How to Use Spotify's Pre-Save in Your Next Album Release

by Christine Occhino on May 13, 2019 via Soundfly

In the new world of digital music, pre-save (formerly known as pre-sale before the streaming world took over) is a great way to let your fans hear your music “first.” Now that more than 75% of music industry revenues come from streaming versus just 12% from digital downloads according to the RIAA, Spotify pre-save is something you need to take advantage of right [freaking] now!

The pre-save function basically does just what it says - it allows fans to pre-save the song or album to their queue and music library the moment it’s released. This is an important element to add to your marketing campaign to ensure that all your efforts are capitalized upon so you can take advantage of listener interest when it strikes!

Besides just being a great way to give fans the ability to snag your music as soon as it becomes available on Spotify, this also increases the likelihood of high play volume upon release - which is something you surely want to help with the algorithmic performance the platform uses to create organic listens and exposure to new fans. Numbers are increasingly important in this music market, and knowing how the game is played is equally as important as playing it well. Plus, you’ll earn a higher likelihood of getting placed on playlists like Discover Weekly and Fresh Finds too!

So how can you use Spotify’s pre-save feature for your next release? Well if you’re using an easy distributor like DistroKid (my personal recommendation), it’s as simple as following the basic “fill in the blank” style release directions and copying the Spotify pre-save link that is automatically provided to you at completion of that process! Then you can take that link and send it out in newsletters, post it on your website, Instagram bio, social media pages, etc to get the word out. As a link, it essentially acts like a basic info landing page with cover art and release date listed, but it also allows you to capture valuable listener data (like email addresses for future marketing) and automatically sets that user account up to follow you, once again increasing important numbers for your artistry and release analytics.

Some other important things to consider:

Choose a release date 4-6 weeks out from distribution completion. This not only gives ample time for the different digital stores to approve and set up your song to appear in their database on time, but gives you enough time for a quality marketing campaign and proper use of the pre-save feature.
Incentivize your fans to utilize the pre-save option - do they get presale ticket access to your next show in their area? Some new merch? Access to unreleased tracks? A bonus song download for free?
Think about how you’re going to promote the pre-save link. It can be something exciting like “Hear the song that changed my life forever,” or as simple as “Be the first to hear the single off the upcoming album!”
You must use Spotify’s API to make pre-save marketing possible. Pending your chosen digital distributor, the process varies slightly - but using one of the following platforms makes integration a cinch: DistroKid, SmartURL, Presave.io, Feature.fm, Metablocks, Show.co, Spektrol.

So boost those listeners, followers, and fans, and get to pre-saving for your next digital release! There’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Happy streaming!

About The Author:

Christine Elise Occhino (@XtineElise) is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for the music business. In addition to being a vocalist herself, she is the CEO of Elise Music Group, Artistic Director of The Pop Music Academy, and owner of Stamford Recording Studio. She is also the proud Founder & Executive Director of Hope in Harmony, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses music to help and heal those in need. Christine is a member of the Grammy Recording Academy, the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers, and Berklee College of Music Alumni Association. She has experience speaking on many music industry panels and has been a contributing writer for music business publications for over a decade.