Get ready to tune in and turn up, because we’re talking about the ultimate platform for discovering fresh new talent and it might just be more familiar than you think… Spotify! The mammoth music streaming service has completely changed the game when it comes to how we listen to and find music. And the best part? It’s not just music lovers who benefit from Spotify’s algorithm. So how can you get in on the action and use the platform to scout and sign some emerging artists?
To begin scouting on Spotify, you can also use its “Discover” feature to find new and trending artists, as well as playlists curated by Spotify or other users. Its algorithmically curated playlists means there are countless ultra-niche genre and demographic specific playlists that you can explore. The site obviously provides you with basic data points on an artist, such as monthly listeners, streams on specific songs and whether they are signed, so it’s a great jumping off point in your scouting process’, especially if you are looking to sign particular tracks.
Pros and Cons –
The obvious main advantage of using Spotify for artist scouting is the sheer volume of music available on the platform. With over 70 million tracks and 356 million monthly active users, there is no shortage of music to explore. Additionally, Spotify’s algorithm can help you discover new and upcoming artists that you may not have found otherwise. There are literally millions of playlists so no matter your location, language or genre you will be able to find a playlist that has the next artist you want to sign, no matter how niche, you’ll be able to explore artists that are gaining popularity.
As a first step the site is great, giving you a great picture of the quality of music an artist is putting out, as well as the consistent streams they are getting but this information is the bare bones of what you will need moving forward. Spotify represents the first step in a reliable, data driven scouting process, so be sure to not waste too much time on the site delving into an artists back catalogue. Once you’ve identified that their music is up to scratch, go off site to explore their cross platform performances. Partnered site Spotify For Artists is a great first step in this process, as we explain here.
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