3 Career Boosting Tools For Musicians

Happy Friday SongsBrewers!

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This week's issue is a special edition dedicated to three platforms that offer great tools and support for artists.

Platforms For Artists   

This week, we spotlight tools for up-and-coming artists with our pick of the best co-working, collaboration, and connection platforms. Getting your name out there isn’t always easy when you don’t have a record label with a lot of cash to help you get started.

Luckily, streaming services and others have noticed there is a gap in the market. Here are our top picks for artists and musicians looking to break into the industry and get some of the best experience and insight to help.     

Ampollo   

Ampollo x Artist is designed with one goal in mind: connecting musicians, producers, and songwriters across all stages of music production.

Whether you’re writing, recording, mixing, or mastering, Ampollo’s collaborative tools let you work in sync with other creators, no matter where you are.  

Key Features:  

• Real-time collaboration. Sharing your drafts, getting immediate feedback, and refining your track as a team. 
• Project Management. Ampollo’s workspace allows you to organize tasks, track progress, and keep your projects moving forward. This is important for planning marketing for the release and budgeting.
• Find the Right Talent. Easily connect with other creators, like vocalists, instrumentalists, or producers. They can fill the gaps in your projects, so you don't need to wear multiple hats to get the job done - and add a fresh perspective to create something exciting.

How Artists Can Use Ampollo:  

• Co-write songs. Bring in collaborators to help tighten up lyrics or instrumentals, no matter where they are. Co-writing is how some of the best songs in the world are written, and it can add freshness to your work.
• Managing multiple projects. Use Ampollo’s workspace feature to keep everything organized, ensuring you hit those deadlines and stay on track creatively.  
• Instant feedback loops. So you don’t need to wait for email chains or meetings—use the platform’s real-time collaboration tools to improve tracks as you go. Making quick edits means faster release and a much tighter sound.

Ampollo x Artists also offer a new way for artists to generate revenue and fan interaction. The fan interaction allows your audience to get involved in an exciting way:

"See & hear how your fans reimagine your music using AMPOLLO tools."

TIDAL  

TIDAL Collabs brings working together to TIDAL’s artist services, offering a way for musicians to connect and collaborate through the platform. They have had TIDAL For Artists for a while and have been actively engaging and supporting new acts for some time. It’s not just access to the platform but networking, writing credits, and more that is the real selling point.

Key Features:  

• Network and Collaborate. TIDAL Collabs helps you find artists with similar interests, allowing you to build connections that go beyond a typical streaming service. Or, perhaps more interestingly, artists who are way outside your usual genre and want to create something new.  
• Integrated Streaming Tools. Collaborators can listen to each other’s work directly on TIDAL, streamlining the discovery process.  
• Artist Growth. Once you’ve created something, TIDAL helps you move from collaboration to distribution, allowing your tracks to be heard by TIDAL’s audience and get your work out there. 

How Artists Can Use TIDAL Collabs:  

• Discover new collaborators. Use the platform to find musicians who share your style or genre and build valuable (hopefully lasting) connections.  
• Distribute your tracks super easy. After collaborating, release your music directly on TIDAL to grow your audience.  
• Leverage TIDAL’s existing audience. Build your presence on TIDAL through collaborations that get you in front of new listeners.  

We also love TIDAL Rising - their flagship Artist Empowerment scheme. Specifically for this:

"By joining our community, artists also qualify for a chance to become a TIDAL RISING ambassador, which includes funding and direct access to the TIDAL team to help artists take their careers to the next level."

Spotify  

Spotify for Artists is built around audience development, giving musicians data-driven tools to grow their fanbase. From pitching tracks to official playlists to analyzing listener demographics, this platform is packed with features designed to help artists gain visibility. They also recently released Spotify Countdown to increase pre-release engagement.  

Key Features:  

• Data Insights. Spotify for Artists offers real-time analytics on streams, listeners, and audience demographics, helping artists fine-tune their music promotion strategies.  
• Profile Customization. Artists can update their Spotify profiles with bios, photos, and upcoming show information.  
• Playlist Pitching. Spotify allows you to submit tracks directly to playlist curators, providing an essential avenue for audience growth.  

