THINGS TO KNOW

Announced and released yesterday, Spotify has spent the past few months, “Poring through data, analyzing millions of statistics and touchpoints, and studying global trends to curate [their first-ever] Fan Study.”

Upon release, Spotify has created a Fan Study-specific microsite that is intuitive and interactive, designed to engage partners and encourage immediate action to continue growing their artist’s fanbase and, according to the digital service provider, “Not just on Spotify, but across the music industry, on social media, in emerging media, and beyond.”

The report is broken up into four chapters: Reach, Engagement, Release, and Merch. For our Syntax Creative labels—and even the indie artist or casual fan that’s found their way to this article—here are 5 things we think you should know. Or, in the least, here’s our first-take highlights of the Fan Study—we encourage you to dig in and go through the entirety of this insightful report.

Reach | Lines Between Genres Continue to Blur
Part of the headline for this bullet point is, “For example, 53% of metal fans also follow Hip Hop artists.” This certainly caught our eye! We encourage you to dig into the data on this one and see what listeners of your genre are also jamming out to.

What we found interesting: 37% of Country fans also regularly listen to R&B
The takeaway: Study what genres are closely linked to yours, and leverage that when considering pitching your music in Spotify for Artists (or completing the Category section in our Dashboard!).

Reach | Local Music Travels the World
Remember the phrase, “Big in Japan?” Well…you could be! Digital consumption means your music could be connecting anywhere at any time. Furthermore, as a result of our global partnerships (well beyond Spotify) and continuous pitching of your new releases, your music could be placed in popular playlists in various platforms around the world.

What we found interesting: Some of the biggest country/region-specific genres around the world are consumed in countries other than where the music is created!
The takeaway: Routinely scour our Partners’ platforms and playlists for your music and consider building marketing campaigns in countries outside of the U.S.

Engagement | A Fan That Saves Your Track Will Listen to it 3X More
According to the report: Saving tracks shows that fans have a strong intent to relisten. And it’s not measured in days or weeks, but months. For example, 6 months after saving, a user typically streams you 3x more than before they saved you.

What we found interesting: Sometimes we are so focused on release day/street week success, we forget about the marathon. Also telling is the next bullet point on this list, User Playlists Leads to a Lot More Than Streams.
The takeaway: Get fans to engage more with your catalogue—to the point at which they virtually can’t put it down. Dazzle their eyes with creating a Canvas for a track. Spotify also recommends their in-app paid marketing mechanism, Marquee.

Release | Update Your Profile Before Your Release to Ride the Wave
You’ve heard about this from us before—and here are the numbers to prove it! As with the two points just above (continuously engaging with your fans), your Spotify Profile should always be moving and shaking.

What we found interesting: The day of release sees a massive traffic spike to your Spotify artist profile. But more than 50% of artists don’t capitalize on this lift because they update their profiles after their release is out.
The takeaway: Keep your elbows greased and update that Spotify Profile…often!

Release | Don’t Stop Sharing After Your Release Comes Out
According to the report: 53% of releases peak more than 7 days after release. So keep promoting after release week to make sure you’re reaching anyone who missed the initial drop.

What we found interesting: The stat. Again, and especially for full-length albums, the streaming game is truly a marathon not a sprint.
The takeaway: Check out Spotify’s new Promo Cards. Utilize this asset to enhance the engagement with your fans on social media.

CLICK HERE to view and interact with the entire Fan Study.