How to Get More Streams on Your Music (for free)

March 23, 2025

You’ve spent hours perfecting your beats, writing lyrics, and mixing your track... but when you release it, the numbers just aren’t there. Low streams, no engagement, and a handful of plays from your friends.

It’s frustrating, but the good news? You don’t need to be famous or signed to a label to rack up streams. With the right strategy, you can get your music in front of the right audience and start seeing real growth.

Here’s how to get more streams on your music without relying on luck or algorithms. Our multi-platinum production team has countless plaques and hundreds of millions of streams. You're in good hands!

Step 1: Optimize Your Music for Streaming Success

Before promoting your music, make sure it’s ready to compete with industry-level releases. If your song is mixed poorly, lacks a strong hook, or not engaging enough, all the marketing in the world won’t help.

1. Get a High-Quality Mix & Master

A bad mix makes listeners skip your song within seconds.
Compare your track to industry-level songs...does it sound clean, balanced, and loud enough?
Use free, high quality mixing and mastering plugins to get professional quality on a budget.

2. Make the First 10 Seconds Count

Most people decide within a few seconds if they’ll keep listening.
Start with something attention-grabbing: a catchy melody, vocal hook, or unique sound.
Avoid long, slow intros unless the genre demands it, get to the point fast.

3. Create a Loop-Friendly Song Structure

Spotify and Apple Music pay per stream, and a stream counts after 30 seconds, so the goal is repeat listens.
If your song is engaging and loopable, people will listen multiple times, increasing your total plays.
Some artists intentionally structure their songs so the ending flows smoothly back into the beginning.

🔥 Pro Tip: Shorter songs (2-3 minutes) often perform better because they get replayed more often. People get sick of them slower!

Step 2: Use Playlists to Your Advantage

Playlists are one of the fastest ways to rack up streams. If your track gets added to a popular playlist, it can generate thousands of plays on autopilot.

1. Submit to Spotify Editorial Playlists

Spotify has official curated playlists (like RapCaviar, Fresh Finds, or Chill Vibes).
You can submit your song for free through Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release.

2. Target Independent Playlist Curators

There are thousands of independent playlist owners on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Many playlist curators accept submissions, some for free, some for a small fee.
Look for playlists that match your genre and vibe, then reach out via email or social media.

3. Make Your Own Playlist

Build a playlist with similar artists in your genre and include your own song.
Promote your playlist instead of just your song, people are more likely to follow a playlist than a single track.

🔥 Pro Tip: Search for “Submit Music” + [Your Genre] on Google to find blogs and playlist curators accepting music submissions.

Step 3: Master Social Media (Without Feeling Cringe)

Love it or hate it, social media is essential for growing your music. But the trick is using it the right way, not just spamming “listen to my song” links.

1. Use Short-Form Videos (TikTok, Reels, Shorts)

Short videos (15-60 seconds) are the easiest way to go viral.
Showcase catchy parts of your song, behind-the-scenes footage, or remix trends.
Study how artists like Yeat, Iann Dior, and Ice Spice used TikTok to blow up.
Create slowed, sped up, slowed + reverb, instrumental, and more "epic" versions of your song. Often songs that blow up are a VARIATION of the original song.

2. Turn Your Song Into a Trend

Find a catchy part of your song that works for a challenge or meme format.
Encourage people to use your sound, offer shoutouts or giveaways for the best videos.
TikTok and Instagram favor original sounds, if people use your track, the algorithm boosts it.
Streaming platforms often let you promote a "pre save link". This drastically alters how likely you are to end up on big playlists as your track is released.

3. Don’t Just Promote... Engage!

Reply to comments, collab with other artists, and interact with your audience.
Share funny stories, studio clips, or music struggles (relatable content works best).
Post consistently, not every post will go viral, but one good video can change everything.

🔥 Pro Tip: If one video flops, don’t delete it, sometimes, they take off days or weeks later.

Step 4: Get Press & Blog Features

Being featured on blogs, music websites, and YouTube channels can help build credibility and attract new listeners.

1. Submit to Music Blogs

Many blogs feature independent artists, some even do free write-ups.
Look for sites that have covered similar artists and send a short, personalized email.
Some popular music blogs:
- Lyrical Lemonade (Hip-Hop & Rap)
- Pigeons & Planes (Indie & Alternative)
- HillyDilly (Electronic & Pop)

2. Get Featured on YouTube Channels

Channels like Trap Nation, Majestic Casual, and MrSuicideSheep feature new music.
Submit your song for a potential feature (some channels charge, some are free).

🔥 Pro Tip: Keep your email pitch short and to the point, blog editors get hundreds of submissions daily.

Step 5: Use Smart Paid Promotion (If You Have a Budget)

If you’re serious about getting more streams faster, investing in targeted ads can help.

1. Run Facebook & Instagram Ads

Target people who already like similar artists to yours.
Keep the first 3 seconds of your ad engaging (use your best hook).
Send traffic to a page where the user can select their streaming platform. Sending an Apple Music user to Spotify won't work.
If the link you use is a "deep link", it will open in a given streaming app, YouTube app, or whatever else you set it to. The built in browser on social media is often not a good place to send users.

2. Try YouTube Ads for Music Videos

YouTube’s ad system is great for promoting songs, especially for visuals.
Aim for people watching music in your genre (don’t waste money on random viewers).

3. Avoid Bot Streams & Fake Promotion

Buying fake streams might boost numbers short-term, but it kills your long-term growth.
Spotify can detect fake plays and may remove your music from playlists.
Focus on real listeners who will come back for more.

🔥 Pro Tip: Test small ad budgets first, $5-$10/day can go a long way if targeted well.

Final Thoughts

Getting more streams on your music isn’t about luck, it’s about strategy.

By optimizing your music, leveraging playlists, using social media, getting press, and running smart ads, you can grow your audience and increase your plays organically.

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