Guide
Music marketing: how to promote your music as an independent artist
Music marketing is mostly getting the right people to hear a song, then giving them a reason to come back. You don't need a big budget or every platform. You need a plan for each release, one or two places you'll actually show up, and a way to reach fans directly.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
To promote your music, pitch your song to Spotify's editors at least 7 days before release, post short videos where your listeners already spend time, send fans to follow you and join your email list, and play live if you can. Paid ads work best after you know which song and audience respond. Avoid any service that guarantees streams, because it can get your music removed.
What to do, in order
Choose one song and one audience
Decide which song you're pushing and who it's for. It's easier to find listeners when you can name a few artists they already like.
Set your release up early
Upload a few weeks ahead so you have time to pitch it and make your promotion before the date arrives.
Pitch the free routes
Pitch in Spotify for Artists and Amazon Music for Artists. Neither lists a charge, and Spotify's pitch also puts the song in your followers' Release Radar.
Post short videos
Try several clips of the song on Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Keep what gets a response and make more of it.
Collect your fans
Point people to one link where they can follow you and join your email list, so your next release doesn't start from zero.
Spend only on what's working
When a song or video is already doing well, a small ad budget can add to it. Set a limit you can afford to lose.
A simple plan for each release
Timing does a lot of the work here, and the first two rows are the ones artists most often miss.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 4 or more weeks before | Finish artwork and press photos, upload to your distributor and start posting about the song |
| At least 7 days before | Pitch in Spotify for Artists. Spotify's editors can consider it, and it goes into your followers' Release Radar. |
| Release week | Email your list, post your best clip, and check the release is live on every service |
| Up to 14 days after | Amazon accepts pitches up to 14 days after the release date, if you haven't already sent one |
| Weeks after | Keep posting the clips that worked, and pitch blogs, curators and shows with the results so far |
Free and paid promotion, compared
Start with the free column. It takes time, but it also tells you which song is worth spending on.
| Channel | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify pitching | Free | A chance at editorial playlists, and reaching your followers |
| Amazon Music pitching | No charge listed | Consideration for Amazon's curation |
| Short video | Free, plus your time | Finding new listeners |
| Email list | Free to low cost at first | Reaching fans directly |
| Live shows | Varies | Turning listeners into fans who stay |
| Blogs and playlist services | Free to paid | Reaching curators you don't know |
| Spotify Showcase and Marquee | Paid | Reaching listeners inside Spotify |
| Spotify Ads Manager | Paid | Audio and video ads to free listeners |
| Meta and TikTok ads | Paid | Sending new people to a proven song |
How to promote your music on Spotify
Spotify lists four routes: pitching to its editors, building followers, display campaigns and Spotify Ads Manager. Followers get told when you release music or tour in their area, so they're worth asking for directly.
Marquee and Showcase need some traction first. Spotify says you need at least 1,000 streams in the last 28 days in at least one target market, and Marquee also needs 5,000 monthly active listeners in the market you choose. Your team must also be based in a supported country.
| Detail | Marquee | Showcase |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | Full-screen pop-up on the mobile app | Banner on Home and Browse |
| What it promotes | New releases only | New and older releases |
| When | Within 21 days of release | Anytime |
| How long | 10 days, or until the budget is spent | 14 days, or until the budget is spent |
From Spotify's help page on 2 November 2026. It lists no price. A 2021 Spotify post said Marquee budgets start at $100 and are charged per click, so check your dashboard for current costs.
How to promote your music on Instagram and TikTok
Short video is where many new listeners first hear a song. Treat each post as a test, not a campaign. Use the part of the song people react to, try a few different ideas, and don't judge the song on one clip.
- Open with the strongest part of the song, since viewers decide quickly.
- Make it about something: the story behind the lyric, a live take, or how you made the beat.
- Use your released song as the sound once it's on these apps, so people can find the original.
- Reply to comments. A reply can become your next video.
- Say where to listen. Don't assume people will go looking.
How to get your music heard by people you don't know
Once you have a song and some early response, you can reach out. Keep messages short, name why that person might like the song, and send one link. Playlist services can do the sending for you, but none can promise you a placement, and any that does is a warning sign.
Email and your website
Algorithms change and accounts can vanish, but a list of fans' emails stays yours. Ask for the signup at shows, in your bio and on your site, and give people a reason, such as hearing new songs first.
What to avoid
Some promotion can cost you more than it brings in.
- Guaranteed streams or placements. Spotify warns that third-party services promising streams can lead to your music being removed, and your distributor may act too.
- Bots and playlists full of fake listeners. They count as artificial streaming, which can also get your music removed.
- Paying before the song is ready. Ads make a song people like go further, but they don't fix one they skip.
- Trying to be everywhere. Two platforms done well will do more than five you abandon.
How Traxure helps
Traxure doesn't pitch songs or run promotion. It makes sure the release you're promoting is really there. It checks your Spotify profile every 12 hours and your full catalog on 12 platforms every day. If a release goes missing on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, SoundCloud or Pandora, it emails you the before, the after and a note to your distributor ready to send. It works with any distributor, and monitoring starts with a seven-day free trial.
Spotify and Amazon's details were checked on their own pages on 2 November 2026.
Questions artists ask
How do I promote my music with no money?
Pitch in Spotify for Artists and Amazon Music for Artists, post short videos, build an email list, play live and work with other artists. All of it costs time more than money.
How do I promote my music on Spotify?
Pitch an unreleased song to Spotify's editors at least 7 days before release and ask fans to follow you. If you qualify, Showcase and Marquee are paid campaigns, and Ads Manager runs audio and video ads.
How much do Spotify Marquee and Showcase cost?
Spotify's help page lists no price. A 2021 Spotify post said Marquee budgets start at $100 and are charged per click, but check your dashboard for current costs. You also have to meet its eligibility rules.
How can I get my music heard?
Post short clips where your listeners already spend time, play shows, and reach out to blogs and curators who cover music like yours. Pick one or two channels and stick with them long enough to learn.
Should I pay for music promotion?
Only once you know a song connects, and never for guaranteed streams. Paid tools can reach more people, but they can't make people stay. Set a budget you can afford to lose.
Do Meta ads work for musicians?
They can send new people to a song, but results vary a lot and it's easy to overspend. Test small amounts on a clip that's already getting a response, and look at follows and saves, not just clicks.
When should I start promoting a new song?
A few weeks before release. Spotify's pitch needs at least 7 days, and that same pitch is what gets the song into your followers' Release Radar.
Sources
Traxure
Know the same day, not weeks later.
Traxure checks your releases on Spotify and other platforms around the clock, confirms a change before alerting you and tells you what to do next. Seven-day free trial.
Pricing
Plans from $12 a month.
7-day free trial on every plan. Cancel anytime.
- Artist $12/mo
- Manager $69/mo
- Label $199/mo