Spotify is one of the most powerful platforms for artists to share their music with the world. Reaching 1 million streams on Spotify is a major milestone. So how to get 1 million streams on Spotify? While it might seem daunting, it’s achievable with the right strategies. All in all, artists must understand how to use the Spotify algorithms and have a realistic timeframe for your unique project. 

If you’re wondering what makes me a credible source for achieving 1 million streams? I’m Todd McCarty, a long time music industry veteran with billions of streams on my resume. Consequently, I’ve served as a Vice President at Sony Music USA, and was a longtime executive at powerhouse indie label Fearless Records.

I’ve Done It Many Times

Over the years (and presently), I’ve developed some of the biggest artists on the planet like Portugal. The Man, Pierce The Veil, Motionless In White, Plain White T’s, I Prevail, Mayday Parade, Catch Your Breath and more. I currently manage artists, consult for artists and record labels, and run BandBuilderAcademy.com where my members have access to me through the academy and coaching calls. 

I’m Still Doing It, Right Now.

I live and breathe Spotify promotion and not a month goes by that I don’t help my clients hit their first million streams. Take pop artist Ella Red “I Like You Best” for example who did it in October of 2024, or the rock band ShallowSky who first hit 1 million in November of 2024 and Kennedy One (EDM) in December. In the blues genre the Chase Walker Band recently hit 1 million. And there’s many more like Dead Eyes (rock), or in other genres like children’s music (Lah-Lah and Scripture Lullabies), or Raphael Lake (alternative), holiday music, and cover songs (Punk Goes compilation series). 

Why 1 Million Streams Matters

One million streams isn’t just a number; it’s a symbol of your music resonating with a large audience. Here’s why this milestone is crucial:

• • Exposure: Spotify’s algorithms favor tracks with higher engagement, pushing your music to more listeners through curated playlists like Discover Weekly and Radio. There is also a very powerful and complex thing called the Spotify recommendation engine that goes far beyond playlists.

• • Longevity: Typically if a song reaches one million streams, it will be entrenched in the Spotify recommendation engine for a long time, and could compound for years and years in the future.

• • Monetary Gains: Currently one million streams means earning between $3,000 and $5,000. That bothers me and should bother you too, but that subject is for another day. Meanwhile read about how to make the most money with music and collect music royalties. 

• • Credibility: This milestone boosts your reputation among fans, industry professionals, and playlist curators. 

Step-by-Step Guide How to get 1 Million Streams on Spotify

1. Understand the Spotify Algorithm

Spotify’s algorithm, particularly features like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, is designed to recommend tracks that resonate with listeners. Certainly the initial promotion of a great song is the starting point to get to one million streams, but it is the algorithm that helps speed up the process. To get noticed:

• • Engagement is key: Focus on getting listeners to save, share, and add your songs to playlists.

• • Promote your song Off-Spotify as well as On-Spotify. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and influencers. 

• • Keep promoting your focus song even when you promote your newest song: Don’t assume that your newest song coming up is the one that will hit 1 Million. It’s not your newest song, but the “best” song that will reach 1 million first. It takes time, so don’t give up quickly on your top performing song. Stay with it. 

2. Create High-Quality Music

Quality always comes first. Before anything else, ensure your music stands out and is well written and produced:

• • Invest in production: Work with professional producers that have a track record of not just making great “sounding” music but music that is catchy or way above average. 

• • Great music, not simply good music. The algorithms and fans have so much good music, what they really value is exceptionally great music. 

• • Every stream is a test. Ultimately the listeners determine which songs rise up in the algorithms. Listeners vote with their ears, thumbs, and dragging songs into their personal playlist, saving them, and sharing them. 

3. Leverage Spotify’s Algorithm & Playlists

While not as important as many Google and YouTube gurus would have you believe, playlists do play a key role in gaining streams and fan discovery:

• • Submit to Spotify’s editorial playlists: Use Spotify for Artists to pitch your songs. I’ve got a very powerful lesson inside BandBuilderAcademy.com on this very subject. You can download this Free PDF (Best Song Workflow) to get a more in depth look at my strategies. 

• • Create your own playlists: Mix your music with popular tracks to attract listeners.

• • Encourage your fans to add your best song and your newest song to their personal playlists. 

