Setting up a Facebook ad account can be a daunting process, especially when you're just getting started. But whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, there are a few things you can do to make sure you're set up for success. 

These are the five basic setup guidelines I've come to use when creating a Facebook ad account to send traffic to Spotify. These steps will help you stay organized, grow your business, and simplify your music marketing efforts. 

Use these five tips to set up your Facebook ads for Spotify. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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At the beginning of 2021, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) exploded in popularity. And though the hype may have lessened over the past several months, rest assured, the potential isn't going anywhere. 

If you're an independent artist looking to expand your business and your brand, you need to be paying attention to NFTs and crypto at large. The creator economy is just getting started, and NFTs are an amazing way to invest in your future as an artist. 

But not all NFT platforms are created equally. Let's walk through my three current favorite NFT platforms, their benefits, and their downsides. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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If you're an artist looking to grow your fans, your following, or your streams on Spotify, understanding your data is critical. And while Spotify for Artists has a lot of amazing information, it doesn't quite capture the full picture of growth as an artist. 

Over the past year, I've put together and refined a spreadsheet of my own to capture Spotify for Artists data, advertising data, and more, all in one place. This spreadsheet has been an integral part of my growth as an artist on Spotify, and it has been a deciding factor in my success with algorithmic playlists on the platform, like Discover Weekly and Release Radar. 

Let's break down exactly how I track all of this information, and why it's so important to your growth as an independent artist. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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In 2021, collaboration is the name of the game when it comes to releasing new music, and when you're releasing new music with a team, you want to make sure everyone gets paid accordingly. 

Enter: Splits from DistroKid. Splits makes it super-easy to divvy up ownership of your music when releasing to Spotify, Apple Music, or anywhere else. You can make sure every member of your team gets their cut, and you can even ensure those who put in money upfront are the first to get reimbursed on the backend. 

DistoKid's "Splits" is the latest edition of my Monthly Favorites. It's a great tool to help expand your business as an artist. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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My song, "Lions", recently crossed the 100,000 stream mark on Spotify, and I'm shook. This time last year, that number would have been inconceivable to me, let alone attainable. 

I used a combination of Instagram and YouTube organic marketing, along with Facebook ads to market my song and grow my fanbase. 

These are the music marketing strategies I used to leverage Spotify's algorithm and land my song on Release Rader, Discover Weekly, and a slew of other Spotify playlists. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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Spotify recently released the results from their first-ever Fan Study, where they broke down tons of user data into 15 insights to help us grow as artists on the platform. 

Pulling all their data from Spotify for Artists over the past several years, they were able to put together a collection of important takeaways from streams, to listener behavior, to merch. It's all there. 

I read through the entire Spotify Fan Study to pull out what I think are the top 5 key takeaways that we can use to improve our music marketing and grow our businesses and our revenue as artists in the creator economy. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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For the longest time, I struggled to grow on Instagram. I couldn't find good engagement on the platform and never seemed to get any love from the Instagram algorithm. I would post consistently for a while and then ultimately burn out. 

I finally managed to change that. 

Using a few simple mental hacks, I have managed to consistently hit publish on Instagram content on a dedicated content schedule for the past six months. I have also doubled my following over the past year. 

These are the three simples steps I use to stay consistent on Instagram and reliably grow my following over time. Hope it helps! 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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In a world dominated by social media, does an artist need a website? And if so, what is the best website-building tool for artists? 

In my opinion, it's Carrd. Carrd is a simple, easy-to-use website builder that is perfect for artists and musicians. It has all of the features you need and none you don't. 

I recently redesigned my website with Carrd, and I have been loving it. If you want to build a website for your music business, I definitely recommend you try Carrd. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your ads just don't perform well. And even when you think you've got things all figured out, Facebook can throw you a curveball and keep your ad costs high and your Spotify streams low. 

So what do you do when your Facebook ads don't perform? Well, all isn't lost. And there's a very big difference between a failed ad campaign and a less-than-successful ad campaign. 

This is how I managed to stick with it and get my song, "Holding On", on Release Radar despite poor ad results. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

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Audius is the first fully decentralized music streaming platform. They are putting the power back in the hands of both artists and fans alike. 

Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency are at the forefront of reconfiguring the creator economy as we know it, and Audius has positioned itself as the early leader in the music streaming space. 

Will Audius replace SoundClouud? Can they beat Spotify? Only time will tell. 

Watch the original video on my YouTube channel. 

Like this episode? Hit me up on Twitter (@tomdupreeiii) and let me know what you thought!