Spotify Marquee is one of the most powerful promotional tools available to artists and labels who want to maximize the impact of a new release. Launched in 2019, this feature delivers a full-screen, sponsored recommendation that appears directly when listeners open the Spotify app. Instead of blending into crowded playlists or organic searches, Marquee ensures that your single, EP, or album is placed front and center for the right audience. This direct visibility not only boosts initial streams but also creates a stronger connection between the listener and the artist by driving saves, playlist adds, and repeat plays.
What makes Spotify Marquee especially effective is its highly targeted approach. It focuses on listeners who have shown interest in your music before or who are likely to engage with similar genres and styles. This means that your promotional budget is spent on reaching people with the highest potential to convert into long-term fans. For independent artists and established labels alike, Spotify Marquee serves as a smart investment to amplify reach, increase discoverability, and ensure that every release gains momentum in the crucial first days of launch.
How Spotify Marquee Works
Spotify Marquee functions as a full-screen, sponsored recommendation designed to capture listener attention the moment they open the app. It appears to both free and premium users, showcasing new music releases with striking visuals, album or single artwork, a short description, and a clear call-to-action button that encourages immediate streaming. This immersive display creates an instant connection between the music and potential fans, making it far more impactful than standard promotional methods.
Behind the scenes, Spotify Marquee leverages advanced targeting to ensure that campaigns reach the most relevant audience. The tool analyzes a wide range of listener data, including previous streaming behavior, favorite genres, artist interactions, engagement patterns, and even location details. By focusing on users most likely to enjoy the release, Marquee helps artists and labels optimize their promotional budget while boosting streams, saves, and playlist placements.
Key Benefits of Using Spotify Marquee
Spotify Marquee offers artists a powerful way to increase visibility, target the right listeners, and drive deeper fan engagement. With detailed analytics and precision targeting, it ensures every release reaches its full potential.
Boosted Visibility for New Releases
One of the biggest advantages of Spotify Marquee is the instant exposure it provides. By placing your music front and center in a full-screen format, it ensures that both loyal fans and potential new listeners immediately notice your latest single, EP, or album, leading to higher play rates from the start.
Precision Audience Targeting
Marquee goes beyond general promotion by reaching listeners who are most likely to engage with your music. Campaigns can be tailored to active fans, lapsed listeners, or new audiences with similar music preferences, ensuring your budget is spent effectively on the right audience.
Stronger Listener Engagement
Listeners who interact with a Marquee campaign are far more likely to dive deeper into an artist’s catalog. This ripple effect not only increases streams of the promoted track but also drives saves, playlist adds, and overall fan growth, helping artists build long-term relationships with their audience.
Actionable Insights Through Analytics
Every Marquee campaign includes detailed reporting that tracks performance metrics such as listener demographics, engagement rates, and conversion data. These insights help artists refine future marketing strategies, identify their strongest audience segments, and continuously improve results with each release.
Potential Drawbacks of Spotify Marquee
Despite its benefits, Spotify Marquee comes with a few limitations that artists should consider. The cost per click can be relatively high, making it less affordable for independent musicians with smaller budgets. Additionally, the feature is still restricted in availability, with eligibility requirements such as minimum stream counts that can exclude emerging artists. These factors may limit access to the tool, especially for those just starting to build their audience.
Cost Considerations
While the minimum campaign spend has been lowered from $5,000 to $100, the pay-per-click model can still be costly for independent artists. With rates reaching up to $0.50 per click, smaller acts may struggle to compete against established labels with larger marketing budgets.
Limited Availability
Marquee is not accessible to every artist worldwide, and eligibility criteria can be restrictive. Key limitations include:
- Not yet available in all countries and regions.
- Artists may need a minimum number of recent streams to qualify (e.g., 15,000 streams in the past 28 days in the U.S.).
- Self-service access is limited, with stricter thresholds in certain markets.
Should You Use Spotify Marquee?
Deciding whether to invest in Spotify Marquee depends on four key factors: budget, audience, release strategy, and goals. Understanding how each of these elements applies to your career will help determine if the tool is the right fit for your promotional plan.
Budget: Can You Afford It?
Spotify Marquee uses a pay-per-click model, with campaigns starting at $100 when booked through Spotify for Artists. While this makes it more accessible than before, costs can quickly rise depending on campaign size and targeting. The advantage is its strong return on investment, often delivering far more engaged Spotify listeners per dollar compared to traditional social ads. For major releases like an album launch or a high-stakes single, Marquee can be a smart spend, but independent artists with tight budgets may prefer focusing on organic growth strategies first.
Audience: Do You Have an Engaged Fanbase?
