Case study

2025

·

Music / Independent Artist Promotion

·

1 Month

Spotify single pre-save: 1,480 pre-saves at $0.30-$0.50 each

Spotify single pre-save: 1,480 pre-saves at $0.30-$0.50 each

Spotify single pre-save: 1,480 pre-saves at $0.30-$0.50 each

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01

01

MeansMGMT case study

1,480 pre-saves at $0.30-$0.50 each

ADMIT ONE · MEANSMGMT

No. 01

02

02

The headline

1,480

pre-saves

ADMIT ONE · MEANSMGMT

No. 02

03

03

The numbers

$0.30-$0.50

cost per pre-save

ADMIT ONE · MEANSMGMT

No. 03

04

04

The proof

38K+

streams in the first 28 days

ADMIT ONE · MEANSMGMT

No. 04

05

05

How we did it

Music / Independent Artist Promotion

1 Month

ADMIT ONE · MEANSMGMT

No. 05

01

/ The brief

Music / Independent Artist Promotion

1 Month

2025

Solo artist Ouroboros hired MeansMGMT to run the campaign for a new single, from April to May 2025. The ultimate goal was to make the new release gain serious early momentum on Spotify, which is a major driver of the platform's recommendation algorithms and long-term audience engagement. Key aims: 1) Algorithmic Priming: Collect a large number of pre-saves before release day, so Spotify's algorithms see high intent and the song gets better playlist position on day one. 2) Owned Asset Development: Use Feature.fm's "Future Save" feature to transform one-time campaign engagers into a lasting, owned audience. Every future Ouroboros release then saves automatically to these users' libraries, which gives the artist a direct channel to fans. 3) Audience and Data Collection: Build a seed dataset of high-intent listeners and followers that can be used for subsequent, more cost-efficient retargeting and lookalike audience campaigns.

Solo artist Ouroboros hired MeansMGMT to run the campaign for a new single, from April to May 2025. The ultimate goal was to make the new release gain serious early momentum on Spotify, which is a major driver of the platform's recommendation algorithms and long-term audience engagement. Key aims: 1) Algorithmic Priming: Collect a large number of pre-saves before release day, so Spotify's algorithms see high intent and the song gets better playlist position on day one. 2) Owned Asset Development: Use Feature.fm's "Future Save" feature to transform one-time campaign engagers into a lasting, owned audience. Every future Ouroboros release then saves automatically to these users' libraries, which gives the artist a direct channel to fans. 3) Audience and Data Collection: Build a seed dataset of high-intent listeners and followers that can be used for subsequent, more cost-efficient retargeting and lookalike audience campaigns.

02

/ The report

Summary of Spotify pre-save campaign for Ouroboros by MeansMGMT, detailing a $896 budget, 1480 pre-saves, and strategy for music release marketing
Campaign overview of Ouroboros's Spotify promotion showing 1480 pre-saves, 38K+ initial streams, 68% landing page CTR, and $0.13 CPC results from MeansMGMT.
Feature.fm breakdown graph for Spotify pre-save campaign showing 1480 pre-saves, 914 follows, and 791 future-saves, illustrating active ad management for music releases.
First 28-day Spotify growth metrics post-release for Ouroboros, showing 3828 playlist adds and 2945 song saves achieved through a pre-save strategy.
Spotify for Artists graph illustrating the impact of a pre-save campaign: 38K streams in 28 days and Spotify Popularity Index increasing to 40 for Ouroboros
A collage of positive user comments from Meta ads for Ouroboros's song release, demonstrating fan engagement from a successful music advertising campaign.

03

/ The result

No. 02

1,480

1,480

1,480

pre-saves

No. 03

$0.30-$0.50

$0.30-$0.50

$0.30-$0.50

cost per pre-save

No. 04

38K+

38K+

38K+

streams in the first 28 days

How it worked

We used geographic targeting, audience segmentation and ongoing creative testing to prime Spotify's algorithm before release.

We used geographic targeting, audience segmentation and ongoing creative testing to prime Spotify's algorithm before release.

Our methodology began with creating powerful lookalike audiences based on Ouroboros's existing listener data, which we then targeted with a series of tailored ad creatives.

We implemented a strategic, tiered budget allocation, initially focusing on high-conversion Tier 1 markets before expanding to Tier 2 locations to lower the blended cost-per-acquisition without sacrificing quality.

Continuous A/B testing of ad copy and visuals allowed us to iterate in real-time, locking in an impressively low Cost Per Click of $0.13. That kept the final cost per pre-save between $0.30 and $0.50.

The acquisition of 1,480 pre-saves and 791 "Future Saves" created a dual benefit: it provided a powerful initial signal to Spotify and simultaneously built a proprietary audience asset.

Not to mention thousands of fans who opted into email / newsletter opportunities.

What it built

Achieved substantial pre-release momentum, resulting in 1,480 pre-saves and 900+ new Spotify followers. After release, the song drew 38K+ streams in 28 days, and its Spotify Popularity Index rose from 24 to 40.

Achieved substantial pre-release momentum, resulting in 1,480 pre-saves and 900+ new Spotify followers. After release, the song drew 38K+ streams in 28 days, and its Spotify Popularity Index rose from 24 to 40.

The ads drove 3,473 clicks to the landing page, which had a 68% click-through rate. Post-release, the impact of the pre-saves was immediate and clear: the song garnered 2,945 organic song saves and was added to 3,828 user playlists within the first 28 days.

Let’s work.

Tell us about your project, like a new single, label marketing, a catalog revival or a merch offer.

Quick response.

We reply within one business day.

Clear next steps.

After the first call, we send you a plan and a timeline.

550M+

Streams generated

600+

Campaigns since 2017

$2M+

Ad spend managed

Have a project in mind?

1 of 2
Who are we working with?
Takes about three minutes in total.
2 of 2
What do you need?
Pick one

Let’s work.

Tell us about your project, like a new single, label marketing, a catalog revival or a merch offer.

Quick response.

We reply within one business day.

Clear next steps.

After the first call, we send you a plan and a timeline.

Have a project in mind?

1 of 2
Who are we working with?
Takes about three minutes in total.
2 of 2
What do you need?
Pick one

Let’s work.

Tell us about your project, like a new single, label marketing, a catalog revival or a merch offer.

Quick response.

We reply within one business day.

Clear next steps.

After the first call, we send you a plan and a timeline.

550M+

Streams generated

600+

Campaigns since 2017

$2M+

Ad spend managed

Have a project in mind?

1 of 2
Who are we working with?
Takes about three minutes in total.
2 of 2
What do you need?
Pick one

Reviving an old catalog, pushing a new release or building your own Spotify playlists? Tell us the goal and we’ll map the campaign.

Whether you’re reviving an old catalog, growing a new release, or building your own Spotify playlists, tell us the goal and we’ll map the campaign.

Reviving an old catalog, pushing a new release or building your own Spotify playlists? Tell us the goal and we’ll map the campaign.

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