Releasing a debut album is one of the biggest milestones in any artist’s career. It represents years of creativity, planning, and dedication. But for many independent artists, the hardest part isn’t producing the music, it’s getting it heard.
This was the challenge faced by one up-and-coming EDM producer. After months of production, mixing, and mastering, they finally launched their first full-length album on Spotify. The music was strong, the branding was on point, and early feedback from close friends and collaborators was glowing. Yet when it came to traction on Spotify itself, the album was barely moving.
Streams were low, followers were stagnant, and the all-important monthly listeners count wasn’t growing. The artist had created a great record, but without visibility, it risked being lost in the endless sea of new releases. That’s when they reached out to Socialplug.
The Challenge: Quality Music, No Traction
Spotify is one of the most competitive music platforms in the world. Over 100,000 new tracks are uploaded every single day. For independent artists, even excellent music can disappear without the right push.
Our client’s album had all the ingredients for success, catchy EDM hooks, festival-ready drops, and professional production, but lacked visibility. Their struggles were clear:
As the artist told us during our first consultation:
“It was heartbreaking. I poured everything into this album, but it felt like nobody knew it existed.”
The goal was clear: get the album traction quickly, create credibility, and spark the kind of momentum that would lead to organic growth.
Socialplug’s Strategy
We developed a four-week campaign combining all four of our Spotify growth services: plays, followers, monthly listeners, and saves. The goal was not only to inflate numbers but to strategically create credibility and algorithmic signals.
We also provided organic recommendations to help the artist build sustainability: sharing short-form content on TikTok, running behind-the-scenes Instagram reels, and encouraging fans to add songs to personal playlists.
The Week-by-Week Transformation
Week 1: Breaking the Silence
We started with a foundational boost: 50,000 Spotify plays spread across the album’s top five tracks. Instead of concentrating everything on one single, we distributed plays strategically to show balance and authenticity.
At the same time, the artist’s follower count grew by 2,000, pushing them past the psychological “first thousand” milestone. We provided them with 1800 followers, and the rest were organic. For fans and industry professionals, this immediately made the profile look more credible.
By the end of Week 1:
“For the first time, I felt like my music was being noticed,” the artist said. “It didn’t look like a dead profile anymore.”
Week 2: Establishing Momentum
In the second week, we added another 75,000 plays across the album, bringing total streams well past 150,000 (including the organic play boost). The artist’s monthly listeners count crossed 15,000 (we provided 12,000 of them over two weeks), giving the profile a major credibility boost.
We also focused on saves in this week. Hundreds of fans were now saving tracks, alongside Socialplug’s Spotify saves service, which sent strong signals to Spotify’s algorithm. This triggered small but noticeable playlist placements, an early sign that the strategy was working.
By the end of Week 2:
Week 3 was about expanding reach. We delivered another 100,000 plays across the album, but also emphasized follower growth. We delivered 5,000 followers, but another 3,000 followers joined the artist’s profile themselves, making it clear to outsiders that this was a growing brand, not a hobbyist project.
Monthly listeners surged to over 30,000, a huge milestone for a new artist. The artist also began seeing way more organic traction as fans on social media were sharing Spotify links, and smaller EDM-focused playlists began adding the tracks.
By the end of Week 3:
Week 4: Securing Long-Term Growth
The final week was about sustaining credibility. We added another 100,000 plays, bringing the total to over 500,000. Monthly listeners grew to nearly 50,000, while saves continued to rise, increasing the chances of algorithm-driven exposure.
The artist also followed our advice to promote the boosted numbers on social media. By posting about “100k plays” milestones, they created excitement among existing fans and attracted new ones. The credibility of their Spotify profile made these claims believable and impressive.
By the end of Week 4:
The Results
The four-week transformation turned a struggling debut album into a legitimate breakthrough:
Plays: From Hundreds to Hundreds of Thousands
Before Socialplug, the artist’s songs struggled to break 1,000 streams. After our campaign, the album had more than 500,000 plays, instantly giving it credibility in the EDM scene.
Followers: A Real Fanbase
The artist’s profile grew from fewer than 1,000 followers to over 13,000. This gave them a solid foundation for future releases, as each new song would automatically reach more people.
Monthly Listeners: Proof of Popularity
Monthly listeners grew from around 700 to nearly 50,000, making the artist look like a serious contender instead of a newcomer. This credibility also helped when pitching to promoters and playlist curators.
Saves: Algorithm-Friendly Engagement
Over 15,000 saves ensured that Spotify’s algorithm took notice. As a result, the artist began receiving placements in Discover Weekly and smaller curated playlists, creating real organic exposure.
Organic Lift: Momentum That Lasted
Perhaps the best part: the growth didn’t stop when the campaign ended. With credibility restored, the artist continued to gain organic streams, shares, and playlist placements. The boosted numbers created the spark, but the music kept fans coming back.
Lessons for Independent Artists
This case study highlights a common struggle: great music isn’t enough without visibility. Spotify’s algorithm rewards traction, and without plays, saves, and followers, even excellent albums go unnoticed.
Spotify’s algorithm rewards songs that get streams, followers, and saves quickly. The more people interact with a track or artist, the more likely Spotify is to recommend that music in playlists, “Discover Weekly,” and “Release Radar.”
David Ryabchikov, CEO at Socialplug, says, “"The key with Spotify is not to over-promote your song right away, but buy listeners in steps and let the organic listeners catch up. Buying in bursts ensures that the plays are mixed and the song is reaching the right audience. Artist's life is already hard, so we are happy that we could help some of the upcoming artists reach their goals quicker and start earning sooner"
Without initial traction, even great songs remain invisible. For new artists, this lack of visibility can stall a career before it even begins. Plays, followers, and saves aren’t just vanity metrics, they’re signals that determine whether Spotify’s algorithm will take notice.
By using Socialplug’s services, this EDM artist was able to fast-track the hardest part of the journey, getting noticed. Once credibility was established, the music did the rest, bringing in organic growth and real fans.
Conclusion
For this EDM artist, the debut album was a labor of love that risked being ignored. But in just four weeks, Socialplug helped transform the release into a breakthrough moment. With 500,000+ plays, nearly 50,000 monthly listeners, and thousands of new followers, the artist now had both the numbers and the credibility to stand out in the competitive world of EDM.
Most importantly, they had momentum. The music was finally reaching the ears it deserved, and the artist was once again motivated to keep creating and releasing.
If you’re an independent artist struggling to gain traction, the lesson is simple: visibility is everything. With Socialplug’s Spotify services, plays, followers, monthly listeners, and saves, you can turn a quiet release into a breakthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
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0 Comments
Great tips! I never realized how much engagement impacts growth more than just posting frequently. I've been focusing only on content, but now I see how interacting with my audience can make a difference. Time to step up my strategy!
Super helpful article! I always thought Facebook Groups were just for discussions and never really considered them as a tool for growing followers. The idea of actively engaging and sharing valuable content in relevant groups makes so much sense. I'll definitely start participating more and see how it impacts my page. Thanks for the great advice!