Marquee works best when targeting listeners who already know your music or enjoy similar genres. Audiences can be segmented into categories such as core fans, recently active listeners, or potential new fans who align with your style. Artists who already have steady engagement from streaming and social media usually see stronger results, while newer artists with little data may need to focus on building a solid fanbase before investing in campaigns.
Release Strategy: Is This the Right Time?
Timing plays a huge role in the success of a Spotify Marquee campaign. The tool is designed to promote new releases within the first few weeks, and choosing the right launch window can maximize visibility and engagement.
- Release day campaigns: Running a Marquee at midnight on launch day creates immediate buzz and ensures your music reaches core fans and new listeners at peak excitement.
- Post-release campaigns: Starting a campaign a few days later can reignite streams and capture listeners who may have missed the initial drop.
- Staggered rollouts: Artists releasing music internationally can schedule campaigns in different regions to maintain momentum across markets.
- Integrated strategies: Pairing Marquee with playlist pitching or other promotional tactics helps strengthen overall reach and engagement.
Goals: What Are You Trying to Achieve?
Marquee is most effective for boosting visibility, driving saves and playlist adds, and deepening fan engagement with your catalog. If your primary aim is to grow streams and strengthen your presence on Spotify, this tool can deliver strong results. However, if your goals are broader — like building brand awareness across multiple platforms or promoting live shows — other channels such as social ads or email marketing may offer greater flexibility.
How to Run a Spotify Marquee Campaign
Running a Spotify Marquee campaign is a straightforward process that lets you promote new releases directly to active listeners. With clear targeting, budget setup, and performance tracking, you can ensure your music reaches the right audience at the right time.
Eligibility and Preparation
Before launching a Spotify Marquee campaign, you need to ensure that your account meets the eligibility requirements. Your profile must be verified on Spotify for Artists, and you should have either 1,000 followers or at least 5,000 streams in the last 28 days. Additionally, the release you want to promote must be new within the last 21 days. Meeting these criteria ensures you can access the Marquee tool.
Setting Up Your Account
Once you’re eligible, log in to Spotify for Artists on desktop. From the dashboard, go to the three-dot menu in the top-left corner and select Your Teams. Choose the specific team you’re working with, then head to the Billing section. Here, add your billing email, select a billing country where Marquee is supported, and input your payment card details. This setup step ensures your campaigns can be funded smoothly.
Accessing the Campaigns Tab
After your account and billing are set up, Spotify typically activates the Campaigns tab within 24 hours. If it doesn’t appear, double-check your release eligibility and account information. This tab is where you’ll create and manage all your Marquee campaigns.
Creating Your Marquee Campaign
Inside the Campaigns tab, click Create Campaign to begin. First, select the release you want to promote (must be within 21 days of release). Next, set your budget—Spotify requires a minimum of $100 when booking directly through Spotify for Artists. Choose your target markets from over 40 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, France, and Brazil. Then, set your campaign duration, which can run until your budget is used or up to 10 days maximum. Once finalized, review all details and confirm your campaign.
Monitoring and Optimization
When your Marquee campaign goes live, it’s crucial to monitor its performance closely. Spotify provides real-time data in the Campaigns tab, allowing you to evaluate how effectively your ad is driving results. By focusing on key performance metrics, you can understand listener behavior and optimize future campaigns for better ROI.
Key metrics to track include:
- Impressions: The total number of people who saw your Marquee.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of users who clicked on your release after viewing the Marquee.
- Listener Conversion: The number of users who streamed your music after engaging with the Marquee.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): The average cost you’re paying for each listener who engages.
Final Verdict
Spotify Marquee is a powerful promotional tool that helps artists boost visibility, drive streams, and engage with highly targeted listeners. While it comes with certain cost and eligibility considerations, its ability to deliver full-screen, personalized recommendations makes it one of the most impactful marketing strategies for both emerging and established musicians. With the right planning, budget allocation, and performance monitoring, artists can maximize their reach and build stronger connections with their audience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Spotify Marquee?
Spotify Marquee is a sponsored recommendation feature that promotes new music releases through full-screen pop-ups targeted at active listeners.
How much does a Spotify Marquee campaign cost?
The minimum spend starts at $100, but costs can go up depending on targeting and click volume, with some clicks costing around $0.50.
Who can use Spotify Marquee?
Eligibility varies by region. In some areas, artists need at least 15,000 streams in the last 28 days to access the tool.
Is Spotify Marquee worth it for independent artists?
Yes, if used strategically. Independent artists can benefit from precise targeting, but they should carefully budget due to the pay-per-click model.
Can I track my Spotify Marquee performance?
Yes, the Campaigns tab provides real-time metrics like impressions, click-through rates, listener conversions, and cost per click.
