Spotify
Spotify offers one of the most robust toolkits for artists. Once you’ve claimed your Spotify for Artists profile, you can access these powerful promotional features.
Portal: artists.spotify.com
Important Spotify Policies
Before promoting on Spotify, understand these key requirements that affect how your music performs:
Royalty Eligibility Threshold
Tracks must receive at least 1,000 streams to be eligible for royalty payments. This policy helps ensure royalties are distributed to music that reaches a meaningful audience.
Functional/Ambient Audio Rules
White noise, rain sounds, sleep music, and similar “functional” audio content has special rules:
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum length | 2 minutes per track |
| Royalty rate | Reduced (fraction of music track value) |
| Artist name | Cannot use generic names (see below) |
Prohibited Artist Names
Spotify prohibits generic artist names. These cannot be used:
- Sleep Music, Rain Sounds, White Noise, Nature Sounds
- Workout Music, Gym Beats, Meditation
- Relaxation, Chill, Lo-Fi Beats
- Christmas Hits, Holiday Music, Top Hits
Use your actual artist/project name instead. Content using generic names may be removed from Spotify.
Credit Requirements
Composer and Lyricist must use full legal names - not aliases, stage names, or initials. This ensures proper rights attribution with publishing societies.
Artist Limits
Spotify allows a maximum of 3 main artists per release. If you have more than 3 main artists, use “Various Artists” as the primary artist at the release level.
LabelGrid handles this automatically: If you add more than 3 artists, our system displays “Various Artists” on Spotify while preserving individual artist credits on platforms that support more.
Canvas
Canvas is a short looping visual (3-8 seconds) that plays behind your track on the Spotify mobile app. Think of it as album artwork for the streaming age.
What Canvas Does
- Loops continuously while your song plays on mobile
- Appears when fans share your track to Instagram Stories or Snapchat
- Helps your music stand out in a listener’s queue
- Can be added to any track, including upcoming releases
Canvas Requirements
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Length | 3-8 seconds |
| Format | MP4 or JPEG (for static) |
| Orientation | Vertical (9:16 aspect ratio) |
| Resolution | 720px wide minimum |
| File size | Under 10MB |
| Loop | Must loop seamlessly |
How to Add a Canvas
- Go to artists.spotify.com
- Navigate to Music → select your track
- Click Add Canvas
- Upload your video or image
- Preview how it loops
- Submit for review (usually approved within 24 hours)
Tip: Create Canvas content that matches the mood of your song. Abstract visuals, behind-the-scenes footage, or lyric animations work well.
For detailed guidance, see Spotify’s Canvas help article.
Promo Cards
Promo Cards are shareable graphics you can create directly in Spotify for Artists to promote your music on social media.
Types of Promo Cards
| Card Type | When Available |
|---|---|
| Release Card | When you have a new release |
| Milestone Card | When you hit stream milestones (1K, 10K, 100K, 1M, etc.) |
| Playlist Card | When added to editorial playlists |
| Follower Card | When you reach follower milestones |
| Chart Card | When your track enters Top 50 Global Weekly |
| Wrapped Card | During Spotify Wrapped season |
How to Create Promo Cards
- Go to promocards.byspotify.com
- Sign in with your Spotify for Artists account
- Select the card type you want to create
- Customize colors and layout
- Download and share on your social channels
Tip: Promo Cards include a “Play on Spotify” link - great for converting social followers into listeners.
Clips
Clips are short, vertical videos (under 30 seconds) tagged with your music. They appear in a dedicated Clips tab on your artist profile.
What Clips Can Include
- Behind-the-scenes footage
- Studio sessions
- Tour moments
- Personal messages to fans
- Anything that invites fans into your creative process
How to Post Clips
- Open the Spotify for Artists mobile app
- Tap the + button
- Select Clip
- Record or upload a video (under 30 seconds)
- Tag it to one of your tracks
- Add a caption and post
Playlist Pitching
Pitch your upcoming releases directly to Spotify’s editorial team for playlist consideration.
Key Rules
- Must pitch at least 7 days before release
- Only one song per release can be pitched
- Pitching doesn’t guarantee placement
- You can only pitch unreleased music
How to Pitch
- Go to artists.spotify.com
- Navigate to Music → Upcoming
- Select your unreleased track
- Click Pitch a song
- Fill out the pitch form:
- Genre and mood
- Song description
- Cultural context
- Instruments and recording location
- Submit your pitch
Tip: Be specific and authentic in your pitch. Mention the story behind the song, any notable collaborators, or upcoming promotional plans.
For more details, see Spotify’s playlist pitching guide.
Artist Pick
Artist Pick lets you highlight content at the top of your profile. It could be:
- A new release
- A playlist you curated
- An upcoming concert
- A podcast episode
How to Set an Artist Pick
- Go to artists.spotify.com
- Navigate to Profile → Artist Pick
- Select what you want to feature
- Add an optional message (140 characters)
- Set an end date if you want it to expire
Marquee (Paid)
Marquee is Spotify’s paid promotional tool that shows a full-screen recommendation to listeners who have shown interest in your music.
How Marquee Works
- Targets listeners who’ve engaged with your music before
- Full-screen takeover when they open Spotify
- Links directly to your new release
- Pay per click (varies by market)
When to Use Marquee
- New album or EP releases
- Important single drops
- Re-engaging dormant listeners
Marquee is available to eligible artists through the Spotify for Artists dashboard under Campaigns.
Showcase (Paid)
Showcase places your release at the top of Spotify’s Home feed for targeted listeners.
- Appears as a sponsored card on Home
- Targets based on listening history
- Pay per click model
- Available in select markets
Discovery Mode
Discovery Mode lets you signal to Spotify that a track is a priority, which may increase its likelihood of being recommended in algorithmic playlists like Release Radar and Radio.
Key Points
- No upfront cost
- You agree to a promotional royalty rate for streams from Discovery Mode placements
- Not available for all tracks or artists
Lyrics (via Musixmatch)
To display lyrics on your Spotify tracks:
- Create an account at artists.musixmatch.com
- Verify your artist identity
- Add or correct lyrics for your songs
- Sync lyrics to timestamps (for karaoke-style display)
Verified lyrics appear on Spotify and can be shared to Instagram Stories.
See Spotify’s lyrics guide for more details.
Music Videos (Beta)
Spotify has been rolling out music video support:
- Available in 100+ markets as of 2025
- Upload through Spotify for Artists
- Appears on your track’s page
Contact your LabelGrid representative for details on video delivery.
Best Practices
- Plan ahead - Pitch playlists 7+ days before release
- Use Canvas - Tracks with Canvas get more saves and shares
- Celebrate milestones - Create Promo Cards for every achievement
- Post Clips regularly - Keep fans engaged between releases
- Update Artist Pick - Rotate featured content to keep profile fresh
- Add lyrics - Listeners engage more with tracks that have lyrics