Breaking into the music industry has never been easy and with more than 5.42 billion people using social media worldwide, standing out takes more than talent alone. It takes smart strategies, adaptability, and a clear plan to break through the noise.
Social media platforms have become the biggest drivers of music discovery, but competition can be fierce in saturated markets like the US and UK, where you’re going head-to-head with global superstars.
At the same time, AI tools have quickly become essential for musicians, helping with content creation, audience analytics, and fan engagement. Learning how to use these tools, alongside proven social media growth strategies, is key to building lasting momentum.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to use social media, streaming platforms, global trends, and emerging tools to amplify your reach. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, these strategies will help you navigate today’s fast-moving music industry and make real progress.
Why Is It So Hard for Emerging Artists to Get Discovered?
The internet has made it easier for new artists to create and share music, but breaking through and building a name is still incredibly challenging. It takes much more than raw talent.
Yes, social media helps, but established artists also use the same digital channels too. Adding listeners to your fanbase when you’re facing competition from industry legends and thousands of rising stars isn’t easy.
Let’s look at some key factors that make it challenging to break through the social media noise:
- Saturation – Music platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, YouTube, and even TikTok, make it easier than ever to create and share music. However, the sheer volume of content has made it difficult for new artists to stand out.
- Algorithm bias – Streaming and social platforms often prioritize viral content and popular tracks, which can still favor established artists and make it harder for new voices to get exposure.
- Networking – The music industry is built on relationships. Without an extensive network, it can be tough to connect with the right people who can help propel your career forward.
- Marketing & promotion – Emerging artists often lack the resources, knowledge, or budget to effectively market themselves and build a strong brand.
- Evolving music landscape – The way we consume music is constantly changing, and artists need to adapt and innovate to stay ahead of trends and capture the attention of listeners. Take AI-generated music for example — in 2024, AI created more music tracks than all human musicians combined, and a growing number of artists now use AI tools for composing, mastering, and production. While it opens up new opportunities, it also increases competition.
- Local audiences – Platforms like Spotify and TikTok are powerful for reaching new audiences, but your reach can still vary by region. Connecting with listeners globally often means adapting your content and targeting different local trends. You can also try connecting to a server in another country to explore different local music scenes. Using a VPN makes it easy and you can test it risk-free with our VPN free trial.
The Complexities of Music Promotion on Streaming Platforms
Music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and TikTok make it easier than ever for new artists to share their work with the world. But they also come with a unique set of challenges.
For instance, streaming rates vary widely between platforms, with some paying much less than others. This can make it difficult for you to earn a sustainable income from your music, especially if you rely solely on streaming revenue.
Apple Music pays 2.5x what Spotify will pay an artist, on average. That’s not all. Established and emerging artists also face significant earning differences, with a lot of factors determining that ultimate payday.
Earning Differences Between Recognized and Emerging Artists
Mainstream artists like Sabrina Carpenter benefit from major label deals that give them access to global promotion, top streaming placement, and stronger negotiating power. Her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet topped charts worldwide and earned her major industry awards.
Independent artists like Remi Wolf rely on self-promotion, social media, and direct fan engagement to grow their careers. Her 2024 album Big Ideas earned critical acclaim, but without the same institutional backing, she has less leverage on streaming platforms and must build success organically.
Unclear Agreements & Monetization Figures On Streaming Platforms
As an artist, it’s nearly impossible to predict exactly how much you’ll make from streaming. That’s because streaming payouts aren’t always transparent.For instance, Spotify uses a lot of variables when calculating an artist’s income and isn’t very transparent about how they reach these numbers.
Even major artists have voiced frustration. As Snoop Dogg said:
“I don’t know who’s running the streaming industry—if you are here or not—but you need to give us some information on how to track this money down, cause one plus one ain’t adding up to two.”
“It’s not being translated,” he added. “It’s not working for the artist right now.”
Groups like the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers continue to push for greater transparency, but streaming agreements remain complicated for most artists.
Here’s what you need to know to understand monetization on streaming platforms:
How Different Subscription Plans & Locations Impact Your Revenue
Platforms typically pay artists a percentage of the revenue their streams generate, but the payout rate varies depending on the type of listener.
For example, Spotify’s rates can range from $0.003 for free users to $0.005 for premium subscribers. Similar variations of this exist across most other streaming platforms.
The value of a stream can also differ depending on where your listeners are based. Payouts are generally higher in countries with stronger consumer spending, like the US and UK, and lower in markets with weaker economies. Spotify may pay its artists in the UK more, but the competition is also more fierce.
All these variables make it difficult for emerging artists to build a stable income from streaming alone. But with some creativity and strong fan engagement, it’s still possible to carve out a path.
6 Growth Hacks to Take Your Music Career to the Next Level
There’s a lot you can do to increase your reach, gain more listeners, and boost your music income. Let’s look at some tips that can help you step up your game and be on your way towards that platinum.
Capitalize on Social Trends
Social trends are one of the fastest ways for emerging artists to reach new fans and build momentum. Social media trends like viral challenges, duet chains, and covers of popular songs can do wonders for a growing artist.
TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are major drivers of music discovery. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Ice Spice, and NLE Choppa have leveraged viral trends on these platforms to turn short clips into massive chart success.
TikTok reported that its users created over 140 million videos using the top 10 songs of 2024, helping these artists turn viral moments into Grammy wins, Billboard chart success, and millions of Spotify listeners.
Creating short music videos, collaborating with other artists, and jumping on trending sounds can help with exposure, monetization, and direct fan engagement.
