Shazam For Artists: Level-Up And Gain More Fans

The potential of Shazam for artists' growth has skyrocketed in the 20 years of the platform's existence. However, not enough musicians take advantage of Shazam to propel their careers.

Shazam is a mainstay in popular culture, revolutionizing how people discover new music. Since its debut in 2002, it has also been responsible for the success of several artists. Therefore, leveraging the power of Shazam for artists can pay off. To gain more fans on the platform, incentivize Shazams, collaborate with renowned artists, and use Shazam data to make informed promotion decisions.

This post explores the significance of Shazam in the music industry. We'll look at the various benefits of Shazam for artists and discuss how to gain more fans on the platform.

First, let's dive into Shazam's role in discovering new music.

Shazam's Role in Discovering New Music

Existing and prospective fans have various avenues to discover new music, including Shazam. Suppose they're in a coffee shop and hear a snippet of your song. All they can remember is one phrase.

A Google search leads them to about a dozen songs. As a result, they lose interest in finding out who sang the track altogether. And they leave it up to chance that they'll hear your song again.

In a world where music listeners use Shazam, such instances don't occur. When a song grabs your attention, you immediately use Shazam to identify it. Then within 10 seconds, the track and artist's name appear in the app.

Isn't knowing anyone can quickly discover your songs without active promotion exciting? That's why the potential of Shazam for artists is so immense.

Since launching in 2002, Shazam joined the Apple Music for Artists family. It has a database of over 11 million tracks and over 200 million monthly active users worldwide. Also, it surpassed 1 billion monthly Shazams and 70 billion lifetime song recognitions.

Besides making song identification accessible to everyone, Shazam has become a gauge for unforeseen pop culture events. The 1985 track 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush boomed in popularity on Shazam after being featured in Stranger Things.

The singer's all-time Shazams skyrocketed, and the song became the No. 1 hit on the Shazam Global Top 200 for 10 days. It also ended up ranking at the top of 25 national charts.

That shows how powerful Shazam is as a music discovery tool. It immortalizes your songs, making it possible for music listeners to discover them years later.

The Benefits of Shazam for Artists

Shazam is instrumental in discovering new music. The tool's key role is bringing local artists to a global audience.

Nigerian artist CKay experienced this shift firsthand when his song 'Love Nwantiti [Remix]' became a No. 1 global hit in 2021. And it became the second song to surpass one million Shazams in one week.

According to CKay, Shazam played a significant role in his career. "It made me a global sensation even before I started to perform all over the world," CKay told Apple Music. "The story of CKay cannot be told without Shazam connecting me to the world."

Besides expanding your global reach, there are several other benefits of Shazam for artists. This includes boosting song discoverability.

When users Shazam your songs, they can view your profile and listen to more of your music. In addition, they can do the following:

• Add tracks to their libraries
• View song lyrics
• Watch music videos
• Share tracks to social media
• Discover concerts and get tickets

Moreover, the algorithms of popular streaming platforms like Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify leverage Shazam data to compile playlists and make recommendations. Therefore, if one of your songs has good Shazam numbers, the platform will likely recommend it more to users.

Another advantage of Shazam for artists is access to stats. You can see how listeners discover your music in different parts of the world. This can help you tailor your marketing strategy, plan social media promotions, and decide where to have live shows.

Since Shazam has been around for over 20 years, it has gained a reputation for predicting the success of emerging artists. Industry professionals and radio stations tend to trust its insights. Therefore, you can leverage your stats on the app in industry meetings.

How to Get Your Music on Shazam

Since Shazam is part of the Apple Music family, you can't upload your music directly to the platform. You'll need to work with a music distributor to get your tracks on Apple Music.

Sugo Music Group is a premier music distributor. With 38 years of experience in the music industry, they are the partner of choice for several artists. Their team can make your tracks available on over 200 music streaming and download platforms in 180 countries, including Apple Music.

Once your music distributor disseminates your tracks to Apple Music, your music will be added to Shazam's database. Depending on your distributor and music volume, this can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.

If you have already distributed your music to streaming platforms and tools, find out if your tracks are on Shazam. You can do so by visiting Shazam's website and searching for your song title and artist name.

Your song's artwork, title, and artist name should appear in the search. If that's the case, your music is in Shazam's database.

Alternatively, play your song from another device and Shazam it. The song details should appear after a few seconds of scanning.

In addition to your music appearing in Shazam's database, an artist profile will be generated for you. All data related to your profile will be visible in Apple Music for Artists. You can also change your profile on Shazam through that platform.

Boosting Your Numbers on Shazam

Musicians with a broader reach than you can offer the boost you need to gain more fans on Shazam.

Since Shazam isn't a music streaming platform, you must get creative to gain more Shazams. Below are ways to leverage Shazam for artists and optimize your tracks to boost your presence on the music identification tool.

Incentivize a Shazam of Your Track

Getting Shazams for a song is often organic. A user hears your track on a TV show or the radio and Shazams it, discovering you in the process. However, you can influence the number of Shazams your song receives through incentivizing.