• • Do Not, I repeat do not submit for 3rd Party playlist promotion or general music blog playlists. That is an old tired strategy that does not work. It’s only a way for uninformed music promoters to make money. They are going to hurt your chances of achieving high engagement and possibly kill your algorithms. 

Notice on this image below how much “algorithmic playlists” makeup the source of streams. Furthermore the majority of playlists are “listeners own playlists” and NOT “other listeners playlists” (that’s a key distinction)

4. Engage Social Media and Influencer Collaborations

Social media is now the single biggest driver of traffic from outside of Spotify and music services back to the services.

• • Leverage the audiences of influencers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, and Twitch.

• • Short-form videos: Use TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to showcase your music.

• • Storytelling: Share the story behind your songs to create emotional connections.

• • Consistency: Post regularly and interact with your audience.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE PDF – BEST SONG WORKFLOW. Did you like this article How to Get 1 Million Streams on Spotify? Get specific steps and workflow for how to release your next song and start working towards 1 million streams.

5. Collaborate With Other Artists

Collaborations are great for discovery and will expand your reach, especially if you share a similar audience.  

• • Feature artists: Work with musicians who share a similar audience. Features do not fully leverage the other artist’s algorithms, but sometimes there is a positive effect.

• • Co-releases: Jointly release your song as a two-primary artist release. This enables you to leverage both of your algorithms.

• • Cross-promotion: Share each other’s music on playlists and social platforms.

6. Run Paid Promotions

A small investment in ads can have a significant impact:

• • Social media ads: Promote your music through Instagram & Facebook (recommended), or TikTok ads.

• • Influencer marketing: Partner with influencers to showcase your tracks.

• • I don’t give Spotify Ads my recommendation. Firstly, through much testing and analysis, I’ve come to learn that Showcase and Marquee ads are too expensive and the users don’t like seeing them. These generic ads don’t drive engagement nearly as well as custom ads on Meta and YouTube. Meanwhile, if you’d like to inquire about our ad strategies please inquire by filling out this form. https://forms.gle/3J1syNuotTncA96H6

7. Engage With Fans Directly

Your fans are your biggest promoters:

• • Host listening parties: Use platforms like Discord or Clubhouse.

• • Email marketing: Build a mailing list and send exclusive updates about your music.

• • Fan incentives: Offer exclusive content or discounts on merchandise to engage your audience.

8. Analyze Your Performance

Data is your best friend:

• • Spotify for Artists: Track your listener demographics, top-performing tracks, and playlist additions.

• • Study and get in tune with the various types of algorithms. You can learn about them in great detail in Band Builder Academy, and I give you a step by step process 

• • Refine strategies: For instance, use analytics to see what’s working and adjust your efforts accordingly. Accordingly, each genre has their own unique quirks and cultures, so learn those in your own genre. 

9. Stay Tenacious but Patient

Success on Spotify will happen gradually in most cases. Many folks will tell you that releasing a song every week or every two weeks is what worked for them. While I appreciate their tenacity, there’s no truth to that. I can assure you that your favorite artists didn’t get popular for how frequently they released music. It’s how great that music was, and how quickly it made people save it, or add it to a playlist, follow, or dig deeper into their profile and catalog.  

• • Release new songs with vigor and passion, but don’t forget about your top performing song. That’s the one that will most likely reach 1 million streams first and expand your audience. The song that gets you to 1 million will raise it’s hand and be obvious. As a matter of fact, you need to stick with that song and not stop promoting it just because you have new music coming out.

• • Celebrate milestones: Recognize and celebrate your smaller achievements along the way. Don’t focus too much on the volume of people, but the quality of engagement. Super listeners, followers, active listeners; those are the folks that are going to trigger the algorithms and recommendation engine to get to 1 million streams and beyond.

• • Adapt and improve: Continuously refine your craft and marketing strategies.

How to Get One Million Streams and Beyond

Getting 1 million streams on Spotify requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and persistence. Identify the one song that already is showing strong signs of getting there, and double down on that song. By producing great music, engaging with fans, leveraging playlists, and running promotions, you can steadily grow your streams to 1 million and beyond. If you need help you can get access to me through Band Builder Academy, Premium Coaching, or my Advertising Agency. 

Start implementing these strategies today, and watch your Spotify streams climb. Have any questions or tips? Share them in the comments below! Don’t forget to bookmark this guide and share it with fellow artists aiming to hit 1 million streams.