Case Study: How My Band Planned Our LP and Used Ads to Boost Streams

In the world of DIY music marketing, every step counts. We often have very limited budgets, especially when compared to how passionate we are about sharing our music.

In this case study, I’ll walk you through how my band successfully planned the release of our LP, Points in Parallel, and how we more than doubled our streams using targeted ads. If you’re a local musician looking to market your own band, these insights will help you craft a strategy that works for you.

Step 1: Setting SMART Goals for Our Release

If you caught my previous post on goal-setting and release calendar planning, you know how important it is to have specific, measurable, and actionable goals. For our LP, we set a clear goal:

Double our streams in 2024 compared to 2023.

We knew that simply releasing music wasn’t enough. To truly grow our audience, we needed a focused approach, where every marketing action was tied to a measurable outcome. Having this goal in place meant that all our planning and promotional efforts could be built around achieving that target.

Step 2: Building a Release Calendar

Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to music marketing. For this release, we used a staggered release calendar, ensuring that we didn’t just drop the full LP all at once, but rather built up momentum leading to it.

Here’s a snapshot of our timeline:

• January 26, 2024: Released our single, "Heaven Never Knew Me," four weeks before the full LP.

• March 1, 2024: Dropped the full LP, Points in Parallel.

• Years prior to that: Released singles like Over You, Fairweather Beggar, and Remedy leading up to the LP, which helped establish some early buzz.

This approach allowed us to build momentum for our release, as each single would hit streaming platforms like Spotify and be added to Release Radar playlists. By the time the full LP dropped, people were already familiar with our music, and they’d added "Heaven Never Knew Me" and other singles to their personal playlists—driving more streams to the album as a whole. On the day our record came out, it had already been streamed 100,000 times from people who’s listened to the singles leading up to the album release.

Step 3: Running Ads to Amplify Our Release

With our release calendar in place, we knew that we needed to reach beyond our existing network. I had just moved to a new area and didn’t have many local connections, so we decided to rely on digital ads to help us reach a global audience.

Here’s how we structured our ad campaign:

• Targeting: We focused on fans of similar bands, across the globe, tailoring our ads to those most likely to engage with our music. We also focused on targeting users of the platforms we were interested in gaining streams on.

• Ad Timing: We planned our ads around our release schedule. As each single dropped, we ran targeted ads to boost engagement, with bigger campaigns in the weeks leading up to and following the full LP release.

• A/B Testing: We tested different versions of our ads—some used different sections of our songs, while others highlighted different lyrics. Over time, we optimized our budget by focusing on the ads that were performing best.

By testing and tweaking our approach, we were able to allocate our ad budget more efficiently and maximize our results.

The Results: Doubling Our Streams in 2024

Spotify streams for 2023

Spotify Streams for 2024 (through 11/7)

Now, let’s talk about the results. Our goal was to double our streams in 2024 compared to 2023, and thanks to our strategic planning and ad campaigns, we were able to achieve that—actually, we hit our goal even faster than expected. We doubled our 2023 streams with two months left in the year. I’m expecting to hit at least 75,000 streams before 2025.

Not only did our streams more than double, but we also saw significant growth in social media engagement and even landed on a few key Spotify algorithmic playlists, which further boosted our visibility. We saw more than twice as many listeners in 2024 as well, which is due to algorithmic recommendations in combination with the ads we ran.

Key Takeaways for DIY Musicians

Through this process, we learned a few valuable lessons that can help any DIY musician looking to grow their audience:

1. Plan Around Your Release Calendar:
   Timing is everything. By carefully planning our singles and album release dates, we were able to build consistent momentum leading up to the LP release. This strategy is crucial for keeping your audience engaged over time.

2. Target the Right Audience:
   Running ads isn’t just about reaching as many people as possible—it’s about reaching the right people. By focusing on fans of similar bands and testing our ads, we maximized our engagement and got the most out of our ad budget.

3. Be Consistent:
   Consistency in your releases and promotions is key. We saw better engagement when we consistently released music rather than sporadically dropping singles. Consistency ensures you’re always staying in your audience’s radar.

4. Adapt and Optimize:
   We constantly tested and optimized our ads, which helped us make smarter decisions about where to spend our budget. Don’t be afraid to tweak your approach based on what’s working (or not).

Conclusion: Take Control of Your Music Marketing

Setting goals and creating/implementing ads can be challenging, especially if you’re trying to manage everything on your own. That’s where professional music marketing services come in. If you’re serious about growing your fanbase, increasing your Spotify streams, or getting more followers for your music, I can help.

With years of experience as a musician and in the marketing industry, I offer tailored strategies to help local and independent musicians reach their goals. From goal-setting to release planning and everything in between, I’m here to support your music journey.

Ready to make your next release your best one yet? Contact me today to discuss how we can work together to achieve your music marketing goals.