Why Listing Live Events on Spotify is Crucial for Artists Headlining Their Own City & Touring

In today’s era, artists must explore every possible avenue to connect with their audience and promote their live shows. One powerful yet often underutilized tool is Spotify’s live event listing feature. Especially for artists who stream over 50k+ listeners, headlining in their own city, or touring, utilizing this feature can make a significant difference. All our favorite artists have their listings on point, so why are many up-coming artists lacking this aspect of event promo? If you are an artist, promoter, or manager this piece will be a gem! Here’s why listing events on Spotify is essential in our opinion.

Direct Access to Local Fans

Spotify’s algorithm is designed to suggest live events to users based on their listening habits and location. When you list a live show in your hometown, it has the potential to reach the most dedicated segment of your fan base—local listeners. These fans are not only more likely to attend the event but also spread the word to others in the community. By listing your event on Spotify, you’re ensuring that your most loyal fans know about your upcoming show, making it easier for them to support you in person.

Reaching Actual Music Listeners, Not Just Followers

It’s important to remember that the people attending your events are often the ones who genuinely listen to your music, not just those who follow you on social media. While social media can be effective for broad marketing, Spotify directly connects you with listeners who have already shown interest in your music. These are the fans who are more likely to buy tickets and show up to your events, providing a higher return on your promotional efforts. Listing your live event on Spotify targets this core audience, ensuring that you’re reaching the people who are most likely to fill the seats.

Leveraging Data to Optimize Promotion

Spotify provides artists with valuable insights into their audience demographics, including where their listeners are located. By listing a live event in a city where you have a strong listener base, you can strategically promote your show to those who are most likely to attend. For local shows, this means tapping into a pool of fans who already love your music and are eager to see you perform live. This data-driven approach to event promotion can significantly boost ticket sales and attendance.

Touring Artists Hitting Their Most Streamed Markets

For artists on tour, understanding where your music is most streamed can be a crucial factor in planning your route. Spotify’s data can help you identify your top markets, ensuring that you’re performing in cities where you already have a substantial following. By listing your tour dates on Spotify, you can target these high-stream areas, maximizing attendance and engagement. This approach not only ensures successful shows but also helps you build stronger connections with your most active listeners across different cities.

Simple Math: The Impact of Local Streams on Ticket Sales

Let’s break down the numbers to understand the real impact of local streaming. Imagine you’re an artist with 100,000 total streams worldwide, and out of those, 5,000 are from Los Angeles alone. While 5,000 streams might seem small compared to your global total, in the context of performing in L.A.—the biggest music market in the world—those local streams are what really matter.

If we conservatively estimate that 5% to 10% of those 5,000 listeners in Los Angeles attend your event, that’s 250 to 500 potential ticket sales. Even in a worst-case scenario, those numbers can still translate to a substantial audience, especially for an independent or emerging artist. With this ratio in mind, listing your event on Spotify becomes a no-brainer, particularly for trending artists who have momentum in specific markets.

Enhancing Visibility and Discoverability

Spotify’s live event listings don’t just reach your current fans—they also make your show visible to potential new listeners. When a user in your city is exploring related artists or new music, your upcoming show may appear as a recommended event. This not only increases the likelihood of drawing in new fans but also reinforces your presence in the local music scene. For artists headlining their own city, this added visibility is invaluable in building a strong, loyal following at home.

Simplifying the Ticket Purchase Process

One of the barriers to concert attendance is the complexity of finding and purchasing tickets. By listing your event on Spotify, you simplify this process for your fans. Spotify integrates ticket links directly into the event listing, allowing users to purchase tickets with just a few clicks. This seamless experience can lead to higher conversion rates and, ultimately, better-attended shows.

Strengthening Your Brand in Your Home Market

For any artist, building a strong presence in their hometown is key to long-term success. By regularly listing your local shows on Spotify, you reinforce your brand in the city that knows you best. This not only helps you maintain a consistent presence in your local market but also ensures that your fans feel connected to your journey as an artist. A well-promoted hometown show can often lead to greater opportunities, such as media coverage, collaborations, and future bookings.

Why Some Events Aren’t Listed: Management Teams and Promoters

Despite the clear benefits of listing events on Spotify, many artists still miss this crucial step. This often comes down to a lack of knowledge or expertise within the artist’s management team, promoters they work with, and the artists themselves. Some teams may simply not understand the importance and added benefits of proper event listings, while others might not be aware of the information and tools available to them. Most of the time, it’s just hard to figure out the way to properly list their events resulting in over promoting on social media. Unfortunately, this oversight can lead to missed opportunities, from lower ticket sales to diminished visibility, particularly in key markets where an artist could be building a stronger fan base. Ensuring that hard working artists, management, and promotional teams are informed about the power of Spotify event listings can be the difference between a successful show and an empty venue.

In Conclusion

We are living in a era where leveraging platforms like Spotify to promote live events is no longer optional—it’s essential. Many rising artists miss out on these benefits due to uninformed management or promotional teams as noted above. By making sure your events are listed on Spotify, you’re not just promoting a concert—you’re building and nurturing a community of fans who will support you every step of the way. So, the next time you’re planning a hometown gig or tour, make sure it’s on Spotify. Your fans—and your career—will thank you.

To learn how to list events on Spotify and other essential platforms, check out this piece we published earlier this year “Top Event Listing Platforms: The Crucial Role of Bandsintown, Spotify, and Songkick for Artists and Promoters“.