Growing your monthly listeners on Spotify is one of the most sought-after goals for independent musicians today. Whether you’re an emerging artist or someone who has already built a modest audience, scaling up your monthly listeners can feel like a daunting challenge. But what if you had a clear, actionable plan to take your Spotify monthly listeners from 10,000 to 100,000? That’s exactly the journey I’m embarking on, and in this article, I’ll share my complete Spotify release and marketing strategy for 2025. My hope is that by sharing my approach, you’ll gain insights and tactics you can apply to your own music project.
My name is James from Sound On Heat, and I’ve been working on my music marketing strategies for years. Now, with just over 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, I’ve set an ambitious goal: to hit 100,000 monthly listeners by the end of 2025. This article breaks down the entire plan—from release timing and content creation to ads, playlisting, and some unconventional tactics—to maximize growth.
Outline of the Strategy
- Release Strategy: The Waterfall EP Approach
- Content and Press Plan for Each Release
- Advertising Strategy: Meta Ads and Playlist Ads
- Playlisting: Editorial, Curated, and User-Generated Playlists
- Out of the Box Tactics to Boost Growth
- Why I’m Doing This: Motivation and Mindset
Release Strategy: The Waterfall EP Approach
The foundation of my growth plan is a well-paced release strategy centered around what’s called a “waterfall release.” This concept might be familiar to many independent artists, but it’s worth revisiting because it’s a smart way to keep your audience engaged while steadily building your catalog.
Simply put, a waterfall release involves dropping singles spaced out over several weeks or months, which eventually come together as a mini EP. For 2025, my plan is to release a four-track EP using this method:
- Release the first single.
- Wait four to six weeks, then release the second single, effectively creating a two-track mini EP.
- After another four to six weeks, release the third single, building a three-track mini EP.
- Finally, release the fourth single to complete the EP.
This staggered approach allows each song to get its moment in the spotlight, giving me the opportunity to focus promotional efforts on individual tracks without overwhelming listeners.
After this EP rollout, I plan to release a few more singles before the end of the year, aiming to have about seven to eight new songs added to my Spotify catalog by December 2025. Since I currently have about eight songs on Spotify, doubling my catalog size will hopefully contribute to exponential growth in monthly listeners.
One key aspect of this strategy is flexibility. If a song gains significant traction, I might delay the next release to capitalize on the momentum. Conversely, if a track doesn’t perform as expected, I’ll release the next single sooner to keep the growth engine running.
Content and Press Plan for Each Release
Releasing music is only half the battle; how you promote each song is just as crucial. For every single and EP track, I’ve designed a content and press strategy that balances consistency with creativity, all while maintaining an aesthetic that reflects my artistic identity.
Instagram Carousel Posts
For each song, I’ll create three carousel posts on Instagram:
- Announcement Post: This will tease the upcoming release roughly a week to 10 days before the drop date.
- Release Day Post: On the day the song hits Spotify, I’ll share a post encouraging followers to listen and share.
- Follow-Up Post: A thank-you or “keep listening” post to maintain engagement after the initial release buzz.
These posts will have a consistent visual style—think film photography and a moody, authentic vibe—to build a recognizable brand around my music.
Short-Form Video Content
In addition to static posts, I’m committing to producing five short-form videos per song. These could be Instagram Reels, TikTok clips, or YouTube Shorts, featuring:
- Behind-the-scenes looks at the production process.
- Acoustic snippets or mini-performances.
- Storytelling about the inspiration behind each track.
My goal isn’t to “break the internet” but to steadily increase my presence in short-form video spaces, which are crucial for music discovery today.
Music and Live Performance Videos
Depending on the song’s potential or traction, I’ll also produce either a live performance video, a music video, or a lyric video. These might not align perfectly with the four to six-week release cycle but will serve as additional promotional tools to keep the momentum going.
Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
Every release will be accompanied by an updated electronic press kit (EPK), which includes my artist bio, music links, press photos, and key information. I’ll send this EPK out to various music blogs, online magazines, and press outlets to secure write-ups and features that can attract new listeners.
Advertising Strategy: Meta Ads and Playlist Ads
Paid advertising is a cornerstone of my plan to scale monthly listeners on Spotify, especially given the competitive nature of music streaming platforms. I’ll focus primarily on Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) with a budget of around $250 to $300 per song.
Direct-to-Song Conversion Campaigns
The primary ad campaign will be a direct-to-song conversion campaign, designed to drive listeners from Instagram Stories or Reels directly to a landing page. This landing page funnels users to Spotify, encouraging them to save the song, add it to their playlists, or follow my profile.
If certain songs don’t perform well with ads, I’m prepared to reallocate the budget towards playlist ads or other promotional tactics. Flexibility is key to optimizing ad spend.
Playlist Ads
In addition to ads promoting individual songs, I’ll run ads to boost my own Spotify playlists. Currently, I manage one playlist with about 4,000 followers and another with just over 2,000. I strategically place my new tracks near the top of these playlists to facilitate organic discovery.
Running ads to these playlists helps Spotify’s algorithm associate my music with similar artists and genres, increasing the chances of my songs being recommended to new listeners.
Playlisting Strategy: Editorial and Curated Playlists
Playlist placements are indispensable for growing monthly listeners on Spotify. I’m employing a multi-pronged playlisting approach that includes:
SubmitHub and Groover
I’ll allocate a budget of $50 to $70 per song to submit tracks to playlist curators via platforms like SubmitHub and Groover. These services connect artists with playlist creators who can add songs to their playlists, which is crucial during the first few weeks after release to boost streams and signal to Spotify’s algorithm.
