Spotify for Artists: the complete guide to boost your profile and grow your fanbase

If you’re an artist looking to gain more streams, connect with new listeners, and truly make the most of your music on Spotify, there’s one tool you absolutely need to know about: Spotify for Artists.

Think of it as your personal control center for everything you do on the platform. It’s where you customize your artist profile, track who’s listening, pitch your music to playlists, promote concerts, sell merch and get deep insights into your audience.

In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly what Spotify for Artists is, why it’s so important, and how to use it to shape your career. Whether you’re a brand-new musician with your first release or a touring veteran, these tools can help you stand out in a sea of music.

What we're going to talk about:

• What exactly is Spotify for Artists?
• Why Spotify for Artists matters more than ever
• How Spotify for Artists can grow your career
• How to claim and verify your Spotify Artist Profile
• Customizing your Artist Profile
• Using Spotify statistics to your advantage

What exactly is Spotify for Artists?

Spotify for Artists is essentially a personalized dashboard that gives you control over how you present yourself on Spotify and shows you detailed stats about your listeners.

It’s not just a static profile page, it’s a live, dynamic hub that:

• Lets you edit your bio, images and playlists
• Provides data on who’s listening, where they are, and what else they like
• Allows you to submit songs for official playlist consideration
• Helps you plan tours based on real streaming data
• Integrates merch sales and event promotion directly on your profile

If you’ve ever wished you could look behind the curtain and see exactly how your music is performing, this is the way.

Did you know that you can promote your concerts directly on Spotify? Discover how by reading the full article on our blog!

Why Spotify for Artists matters more than ever

Spotify is the largest music streaming platform in the world. For millions of people, it’s the first place they go to discover new music.

Imagine someone hears your name after a live show, through a friend, or in a social media post. Chances are, their next move is to type your name into Spotify. That means your artist profile is often the very first impression you make.

A polished, interesting, and complete profile can turn casual browsers into real fans before they even hit play. And the more complete your profile, the more chances you have to be featured in playlists, both algorithmic and editorial, which are huge drivers of new listeners.

In fact, Spotify says nearly 2 billion first-time listens happen on the platform every single day, and playlists are a big part of that. Whether it’s “Discover Weekly”, “Release Radar” or a niche editorial playlist, these placements can skyrocket your exposure.

There are some platforms that can help you increase your chances of getting your music featured in as many playlists as possible. Did you know it’s often more effective to be included in multiple smaller playlists rather than only in the most popular and widely followed ones?

To make this happen, there are platforms like Matchfy that allow you to promote your music organically, giving you the opportunity to connect with over 8 million playlists.

How Spotify for Artists can grow your career

1. Access to powerful data

Spotify for Artists gives you real-time stats and in-depth audience insights, including:

• Location data: Countries and cities where your tracks are most streamed
• Demographics: Age and gender breakdown of your listeners
• Listening behavior: Whether people found you via your profile, playlists, radio, or another source
• Growth trends: Total streams, monthly listeners, saves, and follower changes over time

This isn’t just trivia, it’s marketing gold. If you see that your latest single is blowing up in Berlin or that your biggest audience is 18–24-year-old listeners in Los Angeles, you can tailor your promotions and ads directly to that group.

2. Smarter music promotion

Instead of guessing where to focus your efforts, you can make data-driven decisions.

Example: Your new single is most popular among women aged 18–27 in New York City. With that info, you could run Instagram or TikTok ads targeted to that exact demographic, increasing your chance of engagement.

You can also track results in real time. If you see a sudden spike in streams on a certain date, you can investigate, maybe a blog featured you or a popular playlist added your track. Once you know what worked, you can repeat or expand on that success.

3. Planning tours and releases

Data from Spotify for Artists can help you decide where to play next or even which track to release as your next single.

For example, maybe you planned to push a certain song, but another “album track” is getting way more organic streams. That’s a sign it’s connecting with people so why not give it a bigger push, create a video, or submit it for playlist spots?

For touring, you can show promoters proof that you already have a local fanbase, making it easier to book gigs and sell tickets. You can even target specific cities with ads and connect with local media to maximize your impact.

4. Increasing playlist exposure

Playlists are one of the most effective ways to grow your audience on Spotify. With Spotify for Artists, you can see exactly which playlists your songs are on, who curates them, and how many streams they bring in.

That information helps you:

• Build relationships with curators already supporting your music
• Target similar playlists for future releases
• Strengthen your pitches to Spotify’s editorial team

Editorial playlists, the ones curated by Spotify’s own staff, account for more than half of total listening time on the platform, so getting featured there can be a game-changer.

How to claim and verify your Spotify Artist Profile

The process is simple and no longer requires a certain number of followers:

• Download the Spotify for Artists app or visit the official website.
• Click Claim and follow the prompts.
• Log in with your Spotify account (free or paid).
• Search for and select your artist profile.
• Enter your Spotify Artist URI if needed.
• Complete the verification — this can take a few days to a few weeks.

Once verified, you’ll get the coveted blue check mark and full access to all customization tools.

Customizing your Artist Profile

Your profile is your storefront. Here’s how to make it stand out:

• Profile & header images: Use high-quality, on-brand visuals. Avoid blurry or low-res shots unless it’s part of your aesthetic.
• Bio: Keep it short, engaging, and focused on what makes you unique. Mention your background, influences, and recent projects.
• Image gallery: Add up to 125 photos, from live shows to behind-the-scenes moments to connect with fans visually.
• Events: Sync with partners like Ticketmaster or Eventbrite so fans can see where you’re playing next.
• Merch: Sell shirts, vinyl, posters, and more via Shopify integration.
• Artist playlists: Curate your own music alongside tracks that inspire you.
• Artist’s Pick: Pin a release, playlist, or event to the top of your page for extra visibility.

Using Spotify statistics to your advantage

Spotify for Artists divides your insights into two main areas: Music and Audience.

• Music stats: See streams, listeners, saves, and playlist performance for each track or release.
• Audience stats: Understand your active listeners, where they found your music, and their demographics.

These insights are more than numbers, they’re a roadmap for growing your career. If you see that a certain country is embracing your music, maybe it’s time to connect with a local artist for a collaboration or translate part of your lyrics into that language.

Turning data and tools into real growth

Mastering Spotify for Artists isn’t just about making your profile look professional, it’s about building a complete strategy for growing your audience, increasing your streams, and making informed decisions that move your career forward.

But Spotify for Artists is only part of the equation. To truly maximize your reach, you also need to think beyond your own profile and tap into the power of playlists. That’s where platforms like Matchfy come in. Instead of hoping to land in one or two big playlists, Matchfy helps you connect with a massive network of over 8 million playlists worldwide, making it easier to get your songs featured across hundreds of smaller, highly targeted playlists that can generate steady, organic growth over time.