Welcome [back] to another week of your weekly dose 🎶

Every Tuesday, I’ll be sharing tips, updates, and must-know music marketing insights to help you get your music heard!

By Finch Bergling

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This week's newsletter is sponsored by... me 😀

I would like to introduce you to "More Than Streams 🧩" - the weekly music marketing podcast that will teach you how to get, you guessed it, more than streams.

Listen to the most relevant music marketing tips, case studies, interviews, and everything you need to grow your music career.

Today's episode - "SubmitHub's Founder Reveals What Actually Works w/ Jason Grishkoff"

LISTEN TO MORE THAN STREAMS 🧩

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Your Weekly Tip

I've been advocating for combining playlists with Meta ads since day one, but it was great to have Jason from SubmitHub confirm on this week's podcast that this is exactly what's working for successful artists.

After seeing both sides as a musician and curator, I know this strategy works, and hearing the founder of the biggest playlist submission platform break down the same numbers I've been sharing just validates what we already know.

If you're only doing playlists or only doing ads, you're missing half the equation.

When you combine them strategically, you create the signals Spotify needs to actually push your music algorithmically instead of hoping for the best.
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Why playlists alone aren't enough

Playlists are incredible for getting streams quickly and cheaply.

Run a solid SubmitHub campaign targeting the right curators in your genre, and you can hit that crucial 1,000 streams within 28 days that Spotify needs to promote your song further.

Plus, when you get placed on genre-specific playlists, you're teaching Spotify's algorithm where your music belongs by associating your song with similar artists.

But here's what really opened my eyes - playlists typically only generate a 1-2% save rate. That means out of every 100 people who hear your song on a playlist, only one or two actually save it to their library.

That's not a strong enough signal to trigger Spotify's algorithmic playlists like Discover Weekly or Release Radar.

Meta ads, on the other hand, can generate save rates of 40% or higher because you're targeting people on Facebook and Instagram based on very specific interests that align with your musical style.

When someone clicks through from your ad to listen on Spotify, they're much more likely to save the song because they actively chose to check it out.
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Here's a little budget breakdown

Let's say you have $500 to promote a song. Here's exactly how to split it based on what's actually working for independent artists:

$200 for Meta ads: This is where the magic happens for your save rate. You're looking at roughly 50 cents to a dollar per stream, so $200 might get you 200-400 streams, but with those crucial high-engagement signals that Spotify's algorithm loves.

$150 for SubmitHub playlist campaigns: Target 20-30 curators in your specific genre. With a decent approval rate, you'll get placed on 5-15 playlists, which should generate those quick streams you need to hit the 1,000 milestone and teach the algorithm about your music's placement.

$150 buffer for testing and optimization: Your first campaign won't be perfect. Use this to test different ad targeting, try additional playlist submissions, or double down on what's working.

The genius is in how these two strategies complement each other.

Let's say your playlist campaign gets you 800 streams with 16 saves (that 2% save rate).

Then your Meta ad campaign brings in another 300 streams with 120 saves (40% save rate).

Suddenly, Spotify sees 136 saves out of 1,100 total streams, which is over 12% - a much stronger signal that people actually love your music.
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What happens next is where it gets exciting

Jason shared an example of an artist who spent $140 on Meta ads and $50 on playlisting.

He got his initial streams through that combination, but then over the next few weeks, he picked up another 7,000-8,000 streams from algorithmic playlists because he had sent those strong signals to Spotify.

That's the momentum you're building toward.

Spotify doesn't forget these signals, so when you release your next song, the algorithm already has an idea of where you belong and how your music performs.

Each release builds on the last one, creating that snowball effect that eventually leads to editorial playlist consideration and real career growth.

Playlists provide the volume and genre context, Meta ads provide the engagement signals, and together they create a complete picture of an artist worth supporting.

If you only have $200 to spend, split it $120 for ads and $80 for playlists. If you have $1,000, go $400 for ads, $300 for playlists, and $300 for testing and scaling what works.

The artists who understand this formula are the ones building sustainable careers on Spotify, while everyone else is still wondering why their playlist placements never turn into growth.

What's your current promotion budget, and how are you splitting it? Reply and tell me - I'm curious if you're already doing this or if it's time to adjust your strategy!
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P.S. The full step-by-step playlists and ad video tutorials can be found inside my Your First Hit Song 2026 Program!

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Your Weekly Reel Idea

A small artist posts a video asking his audience to guess the exact release date of his upcoming song. He promises to send the song pre-release to whoever gets it right, then performs a snippet of the song.

Simple concept that creates engagement through the guessing game, gives people a reason to comment, and naturally promotes the new music while offering an exclusive incentive.

📝 Want to watch this full content idea + 300 more? Find this and hundreds of other proven content ideas inside my 'Content Vault'. Click here to unlock lifetime access to the full collection - never run out of content ideas again!

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Let's work together

• ​Submit your music to my Spotify Playlists.
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• Make your next song a hit with Your First Hit Song 2026.
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• ​Book a 1-1 consultation.
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• ​Build a playlist and grow your streams, email list and fanbase.

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Discounts & Links 🔗

• Get 10% off on SubmitHub​
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• Get ​7.5% off your first campaign on Playlist Push - use code finch
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• Get 40% off your first month on PlaylistSupply - use code finch40
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• Get 40% off your first month on Booking-Agent.io - use code finch40
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• Get 40% off your first month on RadioPromo.io - use code finch40​
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• Get 7% off on DistroKid​

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That’s it for this week! Hope today’s email gave you something useful to work with.

Until next week, Finch 🎶

P.S. Newsletters aren’t social media - I can’t see what you’re enjoying unless you tell me. Hit reply and let me know what you liked (or didn’t) - I’d love to hear from you! 😊

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