Adding Songs to your own Playlists
Since I curate my own playlists, I regularly add my music every four to five songs, especially placing new releases at the top. This organic tactic not only helps listeners discover my music but also strengthens my profile within Spotify’s ecosystem.
Spotify Editorial Playlists
I have pitched my first single from the EP, “Lonely,” to Spotify’s editorial playlists. While editorial placements are unpredictable and not something I rely on exclusively, they can provide significant exposure when they happen.
I submitted the pitch about a week before the release, which should help my followers see the song in their release radar—a feature that notifies listeners when artists they follow drop new music.
Spotify Discovery Mode
For tracks that become eligible, I’ll activate Spotify Discovery Mode through my distributor (I recently switched to Lander for this feature). Discovery Mode allows Spotify to promote songs algorithmically, increasing exposure to potential new fans.
Out of the Box Tactics to Boost Growth
Beyond the core marketing and release strategies, I’m experimenting with several unconventional methods to push my monthly listeners on Spotify higher:
Skipping Pre-Saves
I’ve decided not to do pre-saves for my releases. From previous experience, pre-saves have yielded minimal results—often only a few people sign up, and it doesn’t significantly impact release day streams or playlist placements.
Instead, I focus on announcing the release about a week to 10 days prior, then ramp up promotional efforts once the song is actually available. This approach avoids listener fatigue and maximizes conversion when the track is live.
Playlist Swaps
When I notice other musicians in similar genres running ads for their playlists, I reach out to propose playlist swaps. This involves promoting each other’s playlists to our respective audiences, helping both parties gain new listeners. So far, I’ve successfully done three or four swaps, and I plan to continue this practice.
Collaborations
Collaborations are another powerful way to tap into new fanbases. I’m working on a few collabs this year, including one with Nathaniel, whom I met through a playlist exchange, and another with Linda, a friend I’ve previously collaborated with.
Ideally, I want to make most of my singles at the end of the year collaborations. Cross-pollinating audiences helps both artists grow and adds variety to my catalog.
Community Sharing
I’m part of several WhatsApp groups, including one for South Africans in Amsterdam with nearly 1,000 members. Sharing my music in these supportive communities often results in valuable feedback and increased streams.
Similarly, I’m active in local Amsterdam music groups and plan to share my releases there too.
Reddit and Other Platforms
I’ve heard of artists sharing their playlists on Reddit, so I plan to experiment with posting my own playlists (which include my music) on relevant subreddits. This could be a great way to reach niche audiences and generate organic interest.
Tour Guide Music Promotion
As a tour guide in Amsterdam, I regularly share QR codes linking to a website I created, which includes my Spotify profile and local recommendations. When my songs start dropping, I’ll encourage people to stream my music as an alternative way to support me during tours.
Playing Live Shows and Open Mics
Although I haven’t played many live shows recently due to focusing on recording and YouTube content, I plan to perform at least two open mics or shows per release cycle. Playing live helps build genuine connections with listeners, supplementing my online efforts.
Why I’m Aiming for 100,000 Monthly Listeners on Spotify
Many people argue that making a profit through Spotify streams is nearly impossible for independent artists. When I hear that, I’m motivated to prove otherwise. Artists like Jen, who inspired a lot of my strategies, have shown that it is possible to become profitable over time with consistent effort and smart marketing.
My goal isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about pushing myself to see what’s achievable without a label’s backing. While labels can offer resources and promotion, I’m passionate about the DIY indie artist approach and want to prove that meaningful growth can happen independently.
Documenting this journey also holds me accountable, and by sharing my successes and failures, I hope to provide valuable lessons for other artists chasing similar goals.
Ultimately, I believe my music deserves to be heard and not lost in the void. By investing time, effort, and financial resources into this strategy, I’m giving my music the best possible chance to reach new ears and grow a loyal audience.
Conclusion
Growing your monthly listeners on Spotify from 10,000 to 100,000 is a huge challenge, but with a clear, multifaceted strategy, it’s entirely possible. My 2025 plan combines a thoughtful release schedule, consistent content creation, targeted advertising, strategic playlisting, and creative outreach tactics.
Key takeaways from my strategy include:
- Employing a waterfall release model to build momentum gradually.
- Creating engaging Instagram carousel posts and short-form videos to maintain audience interest.
- Running focused Meta ad campaigns to drive traffic to Spotify and my playlists.
- Leveraging playlist submission platforms and curating my own playlists to boost streams.
- Exploring unconventional methods like playlist swaps, collaborations, and community sharing to expand reach.
- Prioritizing promotion post-release rather than pre-saves to maximize conversion.
- Maintaining a strong DIY ethic and documenting the journey for accountability and learning.
If you’re an independent artist looking to grow your Spotify monthly listeners, I encourage you to adapt some of these tactics to your own context. Remember, success often comes from consistency, experimentation, and being willing to invest both time and resources.
As I progress through this plan, I’ll be tracking my results and sharing updates to provide transparency and inspiration. Here’s to pushing boundaries, growing audiences, and making music that resonates.
Have you tried any of these strategies? Or do you have other creative ideas for growing monthly listeners on Spotify? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear from fellow artists and music lovers.