With the advent of digital music streaming services, it has become all too easy for independent artists to put content in front of millions of potential listeners. Having such a broad audience and not having a label or management group for backup means that independent artists are often forced to decide where to devote the bulk of their finite energy in cultivating that audience. Nowhere is this conundrum more apparent than in the presence of the two giants of the streaming industry, Spotify and Apple Music. Below is a breakdown of some key differences in each service’s various aspects and how those differences may affect the way artists approach using each platform.
The Artist Platform
Both Spotify and Apple Music have a dedicated page for artists that provides streaming information on all of their tracks. Each also lets the artist customize their profile as it appears to listeners on the platform. While both Spotify and Apple Music provide similar data, Spotify is more customizable in terms of creating a compelling profile on their platform. The ability to write a sizable bio, upload multiple images, and create personal artist playlists all make Spotify for Artists a worthy time investment over Apple Music.
Playlist Placement
Getting placed on a popular playlist can be the launching pad that gains an artist a massive following very quickly, so it’s in their best interest to put their music in front of as many playlist curators as possible. Spotify makes this a simple task, with a dedicated tool for pitching new releases to Spotify curators (so long as the pitch is made before the track’s release). In addition to Spotify curators, the platform is filled with thousands of private users, all making their own personal playlists, many of whom are relatively easy to get in touch with and pitch music to. On the other hand, Apple Music playlists are curated entirely by Apple’s editorial team, and there isn’t a simple way to put music in front of them. It usually requires an already established following or a music distributor with good connections. So, for an upstart independent artist, Spotify playlist placement is well worth dedicating time and energy to, unlike Apple Music.
The User Base
While both Spotify and Apple Music have a vast user base, Spotify boasts an impressive 286-million users to Apple Music’s 60-million, making it the far more used platform. Spotify’s ubiquity can’t be overlooked either, as its integration with Instagram (and by proxy Facebook) makes it the default service for sharing music on social media, another critical aspect of building any musician’s following. That in itself makes Spotify much more independent artist-friendly and gives it one more edge over Apple Music.
While Apple and Spotify both dominate large corners of the music streaming market, there is a clear advantage to using Spotify when it comes to independent music. Its customization, wide user base, and playlist accessibility all make it an ideal platform for independent artists looking to build their audience.