Spotify has reported that tracks with Canvas are 145% more likely to be shared on average, which compounds discovery when fans post to Stories. Source: Spotify blog on global listenership.
• What works in 2025: lyric micro-animations, a 6–8 second studio moment that loops cleanly, or a hypnotic abstract tied to the groove. Avoid jarring restarts or generic stock footage.
• Ship it fast: start with three versions per focus track, measure which one drives higher saves and completion, then roll that visual language across your catalog.

Audience insights that drive real-world decisions

The Audience and Music tabs are a planning engine, not just a dashboard.

• Top cities tell you where to route small shows and run geo-specific ads. If a secondary city is surging, greet them in a pinned video and feature that city’s show first.
• Source of streams reveals what to double down on. If listeners come mainly from their own libraries and your profile, you have fertile ground to nudge for follows. If algorithmic sources lead, lean into tracks with higher completion and save behavior. Definitions: Source of streams help.
• Listeners vs streams: for the last 28 days, sort by Listeners to see where new demand is forming, then plan targeted content or a live date there.

Playlists you control vs playlists you earn

Think of playlists in tiers of control.

• You control: your own artist playlists. Curate around moods or scenes, keep updates regular, and seed 25–40% of your own tracks among complementary artists to grow follower counts without feeling self-promotional.
• You co-control: collaborative lists with 3–4 peer artists at your level. Everyone brings fans, everyone wins.
• You influence: independent curators. Build relationships with context, not blasts. Share the story and the use case for the song.
• You earn: algorithmic placements like Radio and Discover Weekly. These follow from saves, follows, and strong completion rates. Focus on the behaviors that earn you into them.

Campaign tools: Showcase, Marquee, Discovery Mode

Use Spotify’s native tools for leverage, not as a crutch.

• Showcase places a sponsored recommendation on Home for likely listeners, great for catalog or moments between releases. Overview: Showcase page.
• Marquee is the full-screen new-release prompt that hits when people open the app, best when you have a concentrated audience in a market. Budgets are flexible with published minimums and caps; check the current ranges in Spotify’s support docs: Budgeting for Marquee & Showcase. Eligibility varies by market and audience size.
• Discovery Mode applies a promotional royalty rate on streams in specific contexts in exchange for increased recommendations. Use it surgically on songs with strong save behavior and clear audience fit. Details: Discovery Mode explainer.

Practical splits to start: one Showcased catalog moment per quarter, one Marquee on your biggest release per cycle, and Discovery Mode on 1–2 back-catalog tracks with proven retention. Expand only where the cost per incremental save falls as you scale.

Live Events, merch, and profile modules

Turn on the modules that translate attention into tickets and revenue.

• Live Events: connect through Bandsintown so your concerts appear in-app and in the Live Events feed. Start here: Spotify Live Events.
• Merch: surface evergreen items with clean product photos that match your profile. Avoid clutter and keep SKU count small.
• Promo Cards: generate on-brand assets for milestones, playlist adds, and releases at promocards.byspotify.com. They are quick to post and keep your social visuals consistent.

Release mechanics that compound

Treat release week like a short campaign.

• Before day 0: lock your Canvas, header image, and Artist Pick message. Prep a short bio tweak that mentions the new single and theme.
• Days 1–3: reply to comments with short videos, publish one live or behind-the-scenes clip, and update your artist playlist to put the new track first. This concentrates early saves and improves downstream recommendations.
• Days 4–10: rotate alternate versions, acoustic or sped-up edits, and highlight fan UGC on socials with links back to your profile.

Metrics that predict growth

Track a few leading indicators instead of chasing vanity totals.

• Saves per listener - if this climbs, you are building durable demand.
• First 30 seconds completion - front-loaded hooks win both human attention and recommendation contexts.
• Return listeners, 7 and 28 days - rising return rates are the clearest early signal for future algorithmic reach.
• Cost per incremental save on any paid effort - if it falls as you scale, keep going; if it rises, pause and rethink creative or geo.

A simple monthly cadence

Consistency beats intensity.

1. Week 1: refresh Artist Pick, swap header if needed, and roll out a new Canvas on one focus track.
2. Week 2: publish or update one mood playlist and invite a collaborator.
3. Week 3: post a Promo Card moment and a short live clip tied to a top city.
4. Week 4: review Audience and Source of streams, then plan next month’s creative and any Showcase or Marquee tests.

FAQ

Should I always pin the newest release in Artist Pick?
Pin the song that converts strangers fastest. Newest and best converter are not always the same.

Is Canvas worth the extra effort?
Yes. Spotify reports a large share-rate lift for tracks with Canvas, and the loop often nudges saves when the visual matches the song’s emotional core.

How do I know if Marquee is right for me now?
If you have a concentrated active audience in one market and a tentpole release, test a modest Marquee. If your audience is still dispersed or very early, start with Showcase or focus on organic conversion first.

What about Discovery Mode’s royalty impact?
It only applies in specific recommendation contexts, and it is a marketing cost. Use it on songs that already retain listeners well, and monitor return listener rate and saves before expanding.