Take a look at the top social media platforms for short-form content:
Make it Big With Short-Form Content
Creating snackable content is an excellent strategy to get your music out there — but doing it well matters more than ever. Here’s how to maximize the impact of your short-form videos:
- Collaborate with other musicians: Collaborating with other artists can spark creative ideas, expand your industry connections, and strengthen community engagement. Most importantly, it connects you to a wider audience that already enjoys similar music. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, collaborations often perform especially well and help you grow faster.
- Do covers of popular songs: Covering trending hits can increase your visibility, as listeners often search for their favorite songs on social media. A creative or acoustic take on a popular song can show up in search results, recommendations, or auto-playlists. This attracts new followers and engages your existing audience.
- Prioritize original content: While covering popular songs is a great way to get noticed, it shouldn’t be your main focus. If content is king, original content is the emperor. Creating your own songs, lyrics, and visuals lets you showcase your unique style and talent. Social media algorithms also favor fresh material over reposted or recycled content.
- Post at the right time: Social media algorithms rank your content higher if it gets strong engagement right after it’s posted. That’s why timing matters. Make sure you post when your fans are most active online. You can use insights from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to find out when that is, or you can experiment with various posting times to determine which ones get the best results.
- Stick with short videos: Short-form content reaches more users if it has a higher retention rate — meaning viewers stick around longer. Since attention spans on social media are extremely short, focused videos under 60 seconds perform best. Studies show that with videos under 90 seconds, only 50% of viewers make it to the end.
- Stay away from fake followers: Buying followers is the worst thing you can do for your growth. Fake accounts won’t engage with your posts, which destroys your engagement rate and signals to algorithms that your content isn’t worth promoting. Building an authentic audience, even slowly, creates real momentum for your music career.
Use Alternative Funding Platforms
Streaming platforms aren’t the only way for you to make money from your music. Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon let you raise funds directly from your fanbase.
You can offer rewards like exclusive tracks, behind-the-scenes content, or personalized merchandise in exchange for support. Success still relies heavily on promotion through social media, newsletters, and live shows.
Other platforms like Fanbase and Bandcamp have fans subscribe to their favorite artists, paying a small fee each month. These are gaining popularity among independent artists looking to monetize their audience beyond traditional streams.
Engage Your Fans
Community is a core part of the music experience. It unites listeners and artists in a way that goes beyond just the songs themselves. You can tap into this sense of community to strengthen your career and build lasting support from your fans.
Platforms like Discord and Twitch give you a multitude of ways to connect directly with your audience and establish a direct line of communication with them. On Discord, you can use chat rooms and voice channels to host live Q&A sessions, answer fan questions, share updates, and even collaborate on new ideas with your followers.
Twitch is ideal for live streaming performances, art creation, or sharing behind-the-scenes content. Real-time interaction creates a more dynamic environment where fans feel more personally involved in your journey.
Across your social channels, encourage user-generated content (UGC) like fan-made videos, remixes, or covers. It deepens engagement, broadens your reach, and makes fans feel like they’re part of your story.
Additionally, you can organize contests and giveaways, which is an effective strategy to promote your work and attract new fans.
Tap Into Other Markets
Breaking into the top 50 or top 100 charts on streaming platforms can dramatically boost your exposure and discoverability. It also increases the chances of algorithms recommending your music to new listeners.
But as a growing artist, you know how hard it is to reach that level in highly competitive countries like the US and the UK, where you’re up against global stars like Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, and Billie Eilish.
One strategy is to focus on getting into top charts in smaller markets, where competition is less intense. You’ll typically need fewer streams to chart and reach new audiences along the way.
A VPN can help here. With CyberGhost VPN for instance, you can change your IP address to a country with less competition, such as Denmark or Iceland. This can make it easier for your music to gain early momentum in a new market.
If you’re the rights holder to your music, using a VPN to upload it to another country’s charts isn’t a copyright infringement. Streaming platforms like Spotify generally don’t prohibit VPN use, as long as it doesn’t involve violating licensing or copyright rules.
Just remember to connect to the VPN before uploading your track to ensure it’s linked to the right country’s charts. If your song gains traction, it should continue ranking even if you later update your location, since platform rankings are based on streaming numbers, not just your IP address.
You can also apply the same approach to TikTok. As of 2025, Indonesia is the country with the most number of TikTok users, even surpassing the US. Brazil, Mexico, and Vietnam aren’t far behind. If your style resonates in one of these regions, tapping into these markets could expand your global reach.
Use AI Tools
AI platforms are now a common tool for musicians looking to streamline their creative process. You can use them to help with songwriting, generate visuals, edit videos, and plan social media content.
You can now use AI platforms like RunwayML and Adobe Firefly to create professional-quality music videos, even for social media. Visual generators such as DALL·E and Kaiber can help you generate album covers, lyric videos, and promotional materials.
For social media, platforms like Copy.ai can help you generate posts and optimize hashtags for better discoverability, while audience analytics tools like Chartmetric can fine-tune your strategies.
While AI tools can help enhance your workflow and expand your creative abilities, they can’t replace original talent and artistic vision, nor can they guarantee success.
What’s Next? A Bright Music Career.
Breaking into the music industry today takes more than talent. It requires adaptability, smart strategies, and using a variety of available tools.
Streaming platforms make it easier to share your music, but building a stable income remains challenging. Rates vary, competition is intense, and visibility can be hard to secure. Diversifying your income, exploring alternative funding options, and growing an engaged fan community can help close the gap.
Short-form video content drives discovery on social media. Prioritizing original content, collaborating with other artists, and encouraging UGC can help you expand your reach. Tapping into less saturated markets, and using tools like VPNs when appropriate, can also open new opportunities.
In 2025, AI tools are reshaping how musicians create, promote, and connect. Used wisely, they can help streamline tasks and free up more time to focus on your craft.
Consistency, creativity, and smart planning are key. With the right approach, you can grow your audience, build momentum, and carve out a path in the music industry.
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