getting the most out of spotify
Spotify uses 2 algorithms to figure out who to push your music to. The first uses listener generated data to categorize your music. The second analyzes the song using AI as well as data generated by YOU. Effectively tagging your song gives you a head start when releasing on Spotify.
Tagging for spotify
Use distributor genre tags
Even if your specific subgenre is not listed, choose a primary and secondary genre that best describes a particular songs tone. This gets sent to Spotify and helps identify who the song will be pushed to using their algorithm
Collaborate with artist with similar sounds
Having an artist featured on a song automatically tells Spotifys algorithms that your music is related. According to Spotify, "The Fans Also Like tab on your artist profile is determined by algorithms, using a combination of your fans' listening habits on Spotify, and music discussions and trends happening around the internet."
Use Spotify for artists pitch tools
These tools give you the opportunity to be added to one of Spotifys many large editorial playlists. Always upload your music far before your release date; this gives editors plenty of time to review your track. Even if you dont make it onto a playlist, the submission process further categorizes your song, and allows Spotify to gather more information on the genre
Upload your lyrics
Spotifys AI uses song lyrics to categorize specific moods and themes conveyed in the song to further determine who it should push it to. Distributors like Distrokid allow artists to not only upload lyrics, but you are able to program them to scroll with the song. This is not only good for the algorithm, but increases listener retention.
Content creation for tiktok
Understanding Tiktoks Algorithm
In 2022, an official document from Tiktok was obtained by the New York Times. This article essentially explained how Tiktok uses algorithms to place content with users.
Stated by tiktok itself, the main values of the algorithm are “user value, long term user value, creator value, and platform value”. Although engagement is a major factor in the algorithm's perception of you, it mainly focuses on retention (how long you watch the video before scrolling).
The main goal of the algorithm is to keep you watching a video to the end, and to keep you on the app as long as possible (the document obtained by the NYT calls this the “ultimate goal”). This article actually gives us a (simplified) equation used by the algorithm: Plike X Vlike + Pcomment X Vcomment + Eplaytime X Vplaytime + Pplay X Vplay. This equation then gives users a score, and continues showing you those creators you “scored” the highest on (let's say you liked, commented, and watched a creators video all the way through, this will result in the algorithm showing you more of the creators videos).
This also works on video styles, for example, if you like a video in the style of a reddit story, you will be shown more of those videos, regardless of the creator posting them. This article includes a flow chart of how the algorithm perceives and prioritizes engagement, listing all of the previous factors, as well as creator monetization (paid creators will make more engaging, higher quality videos, retaining viewers).
Source: NYT
CONTENT CREATION FOR INSTAGRAM
Understanding Instagrams Algorithms
Instagram uses algorithms to rank posts by “signals” present in the post. These signals are then broken down and ranked. In order, these signals are: information about the post, information about the person who posted, your activity, and your history of interacting with someone. These signals allow instagram to make predictions about your likeliness to interact with the post.
They break engagement down to 5 categories: how long you spend viewing the post, if you comment, like, or share, and if you visit the profile. The more likely you are to interact with a post, the higher on your feed it's pushed.
Source: Instagram
