Spotify For Artists adds videos, merch & fundraising to Wrapped campaigns

Spotify is offering expanded free tools to help artists make the most of their annual year-end Wrapped campaigns that include the addition of personalized short videos, merch sales, and fundraising.

Spotify calls wrapped “the biggest fan moment of the year,” reaching hundreds of millions of fans, and it has become the perfect time for artists to reinforce and thank fans for their support. Last year about 150 top artists added short video thank yous to their Wrapped campaigns, but this year any artist can post one.

The help artists prepare for the late November launch of Wrapped, Spotify has created a checklist.

1. Add a short video

It’s rare for Spotify to offer artists the ability to communicate directly with their fans at no cost.

• Record a vertical, under-30-second “thank you” video on a standard mobile device
• Make sure your video has no music, singing, or lyrics; no explicit content; no logos or brands; and no added text, graphics, or filters
• Upload via Spotify for Artists on the app or desktop web
• More info here.

2. Sell merch

Spotify will now also promote the 5 merch items merch to the artist’s top fans as a part of Wrapped, starting with the most recently published to Spotify from their Shopify store. Refresh your Spotify merch to have your newest items included.

• Link your Shopify store to Spotify for Artists
• Publish new or exclusive merch to the Spotify Sales Channel through Shopify
• Don’t have a Shopify store? Get started with the Shopify Starter plan for $5 per month.
• Don’t have merch? – Design and list new merch in minutes with Printful, and use the code SPOTIFY20 to get $20 off your first order. Combine it with the Shopify Starter plan to get selling right away.
• More info here

3. Highlight upcoming shows

Wrapped will show personalized concert recommendations to top listeners.

• List concerts on a partner site
• Check your artist profile to make sure the dates are appearing correctly in the On Tour section
• More info here

4. Unite fans around a fundraising goal

Wrapped can now help unite fans around a fundraising goal. Use Fan Support to collect end-of-year tips or donations for a charitable cause.

• Set up a Fan Support link on your profile using the Fan Support tool in Spotify for Artists
• Receive funds via one of our fundraising partners
• More info here

5. Update the artist profile

• Profile Update: Upload a new artist profile image and update your bio to show fans your latest and greatest. 
• Playlist 2022 picks: Create a playlist and use Artist Pick to gift fans your musical favorites of 2022.
• Let fans sing along: Get verified on Musixmatch and sync the lyrics to all tracks.

HYPEBOT TAKEAWAY: Finally, a chance to talk directly to fans on Spotify

Spotify doesn’t give fans many opportunities for artists to communicate directly with their fans. So every artist should upload a short video and use the free tools provided to thank and monetize their fanbase as part of Spotify’s popular year-end Wrapped campaigns.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is also President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.