Ask your fans to Shazam one of your latest releases and offer something in exchange. These are some examples of rewards you can provide fans with:

• Exclusive behind-the-scenes content: Offer fans never-seen-before footage from a recent live show or candid photos from a recording session.
• Early access to new music: Tap into your fans' fear of missing out by giving them a sneak peek before releasing a new track.
• Signed merch: Randomly select fans who Shazam your track to receive signed merchandise.
• Exclusive live stream performances: Host a private live stream performance exclusively for fans who Shazam your track.

To run a successful incentivizing campaign for Shazam and track your fans' Shazams, prompt listeners to share the Shazam on their socials. Once they do, you can easily provide the reward. This is also a great way to increase your visibility and get more users to listen to your music.

Make Your Music Available on Streaming Services

The more widely available your tracks are on music streaming services, the more likely fans will discover you. Also, there's a greater chance of users Shazaming your songs to identify them, increasing your Shazams. Therefore, distribute your music to as many music streaming platforms as possible.

Leverage Radio Airplay, Music Podcasts, and TV

Fans can discover your music through radio, podcasts, and TV. These platforms are also beneficial for boosting the numbers on Shazam for artists.

Consider this: your track gets airplay on the radio or appears on a music podcast. It streams in listeners' cars, coffee shops, and other public spaces. As a result, several people hear your song, and there's a chance they Shazam it.

The same can happen with television. If your song plays during a commercial break or is featured in a TV show, viewers can Shazam it. As a result, your numbers on the platform will increase.

Work with a music publisher to get your tracks on the radio, podcasts, or TV. Sugo Music Group has an extensive music publishing network. They can get your tracks on the radio, in film, and in commercials. And they ensure you receive all the royalties you earn from streaming and Performance Rights Organizations.

Collaborate with Popular Artists

Collaboration is the lifeblood of the music industry. Artists have joined forces for years to make great music and propel their careers. Therefore, collaboration can be a beneficial strategy to grow on Shazam for artists.

Musicians with a broader reach than you can offer the boost you need to gain more fans on Shazam. Now, this doesn't have to be a major global sensation like Beyoncé.

You can work with someone who has been making music for two more years than you have. Or work with a musician with a more extensive social media fan base.

Target the low-hanging fruit in the industry that isn't overly famous and still accessible. Otherwise, your collaboration request may go unread.

You should also ensure that the artist you collaborate with complements your sound. You don't have to make music in the same genre or for the same audience. However, you must be able to merge your distinct sounds and create something fans will enjoy.

Once you release your song, fans can Shazam it. This will lead them to your profile on the platform, and they can discover more of your tracks.

Music discovery often doesn't end on Shazam. Fans can also check out your music on platforms like Apple Music or Spotify. As a result, your numbers will also improve on music streaming services.

Use Consistent Metadata

Consistent metadata for your songs is essential, especially for independent artists managing music distribution. It ensures Shazam's algorithm can accurately identify and link a user to your music. Therefore, confirm that the song's title, artist name, and album name appear the same on every platform.

Utilize Your Shazam Data

Understanding fan behaviors and interests is crucial to every artist's success. Without this knowledge, slow growth is likely.

While you can't read your fans' minds, a feature of music streaming platforms and tools comes close: data and analytics. You can access your Shazam data through Apple Music for Artists.

The following information is incorporated automatically throughout your artist profile:

• Shazam insights
• Top Shazams
• Detailed demographics about Shazam listeners (Trends)
• Countries and regions with the most Shazams (Places)

Whenever someone Shazams your songs, it'll be counted as a Shazam in your Apple Music for Artists profile. In addition, a Shazam chart will appear in your artist profile when a Shazam track tops a chart in a country or city. And if you have a trending song on Shazam, Apple Music will notify you via email.

Using data on Shazam for artists can give your career the boost it needs. Here are some ways to use Shazam data to your advantage:

• Plan your marketing strategy: By observing how your music is performing on Shazam, you can adjust your marketing strategy. This can improve your chances of successful promotions instead of going by your gut or following trends.
• Improve targeting of potential fans: Shazam data reveals how listeners discover your music worldwide. Therefore, you can improve how you target potential fans. This could be done by planning social media activity according to their listening behavior. Or planning a tour through regions where you have the most listeners.
• Identify which songs will become hits: Shazam knows which songs are catching on before anyone else. It's the best early-detection system for hits. As a result, you can identify which tracks to focus your promotional efforts on.

Conclusion

The power of Shazam for artists is more than enough reason to incorporate the platform in your marketing strategy. You can expand your global reach. And put yourself in front of industry professionals who can significantly help your career grow.

Incentivizing your Shazams is one strategy to boost your numbers on the platform. Offer a reward like exclusive behind-the-scenes content or a VIP concert experience. Alternatively, collaborate with an artist with a broader reach than you do. Getting airplay on the radio or having a track featured in a TV commercial can also help you gain more fans on Shazam.