By Yvonne Claro
I find it so interesting that so few people understand Spotify's algorithm and just how strong it may be in determining the career of an artist. Most would give into shortcuts, such as buying streams. But when you understand the inner mechanism of the Spotify Popularity Index, building a real, engaged fanbase just makes a lot more sense. Success on Spotify doesn't just come from big wins; it's all about small, continued wins that work in tandem with the algorithm to extend your reach organically. In that respect, the artists who commit to their brand, put out music on a regular basis, and authentically connect with their audience can achieve far greater results than any shortcut could provide.
The Spotify Popularity Index, sometimes referenced as the Popularity Score, is a key hidden metric that decides many things about how much Spotify will promote your music. Every track on Spotify is given a score from 0 to 100: relative to all of the other tracks on the platform. It is not a straight ranking, but it does reflect the song's recent activity. For example, a track streamed a million times in 2010, but only a handful of times recently, will score much lower than a track streamed a million times last month. That is because what matters is the recency of streams: Spotify cares much more about what is trending now compared to what was popular two or three years ago.
It isn't all about play counts in the score, though. Other determining factors include playlist adds, how long listeners stay on the track, repeat listens, and skips. What this means is that Spotify considers the quality of your streams—not just the quantity. That is why it is very important to promote your music to a targeted audience, an audience that really connects with your sound. But if streams come from listeners with no interest, or worse, fake streams, your score can tank by reducing your visibility on the platform and probably causing long-term harm.
Probably the most important thing to realize about the Popularity Score is how it relates to Spotify's algorithmic playlists. Two levels often discussed in relation to the score: 20%: A score of 20 is believed to be the point at which your track can start popping up in Release Radar for listeners that do not already follow you. Because Release Radar updates on Fridays, ramping up promo in the days leading up to it can help push your track over this threshold.
30%: Tracks scoring above 30 start to appear in 'Discover Weekly,' Spotify's personalized Monday playlist for users. A concerted promotional push on the weekend might just push your track over the threshold. Hitting these marks requires a combination of great strategy and relentless labor. Tools such as Musicstax Metrics enable you to track the historic popularity score of your song and show its historical progress over time. This information will point your promotional efforts down the right path and allow you to see what's working for you and when adjustments are needed.
Following are a few suggestions to help improve your Popularity Score:
Engage Your Audience: Encourage listeners to save, share, and add your tracks to playlists. These types of interactions signal real interest to Spotify.
Release Consistently: Regular releases keep your profile active, sustain momentum, and show Spotify that you're serious about your craft.
Leverage Social Media: Utilize TikTok and Instagram to create teasers for new releases, drive traffic to your Spotify page, and build anticipation in the market.
Seek Playlist Placements: Focus on pitching to playlists that match your genre and audience.
Avoid shortcuts like buying streams or paying for questionable playlist placements. Not only does this affect your credibility, but Spotify's algorithms pick up on this inauthentic engagement and potentially lower your score or remove you altogether. Real success comes from an organic connection with your audience and a commitment to quality and consistency over time.
Spotify's Popularity Index is much more than a number; it is a roadmap for growth. Grasping this, and in working with this metric, the artist is enabled to exploit Spotify's enormous reach for his or her audience expansion and deepening his or her connection with listeners. In time, effort, and thoughtful approach, the algorithm can be tamed as a powerful ally in your journey as an artist.
If you are building your team, reach out to Cage Riot, as we have many resources to bring to the table.
Author: Yvonne Claro is the managing partner of Cage Riot Music Group and head of business and publishing development, dedicated to exploring innovations that empower independent artists and shape the future of music.
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music industry blog, cage riot, music distribution, how to distribute music, cage riot publishing, a2im, music biz, Yvonne Claro
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