In no particular order, this is a list of our top ten favourite independent playlisters making a name for themselves on Spotify. #10 - Indiemono Indiemono has it all, with dozens of playlists ranging from their year by year breakdown of the best indie songs, to playlists that will make you feel like a true... Continue Reading →
The Holy Grail for Indie Artists: a Step by Step Guide to Spotify Playlist Pitching
(Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.) Spotify: Playlist Pitching. The gatekeepers of hit songs used to be many: record label and publishing company execs, radio programmers, brick and mortar outlets and distributors, just to name a few. Today though, in an increasingly streaming-driven era, a select few curators hold the keys to arguably today’s biggest hit-makers:... Continue Reading →
Breaking Down Streaming Services
(Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.) Spotify vs. Apple Music. It is no secret that there is a big debate out there with regards to music streaming platforms. Spotify? Apple Music? Tidal? Google Play Music? What’s the difference? Why should I use one versus the other? We have been through the exact same internal debate, and... Continue Reading →
The Anatomy of an Industry Giant: Spotify’s Continued Growth, Explained
(Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.) Spotify: Streaming Numbers Put in Perspective. It's no secret that Spotify is, and has for some time now been, the music streaming industry's leader, as measured by paying subscribers, total users, revenues and otherwise. But most people may not recognize just how dominant the platform is, or how crazily valued... Continue Reading →
Cover Songs, Unofficial Remixes and More: Understanding Copyright
(Estimated reading time: 6.5 minutes.) Spotify: How Music Copyright Works… Songs are considered “creative works” which means that an artist needs only to record their piece of music in a tangible way for it to be protected by copyright laws. This means that the creator of the song has the exclusive rights to publicly perform... Continue Reading →
Distribution Comparison 101: The Who, What, and Why of Getting Music on Spotify
(Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.) Spotify: Pros and Cons of Major Distributors. Our Spotify advice for artists series thus far has been implicitly contingent on you having already uploaded your music to Spotify. But how best to get it there in the first place? This question has been asked time and time again by... Continue Reading →
Fresh Finds: How Spotify Blends Big Data with Human Curation to Help Fledgling Artists
(Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.) Spotify: Fresh Finds. As far as music discovery on Spotify goes, the holy grail for underground and/or indie musicians is Fresh Finds. Refreshed each Wednesday, this playlist series combines complex algorithms that leverage big data with loving human curation. And it’s made for a uniquely special platform which has led... Continue Reading →
Discover Weekly and Release Radar: Spotify’s Algorithmic (Not So) Secret Weapons
(Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.) Spotify: Discover Weekly and Release Radar. Spotify has built much of its brand on machine learning and algorithms, employing the former and the latter in a number of different contexts. (This much is evident in the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy, having most notably acquired… wait for it… MightyTV, Mediachain Labs, The Echo Nest, Niland,... Continue Reading →