How do you grow an artist or creator?

Through a funnel: get discovered (short-form video and playlists do most of this now), convert that attention into followers and streams, and then into an audience you own – an email or SMS list. Frequent releases keep the algorithm fed, and you only spend money amplifying what's already working organically.

What's the most important thing in music marketing today?

Short-form video. The large majority of songs that break now break on TikTok first, then convert to streams. But discovery is only step one – a viral moment is worth little unless you capture it into followers, streams and an owned list before it fades.

Should artists pay for promotion?

Only to amplify something that's already converting on its own. Paid ads work once you have a song that lands, a working funnel and something to sell. Never pay for streams or playlist placements – that violates Spotify's rules and can get tracks removed and the distributor fined.

Growing an artist or creator

Growing an artist or creator is one thing done in steps: turn attention into a fanbase. Get discovered (short-form video and playlists do most of that now), convert that attention into streams and followers, and then into an audience you actually own. Release often to stay in the algorithm, and only spend money amplifying what already works. Here's the whole playbook.

Growth is a funnel, not a lottery

It’s tempting to treat growth as one big break – the viral video, the editorial playlist, the moment. The artists who actually build careers treat it as a funnel: a series of steps that move a stranger from never having heard of the artist to being a fan who buys tickets and merch. Every part of marketing is really just moving people down that funnel. Here are the stages, each with its own guide.

1. Get discovered

The top of the funnel is discovery, and two channels dominate it now. Short-form video – TikTok, Reels, Shorts – is where the large majority of new songs break, through “sounds” that crowds of users adopt into trends. And playlists – editorial, algorithmic and user-made – are where streaming discovery happens. Both reward the same thing: real engagement, not bought numbers.

2. Release in a way the algorithm rewards

How you release is as strategic as what you release. The modern playbook favors frequent singles over an album dropped cold – each release feeds the algorithm fresh engagement, triggers your followers’ Release Radar, and gives you a new promotional moment. Tools like the “waterfall” release and pre-saves stack that momentum instead of resetting it each time.

3. Market it – cheaply first, paid second

Most of what works costs time, not money: organic content, smart links and an email list are the indie toolkit. Paid ads come second, and only to amplify what’s already working – you never pay to push a song that isn’t converting on its own. The single most expensive mistake in music marketing is boosting something with no funnel behind it.

4. Convert attention into an audience you own

This is the step most artists skip, and it’s the one that lasts. Social followers and streaming listeners are a rented audience – the platform’s algorithm decides who sees you. An email or SMS list is an audience you own: a direct line, algorithm-proof, that the artist keeps no matter which platform is hot. The job of all that discovery is to feed this list. A viral moment you can’t capture is worth almost nothing.

The thread that ties it together

Discovery, release, marketing, ownership – it’s one funnel. The manager’s job is to find the weakest link in it and fix that, rather than chase every tactic at once. And keep sight of what the growth is for: bigger numbers only matter once they turn into income and a stable business. Build the audience you own, and each release builds on the last.

Common questions

How do you grow an artist or creator?: Through a funnel: get discovered (short-form video and playlists do most of this now), convert that attention into followers and streams, and then into an audience you own – an email or SMS list. Frequent releases keep the algorithm fed, and you only spend money amplifying what's already working organically.
What's the most important thing in music marketing today?: Short-form video. The large majority of songs that break now break on TikTok first, then convert to streams. But discovery is only step one – a viral moment is worth little unless you capture it into followers, streams and an owned list before it fades.
Should artists pay for promotion?: Only to amplify something that's already converting on its own. Paid ads work once you have a song that lands, a working funnel and something to sell. Never pay for streams or playlist placements – that violates Spotify's rules and can get tracks removed and the distributor fined.