Spotify would test and help artists and labels control more of what the algorithm supports. The organization launched today a new test for all artists and labels on the website where they will vote to support any music that is important to them. So, for example, if Fleetwood Mac decided to support "Dreams" after it went viral on TikTok, they might decide to do so, and Spotify 's algorithm will consider the request while setting up a radio session or when the listener enters autoplay. Of course, this might refer to any album, even songs that could be new or that artists would like to place an additional promotional drive behind them.
We want to be able to provide tools that help our artists make the most of those moments so that they can be more in control of their success at Spotify and more in charge of their careers, says Charleton Lamb, Product Marketing Leader at Spotify.
In return for this extra promotional boost, Spotify says that artists will pay a lower "promotional royalty rate" whenever the songs are played during those autoplay or radio sessions. A representative did not say how much the rate is because the feature is in testing, but they added that the idea is for artist teams to be able to make a positive ROI by using the platform, and that the company would calibrate to ensure that the widest range of artists and labels will be effective.
Presumably, this means that musicians would expect that by marketing the single and taking a loss on those plays, they would make a profit if the music caught up and people began directly wanting to play it on their own. While Lamb listed "Dreams" as an example, a potentially stronger usage case is likely to be an album that artists or labels hope would catch up with before it does — for example, if the label sees viral appeal in a song and needs people to hear it first.
Around the same time, though, Fleetwood Mac and other viral music stars were willing to support songs that had already taken off in hopes of turning a TikTok listener to a full-fledged Spotify listener and future follower.
