How Should You Promote Your Music in 2025?

Over the holidays we had the chance to connect with a number of artists and know that many of you were waiting for the New Year to start prompting new music. It’s true that one key component to a successful release strategy is timing. But there’s more to it than that. The good news is Rise is here to help you!

There are three proven approaches to increasing your chances of success.

STEP 1: Make a Splash on Release Day With Pre-Saves

Pre-saves are a great way to show the algorithm listeners are interested in your music.

• Increase visibility: Pre-saves can help artists improve their discoverability on Spotify and generate excitement for their releases. 
• Improve streaming numbers: Pre-saves can help artists improve their streaming numbers. 
• Attract attention: Pre-saves can help artists stand out in the competitive music industry and attract attention from record labels and management companies. 
• Gather data: Pre-saves can provide artists with valuable data, such as audience demographics, demand for a song, and what artists their fan-base listens to. 
• Gain traction: Pre-saves can help artists gain traction with the Spotify editorial team for possible placement. 
• Trigger the Spotify algorithm: Pre-saves can trigger the Spotify algorithm on release day. 
• Gain followers: Pre-saves can help artists gain followers on Spotify.

STEP 2: Target Active Listeners

Targeting active listeners on Spotify is a smart strategy for artists because it focuses your promotional efforts on the people most likely to engage with your music. Here’s why

• Connecting you to listeners who stream your music 2X more, add your music to their personal playlists, save, follow, and ultimately impact the algorithm all while using your own branded content. The content you use will also see an increase in engagements.
• High-intent behaviors like the ones listed above increase your chances of algorithmic play on Radio, Release Radar, and even Discover Weekly. Active listeners also support artists beyond streaming. They’ll show up to your live shows, buy merchandise, and act as your street team by sharing your music with friends.
• Active Listeners contribute to important metrics like multiple streams per listener, song saves, adds to personal playlists, and follows, which give positive signals to Spotify’s Algorithm.
• Active Listeners from a catalog often return to that music via their own playlists. This behavior can lead to increased play on Radio, Autoplay, and Discover Weekly.

STEP 3: Keep The Streams Flowing

While conversion campaigns help satisfy high-value actions the algorithm is looking for, exposure campaigns help satisfy its “listen-now”component. With the right exposure, artists can:

• Reach New Fans: Exposure campaigns help artists get their music in front of a wider audience, increasing their chances of gaining new fans and followers. This is crucial in a crowded music market.
• Build Hype: By creating a buzz around their music, artists can generate excitement and anticipation for new releases, shows, and other activities. 
• Increase Streams and Sales: Greater exposure often translates to more streams on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and higher sales of albums, merchandise, and concert tickets.
• Enhance Credibility: Increased visibility and recognition can boost an artist’s credibility and perceived value, leading to more opportunities and collaborations.
• Grow Social Media Presence: Exposure campaigns help artists grow their social media following and engage with fans.

How Can Rise Help?

Rise can help with this three-pronged approach with our three separate Spotify Growth Tools. Here’s how:

• Rise Conversion Campaigns will gain you new FOLLOWERS, SONG SAVES and PRE-SAVES.
• Rise’s Active Listener Campaigns convert social media traffic into high-intent listeners on Spotify using. Connecting you to listeners who stream your music 2X more, add your music to their personal playlists, save, follow, and ultimately impact the algorithm all while using your own branded content. The content you use will also see an increase in engagements.
• A Rise Exposure Campaign will keep the streams flowing. With any Rise Exposure Campaign your song will receive free pitching to our Tout Playlist Network, and our Verified Partner Network of more than ~200 authentic playlists.
  • Artists who create Exposure Campaigns with budgets of $750+, or minimum Subscription campaigns ($225 per month for a minimum of three months), will receive extra consideration. 

You can also choose to run a Rise Subscription Campaigns for both Exposure and Conversions.

• Continuously grow followers, song saves and pre-saves, and have pre-saves executed on every release, to give the algorithm great data and increase your chances at algorithmic traction. Plus you have the ability to swap out focus tracks for every release, and earn real playlist consideration from our Verified Partner Network. 
• One specific group used this strategy and had remarkable results. Read how they did it.

Don’t just make new music in 2025, make this the year your music gets heard.