What is a Spotify Pre-Save Campaign? How Do I Start One?

Young and budding musicians need to find as many advantages as possible. One thing you see artists promote on their social media is their new releases, and they ask their audience to pre-save their songs on Spotify. So what are Spotify pre-saves, and why do artists want them?

Spotify pre-saves are links released by third-party developers that will automatically save songs or albums to the “Liked” playlist on your Spotify or other music streaming service account. They help artists promote new music, gain new listeners, and garner more interest in their work. Additionally, they give artists useful data to create stronger community engagement. 

In this article, we break down the hows and why of rolling out a pre-save campaign, giving artists the tools to have the most exposure to their music. 

What is a Spotify Pre-Save Campaign?

Pre-save campaigns are a great way to promote a new album or single. The number of saves an artist gets beforehand drives the music’s exposure during the official Spotify release.

Pre-saves are one-click items to a prompt that allows listeners to sign up for a song before it is released. When released, the song will be automatically added to their “Liked” playlist when dropped.

Why Should I Set Up a Spotify Pre-Save Campaign?

When albums were physical items, pre-ordering new music would make or break record sales for artists. With the dawn of the digital age, pre-save campaigns have become pre-order’s replacements and work to increase overall engagement. Though this does not lead to “sales,” the single or full album will automatically appear in your fans’ library in the “Liked Tracks” playlist once it is released.

A strong pre-save campaign will lead to many listens just after the release, and your track will more likely reach Spotify’s algorithm. Because the songs are automatically added to the “Liked Tracks” playlist, your song is likely to be played. The Spotify algorithm will notice, and your songs can potentially feature on the “Release Radar” playlist the Friday following your song’s release. 

You also want to create as much excitement and buzz around your music as possible. There is nothing worse than releasing a song that no one knows about. Creating pre-save links will ensure your fans won’t miss your new music, and they will also invite new listeners to give your songs a try, too.

Pushing your new music and getting immediate listens is a great way to create more hype for your new releases, but it also helps build exposure to your entire discography. The more times your song is listened to, the more likely it will be suggested in playlists of similar genres. This will encourage new listeners to explore all of your music.

Lastly, pre-save campaigns have the added benefit of collecting important data for the artists about their listeners. For example, the list of people who pre-save your music can be beneficial to creating stronger fan-artist relationships. You can send personalized thank-you messages, offer early access to tours, and create stronger bonds in your community.

How to Set Up a Spotify Pre-Save Campaign

Spotify doesn’t have any built-in programs for handling your pre-save campaigns. Instead, you must go through a third-party platform, which is annoying.

These platforms are often integrated with distribution companies. For example, CDBaby relies on Show.co to create “social unlock” campaigns that allow you to pre-promote your music.

Regardless, you’ll need a Shopify URI, or unique resource code, that lets you share the music before it releases. Here’s how to get it:

1. Open the Shopify App
2. Click the ellipses next to what you want to share (an album or a single)
3. Hover your mouse over “share”
4. Click the “copy Shopify URI” link

Once you get the URI, you must bring that code to one of these third-party services. You can start by checking if your distribution network has a preferred tool. CDBaby has Show.co while MusicGateway has its own system.

If you use another distribution platform (or don’t have one), you can use HyperFollow, a free tool suggested by DistroKid. Finally, smartURL, is the most popular option when you search on Google. However, Linkfire recently acquired them, so this free service is no longer available.

How Do I Promote my Campaign Now That I’ve Set It Up? [Short Tips]

While we have a whole blog on music promotion, here are some tips that won’t require you to go to another page:

1. Social Media

Social media is always the answer. You should have this link in the bio section of your social media pages. Of course, you should shout out to anyone following your newsletters, and attach it to YouTube video descriptions, and other places where you release content.

2. Short Preview Clips

Many musicians like to share 15-30 second clips of upcoming tracks from their albums on their social media accounts like TikTok and Instagram with links to the pre-save. Of course, you want to promote the new release, but you never want to overwhelm your followers with too many posts. Balance these with other posts, like upcoming shows, music video premiers, or a countdown to the song release.

3. Have Clear Calls To Action

Explain clearly and plainly what you are asking your fans to do with each of your promotions (in this case, pre-save your song or album). In each post, explain what you are releasing, how they can get it, and what the song is offering to your fan. For example, encouraging your listener to be the first to hear your new song, or offering a heartfelt explanation of the song will generate genuine interest.

Conclusion

As a new artist, releasing new music can be one of the most stressful parts of your job. However, pre-save playlists are a great way to take some of that pressure off the shoulders of the artists.

Pre-save campaigns take the pressure off, so instead of putting everything on one day, you can work to see the hype build through Spotify. If you want online exposure, Spotify pre-saves are a great tool you can use to grow your band.