How Artists Can Use Spotify for Artists:  

• Pitch your music. Submit your tracks for official playlists to gain exposure to a broader audience.  
• Analyze your listeners. Use the in-depth analytics to understand where your fans are, what they listen to, and how you can tailor your next release to appeal to them.  
• Build your brand. Customize your artist profile with photos, bios, and upcoming shows to engage with listeners and make your profile stand out.  

The Spotify Campaign Kit really does some heavy lifting with Discovery Mode, Showcase, and Marquee.

"Campaign Kit is built to drive meaningful metrics for music, not memes. Powered by unmatched audience insights, your campaigns can be more efficient and relevant to listeners than ever."

What’s the Best Platform for You? 

*Note: The features are changed and updated regularly, so always check before committing to paid plans.

Which Platform Should Artists Choose?

For New Artists

New musicians often need collaboration tools and a way to start building their audience:  

• Ampollo is a great starting point for new musicians who need to collaborate remotely with other artists like producers or instrumentalists. The real-time feedback and project management features are ideal for those who want help fine-tuning their sound and learning from others.  
• TIDAL Collabs offers networking and discovery features within the TIDAL platform, which is perfect for new artists looking to connect with potential collaborators based on their musical interests. However, it's more focused on finding people to work with, not so much on the production itself.  
• Spotify for Artists gives new musicians audience insights and helps them grow their presence through playlist pitching. For new artists hoping to get their music discovered via Spotify’s playlists, this platform is a crucial tool for analytics and reach-building.  

For Experienced Artists

Artists with more experience and a growing following typically want to refine their craft and expand their reach.  

• Ampollo continues to shine for experienced artists who want to maintain control over the production process while collaborating with others. It offers customizable mixing desks and advanced production tools to help streamline the creative workflow, making it perfect for those who want to focus on quality. And it offers up to 80% revenue - a huge bonus.
• TIDAL Collabs becomes a powerful tool as it lets experienced artists collaborate and distribute their music directly through TIDAL. This makes it ideal for musicians already active in TIDAL’s ecosystem, looking to grow their audience while keeping collaboration seamless and integrated into the distribution process.  
• Spotify for Artists gives experienced artists the ability to dive deep into audience analytics, understanding listener behavior and refining their marketing efforts based on detailed insights. This is critical for artists looking to build their strategy, target releases, and continuously grow their fanbase.  

For Artists with Indie Labels 

Indie label artists often juggle multiple projects and need to maximize their reach while working with fewer resources than major label counterparts.  

• Ampollo is a perfect match for indie labels because it provides an organized way for multiple team members to collaborate. Everyone, from sound engineers to vocalists, can contribute to the project in one seamless platform without expensive studio setups. The remote option means a global project is possible! That's kind of cool.
• TIDAL Collabs offers a unique advantage to indie label artists by providing easy access to TIDAL’s distribution. This is an attractive option for labels who want to release their artists’ work directly to TIDAL’s listeners and help artists network and collaborate within the platform.  
• Spotify for Artists is essential for indie label artists looking to leverage data insights and playlist pitching to grow their reach. With limited budgets, indie labels can rely on Spotify’s comprehensive analytics to understand where they’re gaining traction and adjust their marketing and release strategies accordingly. Combined with their Countdown and pre-order tools, it can pack quite a punch for new releases.

Final Thoughts:  

• New artists will benefit most from Ampollo for collaboration and Spotify for Artists to start building an audience.  
• Experienced artists should leverage TIDAL Collabs for networking and seamless distribution while using Spotify for Artists for growth and data insights.  
• Indie label artists should lean on TIDAL Collabs for revenue and distribution opportunities and Spotify for Artists for data-driven marketing and playlist placements.

Extra tools:

Last week, we dipped into three incredible marketing and promotion tools. By combining the platform-driven features and using supporting tools like FreeYourMusic, Music24, and Playlist Push, you've got a powerful software stack to get yourself and your music into the spotlight.

FreeYourMusic is now on Setapp Mobile. This means that you can get the app + dozens more with one cost-effective subscription on your iPhone.

Try this alternative app marketplace free for 7 days!

Thanks for being part of the SongsBrew community, catch you next week!

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Sponsored by Music API & FreeYourMusic (move 600 songs for free).

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