How do I get my first 1,000 streams, or 100 streams a day?

The first 1,000 usually come from people who already know you, then from independent playlist curators and Spotify’s own feeds.

Do the math first. 1,000 streams in a month is about 33 a day. 100 a day is roughly 3,000 a month, which is a later stage. Our guide on how to promote your music has the full release plan.

Start with your own circle. Text the link to the 30 people most likely to play it, and ask each one to follow you on Spotify as well as stream. Followers matter because Spotify’s Release Radar page says your followers get your new releases there. Pitch at least 7 days before release and you pick which song they get.

Then go after strangers. Send the song to independent curators through the free tiers in our free playlist submission guide, and post short clips with the song every few days.

Getting to 100 a day usually takes a few releases, each one starting with more followers than the last. Once you pass 1,000 streams in 28 days in one market, Spotify’s display campaigns open up as a paid option.

Skip anyone who promises a stream count. Spotify’s artificial streaming policy says it withholds royalties from fake plays. And for scale, 1,000 US Premium streams pay about $3 to $5, so check our royalty calculator before you spend.