The Spotify algorithm combines the best tactics used by other streaming music services to create a powerful discovery engine.
The algorithm monitors the music history of the listener and analyzes the reason behind it.
If you’ve got music on this platform, then you need to know how to beat this algorithm.
After all, the songs that appear on the Spotify algorithmic playlists are the tracks that get major label attention.
To achieve this, you need to know how the Spotify algorithm works.
How Does Spotify Algorithm Work?
Spotify’s algorithm is called BART, which stands for Bandits for Recommendations as Treatments.
It plays and suggests tracks it knows the listener is familiar with.
The algorithm also drops in fresh music it thinks the listener might like and have not heard before to keep them engaged.
BART implements the following recommendation models to do this:
- Raw Audio Analyzation – This model identifies the audio’s mood or vibe and determines whether it is heavy, instrumental, upbeat, or chill.
- Natural Language Processing – It analyzes the song’s content, language, and lyrics.
- Collaborative Filtering – It compares new tracks to the listener’s current habits to determine what will fit their preferences.
Now, how can you make BART work in your favor?
How can you reach more listeners and get your music on the Spotify playlists?
Well, I will share with you 5 proven ways to beat the Spotify algorithm.
1. Statistics, Statistics, Statistics!
Spotify is all about statistics.
It is always watching how its users engage with various kinds of tracks to give them what they enjoy.
BART considers a lot of stats when deciding which tracks to suggest, such as the listener’s skip rate, playlist features, as well as listening time, and history.
That’s why you need listeners to get past the first 30 seconds of your track.
That is positive data, and that’s also when you can monetize your track.
Moreover, it keeps your skip rate low as well.
2. It’s All About Timing
The first 12-24 hours after your song released are crucial to your success.
Listening times, spikes in listeners, and low skip rates are extremely important in this timeframe and the next few days.
Remember that timing is crucial when it comes to Spotify.
You need to get your followers excited enough so that they will save and listen to your song on day one.
But don’t try to compete with big artists.
If they are set to release a song that your followers will be listening to, then you shouldn’t drop your track on that date.
You may, however, consider releasing your music on a Friday.
That’s because releasing your tracks on a Friday allows you to maximize your chart potential.
Maximizing your chart position can bring more attention to your music.
Your music might be featured on Best of the Week, New Music Friday, Discover Weekly, or Release Radar as well.
Getting your tracks into Discover Weekly and Release Radar can boost your stream count.
That’s because these playlists are tied to each listener’s listening habits.
Release Radar is based on the artist’s followers.
Your fans will be notified every time you release a new track because it will appear on their Release Radar.
Discover Weekly is based on analyzing other playlists and the listener’s music taste and habits.
One of the best ways to increase your chances of getting on this playlist is to use the power of your fanbase, friends, and family.
The platform’s algorithm considers each playlist, so ask them to put your song in number one on their playlists.
For more ways on how you can get on Discover Weekly, then make sure to check out my blog post: 3 Major Tips To Ensure You Get On Discover Weekly.
3. Track Labeling
You need to give Spotify all of the information it needs to determine what the track is, where it fits in the platform, and who it should be showing your music to.
Meta tags like genre and mood help Spotify determine what your track is.
But you need to be careful, though.
If you include the wrong data and Spotify shows it to people who don’t like your music, then the platform will also register that data.
And, unfortunately, that’s bad data for Spotify.
4. Optimize Your Profile
Spotify is a social media platform.
This means that it uses a large amount of user data to give listeners what they want.
And it wants you to get followers, so you should point all of your links to Spotify when you release a track.
It is also one of the reasons why you should create a strong profile.
You need people to follow you and click your links because these are crucial data points for the platform.
So do make sure that you fill out your profile correctly.
Include your upcoming gigs, pictures, merchandise, social links, and bios in your profile to engage your fans.
5. Pre-Saves
Rack up pre-saves before your song’s release date.
It’s a quick and easy way to get the platform’s algorithm to notice you in the first 12-24 hours after your track drops.
Spotify algorithm takes in playlist ads, fan engagement, and streaming spikes across millions of tracks.
So if you want Spotify to notice your track, then you need to create hype before your track’s release date and build momentum.
Final Thoughts
It is not going to be easy, but with great tracks and a dedicated fan base, you will be able to beat the Spotify algorithm.
As you apply the tips stated above, you can have a good chance of beating the Spotify shuffle algorithm.
As a result, you can build a more significant presence on this platform.
by artists for artists