How to claim your Spotify artist page

Streaming platforms present an amazing opportunity for recording artists to make money off their music. With a market rate in the billions, the streaming platform sector has become an essential part of every in-the-know artist’s music marketing strategy.

Spotify holds the biggest share of the market – 31% in 2021 – and boasts nearly half a billion users. So if you’re an artist looking to maximize your fan base and earnings potential, getting your music on Spotify should be one of your top priorities.

How to claim your Spotify artist page

Wondering how to make a Spotify artist account? The first step is getting your music on Spotify. If you’re signed with a record label, they’ll take care of getting your music on the app. But if you’re an up-and-coming independent artist who’s not backed by a label, a music distribution platform can get your music out into the streaming world. If you go this route, be sure to register with one of Spotify’s preferred distribution platforms like Landr, CD Baby, or iGroove.

Once your music hits Spotify, you’re ready to claim your artist profile. Your label, manager, or distributor can also do this for you, but you can DIY it with these steps:

1. Go to artists.spotify.com/c/access. Enter your Spotify for Artists login.
2. Click on Claim your profile.
3. Fill out the form.
4. Sit back and wait for Spotify’s response.

You might also want to know how to get verified on Spotify. That part’s easy – once Spotify approves your artist account, you’ll earn that coveted blue verification checkmark, become the owner of the page and be able to create a profile that represents you well.

What should you share on your Spotify for Artists profile?

So now you’re Spotify approved and ready to meet a world of new fans. If you want your page to make a real marketing impact, you’ll want to put some time into creating the best artist profile possible. Here’s how:

• Add a killer header pic and a rocking profile image.
• Add playlists you’ve made to display in the Artist Playlist area.
• Add high-quality pictures to your image gallery.
• Write an artist bio that sings. Spotify gives you a lot of room to work with here – with a generous 1500-character limit, you’ve got plenty of space to wax poetic. Optimize your bio with strategic keywords and hashtags.
• Add social media links to your Spotify bio. And while you’re at it, use your other social media bios to link back to your Spotify profile. You can use a Linktree URL to add multiple links to your bios. Linktree also has a special tool for Spotify that gives visitors a 30-second audio preview when they click on your bio link.
• Add any upcoming shows/tour dates under the Concerts tab.
• Set up a Merchbar account and integrate it with your Spotify account so fans can buy T-shirts, totes, and whatever other banging merch you sell.

Why get verified as an artist on Spotify?

Spotify isn’t just a money-making machine. It’s a tool that helps artists improve their careers.

Once you’re verified, Spotify will give you listener demographics and information on your total streams so you know how your music is performing and who it’s resonating with.

You can also use Spotify to update your fans on concerts and sell merch. And the Artist’s Pick tool gives you some control over what fans hear first – you get to pick which songs are at the top of your profile.

How to submit to official Spotify playlists

Another way Spotify can help you improve your reach as an artist is by getting your new releases out to future fans through official curated playlists. Here’s how to pitch your unreleased tracks to Spotify editors:

1. From your desktop, open Spotify and navigate to the Music section of your Spotify for Artists dashboard.
2. Go to Upcoming.
3. Select the unreleased new music you’d like to pitch. You can only submit one song at a time.
4. Fill out the submission form and wait for a response. Good luck!

How does Spotify pay artists?

One of the perks of working with Spotify is their pay transparency. The streaming app pays the net revenue from Premium subscription fees and ads to copyright holders through a process called “stream share.” Streamshare determines the artist’s share, or what percentage of all streams in a month belong to any given artist.

The bottom line

Spotify is just one tool for growing your music career, making money, and connecting with fans. Its popularity makes it one of the most powerful tools out there, but you can improve your reach and earn even more by diversifying your marketing efforts.

Once you’ve claimed your Spotify artist page, sign up for other streaming services like Apple Music for Artists. Connect with fans on social media and build a web presence that represents you well. Focus some time on your website, YouTube channel, and merch eCommerce page. Put a Linktree URL in all your social media bios so you can make it easy for fans to find your accounts. With a little effort and some smart marketing, you’ll be raking in the royalties before you know it.