Monthly listeners for new artists
Updated 5 October 2026 · 2 min read
Every artist starts at zero, and the first hundred listeners are the hardest and the most important. Understanding what that period looks like prevents the two mistakes new artists make: quitting too early, or buying a number.
What to expect
Your first release will produce a small number, mostly from friends, family and whatever coverage you earn. Growth in the first year comes in steps rather than a curve, each step following a release or a placement.
A common trajectory is single digits after release one, a few hundred by release three if each one is pitched properly, and a small but real audience by the end of year one.
The first actions that work
Claim your Spotify for Artists profile before release one. Submit each track for editorial consideration while unreleased. Pitch twenty to forty curators, blogs and radio shows matched to your genre. Tell your own audience on release day.
None of that requires money. All of it requires doing it every time rather than once.
What to avoid
Do not buy listeners to look established. The number decays within four weeks and the artificial plays damage the signal the platform has about your track, which is the opposite of what a new artist needs.
Frequently asked questions
How long until I have real listeners?
Expect months, not weeks. Consistent releases with real pitching typically produce a visible trend within two or three cycles.
Is it worth promoting a first single?
Yes. The first release is where you build the contacts and habits you will use for every release after it.
Do I need a following first?
No. Curators, radio and press are independent of your social following and are reachable from day one.
Keep reading
- Organic Spotify Growth: What Actually Works
Organic growth means people finding you because someone they trust pointed at you. How to build that deliberately, week by week.
- How to Increase Spotify Monthly Listeners
A practical, ethical plan for growing monthly listeners: where real listeners come from, what to do each week, and what to avoid entirely.
- How Many Spotify Monthly Listeners Is Good?
There is no universal good number. The benchmarks that matter for playlisting, booking, label interest and brand deals, and how to read them.
- Do Free Spotify Accounts Count as Listeners?
Free-tier plays build monthly listeners and earn royalties, at a lower rate. What that means for your reach numbers and your revenue mix.