In Apple Music Pre-Add Pros And Cons (link not yet available, not posted yet), we introduced the best and the worst of the Apple Music feature and mentioned that it is objectively similar to what Spotify’s pre-save offers. Now, let’s concentrate on pre-save and see what the pros and cons of it are. You can also check other streaming options in 3 Essential Platforms That Changed The Music Industry & Will 10X Your Engagement in 2021 and read a case study on MusicPromoToday Praising Spotify: Why Did Megan Thee Stallion Launch Good News On Spotify? before jumping right into the details of pre-save. 

Spotify’s pre-save is a feature allowing Spotify users to save one song or an entire album before it’s released. Pre-save is great for those who may forget the date of the release they were waiting for. By adding the unreleased song or album, they make sure it will show up on their Spotify on the release date. Creating pre-save is easily done through CD Baby and Show.co! After following the step-by-step guide to Spotify pre-saves you will get a URI code (unique resource indicator) to pre-save. 

Pros: 

  • A high stream-count on the first release day
  • Algorithmic playlists (such as Release Radar and Discover Weekly)
  • Email notifications to fans (followers on Spotify)
  • Spotify’s official playlists
  • Saving songs to queue 
  • Been notably employed by superstars like Kendrick Lamar, Avicii, and Miley Cyrus
  • Available to independent artists for FREE thanks to CD Baby’s suite of marketing tools: Show.co
  • Every click on pre-save means before the release, someone already buys, saves, and will hear your music 
  • Pixel tracking (for advanced FB advertising)
  • The “also share my email address with artist” is automatically checked
  • Free with DK distribution
  • Allows to add links of social media 
  • Quick and easy to use
  • Intuitive URL with the name of artist and song
  • Allows adding Apple Music and iTunes links
  • Real-time analytics
  • Allows sharing the success of your campaign
  • Evaluates whether you have achieved your goals and, if not, gives info on why you have not succeeded
  • Offers options for all budgets to help artists with improving their Spotify strategy 

To learn the basics of planning a music marketing strategy, check Music Marketing Strategies That Are Still Relevant in 2020. It will also help you understand the upcoming trends in music marketing. 

Cons:

  • Heavily branded 
  • Design is not appealing
  • User experience with the Pre-save button is not the best as the button is “below the fold” right at the end of the screen
  • User experience confusing with “Talk to me” box on top
  • No CSV downloads for emails 
  • Not possible to follow an artist’s playlist
  • Not possible to add songs to your own playlist

Similarly, like Apple Music Pre-Add, Spotify’s pre-save has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is a fact that the feature makes life easier and better for artists and fans. It develops and gets better through time, so we’ll keep an eye on it to keep you updated. 

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