How To Grow Real Fans on DSPs in 2025

On July 8, Revelator hosted a live webinar with Sam Lee, Founder and Director of Songular, a streaming strategy consultancy who have worked with artists like Joji, Eliza Rose, Gorillaz, and Zara Larsson, since 2016. With a background spanning DSP editorial, digital and commercial strategy, and fan engagement, Sam joined us to explore how music teams are building lasting fan engagement across streaming platforms in 2025.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation — plus actionable ideas to help record labels and artists turn listeners into loyal fans across Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and beyond.

TL;DR: How to Grow Real Fans on DSPs in 2025

Forget quick wins. Sustainable artist growth on streaming platforms today comes from thoughtful strategy, consistent storytelling, and real fan engagement. Here’s what matters most:

• Playlists are just the start focus on repeat listens, saves, and algorithmic momentum.
• Measure the right signals like streams per listener and user playlist adds to track true fan interest.
• Pitch smart and deliver early especially for albums and EPs. Metadata and timing matter.
• Use campaign tools with purpose don’t rely on Marquee or Discovery Mode without a clear strategy.
• Look beyond Spotify YouTube Shorts, Shazam, Audiomack, and Apple’s global radio all offer discovery opportunities.
• Think in waves, not weeks stretch campaigns over 3 to 6 months with fresh content, formats, and cross-market moments.
• Own the relationship invest in direct-to-fan tools and fan communities that go beyond streaming metrics.

Click the image below to watch the full webinar replay.

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Want to plan your release smarter on DSPs?

Use our DSP Release Planner updated regularly with the latest specs and best practices across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and more.*

Playlists Aren’t the Finish Line

Landing on a major playlist still feels like a milestone, but the most successful campaigns treat it as just the beginning. A track that makes it onto Fresh Finds R&B, for example, may generate a few thousand plays, but momentum builds when that energy carries over into algorithmic channels like Spotify Radio. In one recent campaign, a track that gained just 3,500 streams from editorial was soon generating more than 70,000 from Spotify Radio alone.

To get there, teams need to prioritize saves, repeat listens, user-generated playlists, and real signs of fan connection. A playlist slot might introduce the track, but deeper engagement is what makes it stick.

Know What to Track (And What to Ignore)

Most streaming dashboards are noisy. But a few specific metrics offer reliable insight into whether a track is converting casual listeners into fans:

• Streams per listener: Seeing 4 to 5 streams per listener in the first few days often signals a strong response.
  
• User playlist adds: When fans add a track to their own playlists, that’s a more meaningful signal than passive exposure.
  
• On Repeat (via Spotify for Artists): This shows which tracks are sticking over time and becoming part of the listener’s routine.

“Streams per listener is one of the most underrated signals. If that number’s high in the first few days, you know something is really connecting.” Sam Lee

For deeper cohort analysis and cross-platform trend tracking, tools like Music Tomorrow, Chartmetric, and Soundcharts can help map audience behavior, identify regional traction, and benchmark performance against comparable releases.

Build for the Algorithm Without Chasing It

The best way to influence streaming algorithms is not through tricks, but by making consistent moves that highlight real fan interest. These are the fundamentals that still work:

• Complete your profile: Update lyrics, canvas, bios, and Artist Pick to give platforms a full picture.
  
• Stack engagement early: Coordinate press, editorial pitching, and social pushes to generate activity in the first 48 hours.
  
• Use artist playlists intentionally: Placing new releases next to genre-adjacent artists helps algorithms and editors understand where you belong.

“The algorithm isn’t magic. It just follows the signals. If fans are showing up, it will too.” Sam Lee

Editorial Has Evolved and Still Matters

Editorial playlists remain valuable, but they rarely drive long-term growth on their own. Think of them as a trigger, not the destination. The real benefit is when they kickstart momentum across radio, algorithmic playlists, and fan behavior.

To improve editorial chances:

• Submit early, especially for EPs and albums
  
• Tag genre and sub-genre metadata accurately
  
• Make the 500-character pitch as contextual and specific as possible
  
• Align your release plan with a broader story. A pitch that clearly explains why this release matters right now has a better shot at standing out.

Deliver Early and Give Editors Room to Listen

If you’re serious about editorial support, timing matters. For albums and EPs, make sure your project is delivered at least four weeks before release. Editors need time to digest the music, understand the context, and consider how it fits into upcoming programming. Late submissions risk missing those internal conversations altogether.

Even singles benefit from early delivery. A minimum of 14 days before release allows pitching teams (whether you’re using Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists, or your distributor’s tools) to do their job properly. The earlier your metadata and music are in the system, the more opportunity there is for it to be reviewed and positioned.

Campaign Tools: When and How to Use Spotify’s Kit

Spotify’s Campaign Kit: Spotify Marquee, Showcase, and Discovery Mode offer meaningful reach, but these tools should serve a strategy, not replace one.

• Marquee is best used when you have a moment to announce, like an album release or key collaboration
  
• Showcase helps re-activate catalog or highlight overlooked releases
  
• Discovery Mode should only be used when a track is already showing signs of life
  

Investing in these tools makes the most sense when fan data backs up the spend. Without organic traction, paid boosts will feel disconnected.

Beyond Spotify: What Other DSPs Offer

Spotify is dominant, but it’s not the only place discovery happens. Depending on genre, market, and format, other platforms can offer surprising upside.

YouTube Music and Shorts

Still the most widely used music platform globally. Shorts are delivering high-velocity discovery and often outperform TikTok in terms of longevity. Strong visual content, live sessions, performances, and creative edits can turn casual scrollers into fans who follow through.

Explore our Youtube Best Practices

TikTok

The window for TikTok virality is shorter than ever, but consistency and originality still work. Building a recognisable tone, staying true to the artist’s personality, and using music natively in content are all key to making the platform part of a broader strategy, not a distraction.

Apple Music, Shazam, and Global Radio

Shazam can highlight geographic traction before it shows up in other data. Apple’s global radio ecosystem — spanning Beats 1 and over 40,000 stations — offers data most teams underuse.

Explore our Apple Music Practices

SoundCloud and Audiomack

For hip-hop, electronic, drill, and Afrobeats, these platforms often build the first layer of fandom. Many artists develop their most active early followings outside of Spotify. Using these spaces as part of a layered campaign can open up new fanbases and feedback loops.

Design Campaigns That Last Longer Than Release Week

In 2025, the most effective campaigns stretch across three to six months. That doesn’t mean bombarding fans with constant content, but it does mean planning for waves.

• Versions and remixes should serve a purpose: expanding audience, crossing into new territories, or telling a new side of the story
  
• Collaborations with artists from other markets can drive algorithmic support in new territories
  
• Post-release storytelling — tour diaries, live recordings, and interviews — extends the shelf life of a track and deepens fan connection

What’s Ahead for Forward-Looking Teams

To build sustainable growth, more music companies are investing in:

• Direct-to-fan tools: Email lists, merch drops, and ticketing integrations that let them own the relationship
  
• Fan community spaces: Discords, private streams, and invite-only events where superfans feel seen
  
• Content systems, not sprints: Setting a realistic cadence based on the artist’s energy and creative bandwidth
  

Campaigns in 2025 aren’t about chasing trends. They’re about making it easy for fans to discover, stay, and share.

Want to plan your release smarter on DSPs?

Use our DSP Release Timeline & Checklist updated regularly with the latest specs and best practices across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and more.