Spotify has added one thing fairly enormous to your music promo toolkit.
They’re going huge with Countdown Pages, which Spotify describes as “your final pre-release vacation spot.”
Listed here are crucial issues it’s best to know:
That will help you construct hype for an upcoming launch, Spotify has mixed the next options on one web page:
- Pre-saves
- A preview of the tracklist
- A timer counting right down to launch
- Clips to provide followers a better look
- Merch presents
- Fan notifications when your music goes stay
In Spotify’s phrases, this instrument will “shut the hole between the place music is teased and the place it’s really streamed.”
Simplifying the waterfall launch
One of the crucial attention-grabbing facets of Countdown Pages is… they’re dynamic.
So Countdown Pages streamline the distribution mechanics of a waterfall launch, which is the place you as soon as needed to “develop” an album over time by first releasing a single, then a brand new single bundled with the older tune, then a 3rd single together with the earlier two tracks, and so forth.
It’s not rocket science, however managing waterfall releases in that method was one further stress throughout a season the place you actually ought to save your psychological house and time for efficient music promotion. Not busy-work.
Now you possibly can drop new singles, merch gadgets, and Clips over an extended period and use the identical vacation spot — the Countdown Web page — to spice up engagement and pre-saves.
No extra Third-party pre-saves?
Countdown Pages carry collectively many parts of Spotify’s on-platform promo in a extra coordinated means. However additionally they might eradicate the necessity for artists to make use of Third-party pre-save instruments and smartlinks?
I say “might” since you could have a big phase of followers preferring completely different music platforms to Spotify, and also you don’t need to ostracize them out of your launch promo simply because Spotify made your life less complicated on their platform.
However as a lot as I warn musicians that “your followers aren’t ALL on Spotify,” let’s be real looking: I do know an enormous share of you’re STILL solely gonna publish hyperlinks to Spotify.
So superb. Should you’re that kinda artist, by all means, simply use Spotify’s Countdown Web page and overlook about smartlinks and pre-saves.
Besides when you have a small fanbase. Or if you’re launching a single. Or when doing a “cut up proper” collaborative launch.
As a result of…
Who’s eligible to make use of Countdown Pages?
Countdown Pages are solely accessible for albums launched beneath one artist identify. Spotify stated they’d prefer to broaden past that sooner or later. However at the moment you possibly can solely use Countdown Pages when you have:
Right here’s how you can test in case you’re eligible:
- Log into Spotify for Artists
- Go to Viewers then Segments
- Click on Energetic viewers to see what number of energetic listeners you might have
What sort of artists ought to use Spotify’s Countdown Pages?
The case to make use of Countdown Pages is fairly robust.
Spotify claims that on common, practically 70% of listeners who used the on-platform pre-save choice went on to stream the album in its first week.
And early testimonials present how efficient Countdown Pages could be:
Countdown Pages generated 6X extra pre-saves than our off-platform purchase hyperlink for a number of artists on our roster. The instrument has been instrumental in serving to to achieve our chart objectives.
—Emily Puterbaugh
GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF STREAMING & DIGITAL SALES, SECRETLY GROUP
Take note although, these stats usually apply to highlight artists and status labels who get to test-drive the instruments earlier than a large rollout. But it surely’s additionally true that platforms usually reward creators who undertake new options. As a result of rising your visibility builds consciousness for his or her instruments too.
So my easy suggestion is:
Should you meet the minimal listener standards, use Countdown Pages!
Even in case you’re a debut artist. If nothing else, it’ll make it easier to arrange your promo supplies, encourage you to create vertical video content material that helps the discharge, and maintain you on schedule.
And in case you do have already got 5k+ month-to-month listeners, a Countdown Web page could be simply the factor to achieve them once more the place they already are (on Spotify!), get them excited, and create a straightforward pathway for them to return to your album as soon as it’s stay.
The way to profit from your Spotify launch with Countdown Pages
First, clearly, you’ll must create a Countdown Web page.
Then there are some further steps it’s best to take to get probably the most out of your Spotify Countdown Web page previous to your launch date.
These embody:
For more information and inspiration, take a look at these Countdown Pages examples!
