Your tracks, prioritized for discovery

With Discovery Mode, artists and labels identify songs that are a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithms that determine personalized listening sessions. This signal increases the likelihood of the selected songs being recommended, but does not guarantee it.

But it only works if fans love it too. We take note when a listener isn’t engaging with a song — including those in Discovery Mode — and factor this in when determining what to recommend in the future. It’s all about harmony.

Get a say in personalized discovery

Today, 33% of all discoveries on Spotify happen via personalized recommendations in algorithmic contexts. With Discovery Mode, artist teams can signal which tracks are most important to them within Spotify Mixes, Radio & Autoplay.

Build your fanbase where people listen

Discovery Mode can help drive longer-term fanbase growth. Statistical modeling shows that, on average, artists see +50% in saves, +44% in user playlist adds, and +37% in follows during the first month of Discovery Mode.

Find new fans abroad

Today, 58% of all first-time artist discoveries from tracks in Discovery Mode are from listeners outside of the artist’s home country. Additionally, on average, tracks in Discovery Mode are streamed in 100 markets during the campaign period.

Now available in over ninety markets in Spotify for Artists

Discovery Mode is available directly in Spotify for Artists for eligible artists that distribute songs through participating distributors. Labels can continue to access Discovery Mode through our partnerships team. Watch the video to learn more.

Define your priorities

Spotify drives 16 billion artist discoveries every month — meaning 16 billion times a month, fans listen to an artist they have never heard before on Spotify. The personalized recommendations on Spotify take in thousands of signals, but to date they’re not influenced by the voices who are otherwise the star of the show.

We believe our personalized recommendations should also be informed by artists — their priorities and what they have to say about their music. With Discovery Mode, they can turn it on when it’s working. Turn it off when it’s not. The control is in their hands, always.

Because after all, no-one knows what matters to an artist more than them. Here are examples of how Discovery Mode can help artists reach their goals:

Turn it on when prepping for a new release

Discovery Mode works alongside your new release roll out strategy. Use it to remind fans of your best tracks ahead of time, and then drive attention to other parts of your catalog when your new release hits fever pitch.

Read Magic City Hippies' Case Study

Turn it on when building on a moment

Song going viral? Trending like never before? Switch on Discovery Mode to expand the reach of your music in the moment. Culture moves at light speed, and Discovery Mode is made for you to make quick decisions.

Read Terrace Martin's Case Study

Turn it on when reinvigorating your fans

For artists with a legacy, Discovery Mode can help songs in an extensive catalog get another moment in the sun. Whether in support of a reunion tour or a new compilation, your music has the chance to be rediscovered.

Read Natalie Perez's Case Study

Turn it on when celebrating a milestone

When celebrating big moments in your career, encourage your fans to return to the songs that made everything possible. Simply select the songs you’d like to prioritize to reconnect with longtime fans and draw in new ones.

Read ODIE's Case Study

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Discovery Mode is different. There's no upfront cost.

A UNIVERSAL TOOL

Discovery Mode is a different type of tool for music marketers: There’s no upfront cost. This gives artists at any stage of their career, anywhere in the world, the opportunity to participate. It’s universal. Here's how payment works:

HOW IT WORKS

When an artist or label turns on Discovery Mode for a song, Spotify charges a commission on streams of that song in areas of the platform where Discovery Mode is active. All other streams of the same song in other areas of the platform are commission-free.

NO UPFRONT COST

The commission is a percentage of revenue generated on those select streams. This marketing cost is deducted from future Spotify statements, so no upfront cash budgets are required.

INSPIRE DISCOVERY

In testing, we’ve found that Discovery Mode can inspire further, commission-free exploration of an artist’s catalog. During the first month that a track is opted-in to Discovery Mode, streams within Radio & Autoplay often lead to downstream, organic streams in other areas of Spotify as well.

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What our partners are saying

Thousands of artists and a diverse set of labels and distributors have used Discovery Mode. And we’re getting good feedback. Here’s what partners are saying:

BEN PATTERSONBEN PATTERSON

“

Discovery Mode helps introduce the music of our global artist roster to more engaged listeners and future fans across borders. Our clients are enthusiastic with the results and have included Discovery Mode in their release strategy. As part of a well-rounded digital campaign, deploying Discovery Mode has helped create impactful growth for our artists across total streams, monthly listeners, and followers and demonstrated growth outside of Spotify's own platform as well.

—BEN PATTERSON—BEN PATTERSON

PRESIDENT, DOWNTOWN ARTIST AND LABEL SERVICES

“

Believe supports Spotify Discovery Mode, as it is highly innovative and beneficial for independent artists. The program’s democratizing power will enable a wider community of artists to benefit from promoting their music. Discovery Mode is helping artists cross borders, especially ones from territories that historically haven’t had equal access to the global music industry stage. And, in these early tests, we’re already witnessing how the program is helping talented Believe and TuneCore artists from all over the world gain significant exposure to new listeners.

—DENIS LADEGAILLERIE—DENIS LADEGAILLERIE

CEO, Believe

“

Discovery Mode has proven to be a great way to widen Hunter [Hayes]’s reach as his sound continues to evolve. I’m always looking for ways to connect Hunter’s music to new fans, and this platform exposes his music to hundreds of thousands of new listeners, and has contributed significantly to overall audience growth and engagement.

—VALERIE SIZEMORE—VALERIE SIZEMORE

MANAGER, HUNTER HAYES

“

At TuneCore, we believe there’s never been a better time for independent artists worldwide. We’re seeing a paradigm shift where an artist’s success is no longer tied to radio or traditional mainstream media; artists are in the driver’s seat. That means marketing tools also need to evolve to better fit artists’ needs for the digital era. Discovery Mode will not only benefit artists who may not have the budget to hire outside agencies and fund media placement, but it also maximizes the reach of the music, based on the merit of the music - not because a gatekeeper said so. If the music’s good, Discovery Mode will help artists find new fans.

—ANDREEA GLEESON—ANDREEA GLEESON

CEO, TUNECORE

“

When we’re trying to reach new audiences in the current music market we’re always looking for ways we can see a measurable impact on our artists’ audiences. This is especially hard to accomplish after the all important first week promotion. When added to our overall marketing campaigns, Discovery Mode is one of the most cost effective ways that we’ve seen to build an audience and bring meaningful financial results for our independent artists.

—JEREMY GRUBER—JEREMY GRUBER

HEAD OF DIGITAL, FRIENDS AT WORK

“

Discovery Mode is a groundbreaking music marketing tool because it doesn't require any upfront budget. Discovery Mode makes it possible for independent artists at every level to reach new fans in a whole new way.

—PHILIP KAPLAN—PHILIP KAPLAN

CEO, DISTROKID

“

For me, Discovery Mode is a game changer. It enhances the standard ways my music is presented and discovered on Spotify, and the results were absolutely amazing! I reached new listeners on Spotify, gained a lot of new followers on social media, and even saw increases in streams on my songs and ticket sales that were mind blowing. 100% worth it.

—SAM RIGGS—SAM RIGGS

ARTIST

“

As an independent artist, knowing where to put your money to market your music is hard. So is coming up with enough funding. Spotify fixes this issue with this new feature. It helps me reach highly targeted people and turn them into lifelong fans. The results speak for themselves and I would highly recommend it to anyone searching for creative ways to reach new fans without a big record label budget!

—RYAN OAKES—RYAN OAKES

ARTIST

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