How to Grow Your Monthly Listeners on Spotify: Proven Strategies for Artists
If you're a music artist or band, growing your monthly listeners on Spotify is key to building your fanbase, getting noticed by curators, and unlocking real revenue. But with millions of tracks uploaded daily, how do you stand out?
In this blog post, we’ll break down actionable strategies to increase your monthly listeners on Spotify, boost engagement, and grow a sustainable audience.
🎯 Why Monthly Listeners Matter
Monthly listeners reflect an artist's long-term engagement. A high monthly listener count shows that your music has lasting appeal and that you've built a dedicated fanbase of people who keep coming back for more.
Your monthly listener count is one of the most visible stats on your Spotify profile. It signals popularity, consistency, and reach. A monthly listener on Spotify is any unique user who has listened to your music at least once in the past 28 days.
A steady growth in monthly listeners means your music is consistently attracting new listeners while keeping current ones engaged. It shows that more people are discovering you over time — not from a one-time spike, but from real momentum that’s building naturally. Increased monthly listeners increases your royalty earnings and helps you get attention from industry pro’s and labels
In simple terms:
You're not just going viral — you're growing a fanbase.
🔥 1. Optimize Your Spotify Artist Profile
Before you start promoting your music, your Spotify artist profile needs to be polished and professional. First impressions count — especially when someone’s deciding whether to hit the “Follow” button or skip.
Key steps to optimize your profile:
Profile Picture & Banner: Use a high-quality photo that reflects your vibe or brand.
Artist Bio: Write a short but captivating description. Include keywords that match your genre, inspirations, and music style.
Social & Website Links: Connect your Instagram, Twitter, website, merch store, and YouTube.
Featured Song/Playlist: Pin your latest release or your most streamed song to draw attention.
Artist Pick & Fundraising Links: Use these features to promote concerts, causes, or exclusive content.
Pro Tip: Claim your profile via Spotify for Artists to access deeper analytics, pitch songs to playlists, and customize your presence.
📈 2. Consistent Music Releases
Releasing music regularly tells Spotify’s algorithm that you’re active, which increases your visibility.
Why consistent releases matter:
Triggers algorithmic playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly.
Keeps your audience engaged with fresh content.
Builds momentum around your brand.
Best practices:
Release a new single every 4–6 weeks.
Plan your release calendar in advance.
Use a distributor that delivers your music to Spotify on time. Ditto offers prominent distribution sercie across all platforms. You keep 100% of your royalties and also get access to lots of industry relevant tools when you release your music with Ditto
Build anticipation through teasers, countdowns, and pre-saves.
Consistency breeds familiarity, and familiarity leads to streams.
🎧 3. Get on Independent & Algorithmic Playlists
Getting on playlists is one of the fastest ways to grow your Spotify listeners. There are three main types of playlists you want to aim for:
A. Editorial Playlists (curated by Spotify):
Submit through Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release.
Include a compelling description, mood, genre, and background info.
B. Algorithmic Playlists:
Release Radar: Sent to your followers weekly.
Discover Weekly: Based on user behavior.
Boost chances by getting your fans to:
Save your song
Listen repeatedly
Add it to personal playlists
C. Independent Playlists:
Use platforms like:
Reach out to curators on Instagram, TikTok, or via email with a personalized pitch.
Getting playlisted increases streams, but more importantly, it increases discoverability.
📲 4. Promote on Social Media & Reels
Social media platforms are content discovery machines. Leverage short-form videos to promote your songs organically.
Where to focus:
TikTok
Instagram Reels
YouTube Shorts
Facebook Reels
What to post:
15–30 second clips of your song
Behind-the-scenes footage
Reaction videos
Storytelling about the track
Duets, remixes, or trends using your sound
Call to Action: Always include a CTA like “Listen on Spotify” or add your Spotify link in bio or captions.
Viral content = more plays, more shares, more followers.
🌍 5. Collaborate With Other Artists
Collaborations are a smart way to tap into new fanbases and get more streams from people who otherwise may not have found your music.
Why collabs work:
Shared marketing = double the exposure
Cross-genre collabs attract different listeners
Increases chances of appearing on collaborative playlists
How to do it right:
Reach out to artists with a similar or slightly larger audience.
Choose someone whose music complements yours.
Release a song together and promote it across both platforms.
Spotify will often recommend collaborative songs to both artists' listeners — win-win.
📩 6. Build an Email List or Fan Hub
Your fans on social media might not see every post — but if you own their email address, you can reach them directly.
Why you need a fan hub:
Build a direct line of communication.
Promote your music, merch, and live shows.
Drive traffic to your Spotify during key moments (release day, big campaign, etc.).
Tools to use:
Linktree, Koji, or Beacons: For a centralized bio link.
ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or Substack: To collect and send emails.
Offer something in exchange, like:
Early access to music
Exclusive downloads
Behind-the-scenes content
Building your list now helps your music last longer later.
📊 7. Analyze and Adapt
Growth doesn’t happen blindly — you need to track what’s working and what’s not.
Use Spotify for Artists to monitor:
Where your streams come from (playlists, search, user profiles)
Listener location and age
Which songs are performing best
How people are finding you (Discover Weekly, direct, etc.)
Then, adapt your strategy:
Double down on high-performing songs.
Promote in countries where your music is catching on.
Test different types of promo content to see what converts best.
Data is your cheat code — use it.
🚀 BONUS: Run Targeted Ads
Organic growth is great, but paid ads can give your music an extra push — especially around new releases.
Platforms to use:
Facebook & Instagram Ads (Meta)
TikTok Ads
YouTube Ads
Tips for running effective music ads:
Target by interest: fans of similar artists or genres.
Use a short, catchy video clip with subtitles.
Link directly to your Spotify profile or Smart Link.
Start with $5–$10/day for testing.
Retarget users who’ve engaged with your music or content.
When done right, ads can send the Spotify algorithm into overdrive.