The right targeting can make or break your ad campaigns to grow on Spotify, so it’s always good to have options. I am constantly tinkering with targeting options inside my own ad campaigns so we can take those winning combinations and apply them to campaigns for others with DuPree X. I also just like to have more than one setup I know I can depend on in the event the first option I try doesn’t work. So, after all of my testing, here are the four ad set targeting setups I lean into the most....
11 days ago • 4 min read
Spotify’s audience segments are a useful tool to gauge the efficacy of your music marketing. But they are more than just a clever breakdown of listener behavior over the past 28 days. We can use this data to understand how our ads are driving traffic to our work as well as how our catalog of music is performing as a whole once people reach it. And with Spotify’s recent update to this feature, we can now unpack even more about what drives meaningful engagement for our music with respect to...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Lookalike audiences are a powerful way to apply account-specific cold targeting to your ads. Now, technically speaking, lookalike audiences are cold-targeted options akin to using similar artists, genres, and other affinities in your campaigns. However, in my experience, lookalike audiences are generally better and more powerful. Almost like a “warm” cold targeting, if that makes any sense at all. And what’s more is, because these audiences are built upon your data, not some arbitrary...
25 days ago • 4 min read
Creating your own audiences is the surest way to take your Meta advertising to the next level. Sure, cold targeting in the form of similar artists, genres, and affinities can certainly be effective, but nothing works better than targeting people specific to you. Every artist is different, every song is different, and every audience is always just a little bit different too. And those differences can be powerful. Now there are a lot of options involved when it comes to creating your audiences...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
The music advertising landscape is constantly changing—so what works in 2024? Are conversion campaigns still king for promoting your songs or your playlist? Do traffic ads even work anymore? Which one should you use? I have personally run both of these campaign types for years, and the short answer is: it depends. So let’s talk about the specifics of traffic and conversion campaigns and cover which campaign type you should use, why you should use it, and when. Traffic vs. conversions To kick...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
The fastest way to grow on Spotify is through its three most popular algorithmic playlists—Radio, Release Radar, and Discover Weekly. Technically speaking, Spotify has more than three algorithmic playlist options; however, in my experience, success on the others generally comes downstream of mastering these first three. A quick look at my lifetime playlist data as an artist on Spotify serves as a great example: Because Spotify’s algorithmic playlists are so powerful, let’s take a look at what...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
There are multiple options to build your following on Instagram with ads, but which one works best? Well, I recently tested a slew of setups to find this out for myself. Using five different organically posted reels on my Instagram profile, I tried a variety of setups to gain new followers and generate more views for my content. Here’s how it played out. The setup To start, I ran five different campaigns with four unique targeting options. This means two of the five campaigns had the same...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
There are multiple upsides to building and marketing your own playlist on Spotify. Now, I have gone on record in sharing my opinion about pitching to third-party playlists on Spotify. In short, I think it’s a big waste of time, energy, and, potentially, money. But before we dive into this, let me be clear in saying that this is not that. This is something different. Building and owning your own playlist (or even a network of playlists) on Spotify can be a huge unlock for independent artists,...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Finding success as a musician isn’t about what you know or even who you know—it’s about what you do. It’s about starting where you are, using what you have, and refusing to quit even when it gets difficult. Especially when it gets difficult. I have been in the music business in some form or fashion for nearly twenty years, and in that time, I have learned a few “secrets” to success that have helped me unlock a lasting and fulfilling career. So if you want to build a professional life in...
2 months ago • 4 min read
