Nov 29, 2025
Social platforms are shifting next year. Here’s the practical playbook for small artists and indie labels.
TL;DR
Expect a TikTok ownership/name change to affect branding more than behavior. Users stay if the feed stays good. Plan for churn anyway.
Own the audience. Email + SMS is the hedge. Build now.
Paid targeting has narrowed on Meta. Creative and first-party data beat interests.
Spotify Ad Studio is low leverage for most. Showcase/Marquee can work for retargeting. Keep tests small.
Touring still prints emails and phone numbers. Use Set.Live, QR, and stage CTAs.
Direct-to-fan works when you seed true demand. Do not spam your phone contacts.
What might change and what will not
A rebrand or spinout affects the name and optics, not the feed logic on day one.
If the algorithm quality holds, most users do not switch. See Twitter→X as precedent.
As creators, treat this as platform risk, not a crisis. Move fast on backups and list growth.
30-60-90 day plan
Days 0–30: Capture and backup
Add in-video CTAs on short-form: “Full song link + early demo by email. Link in bio.”
Bio link: Link hub → email form first → socials → store.
Create lead magnet that never expires:
Alt version of your top song.
Acoustic or strings version.
A cover in your style.
“Backstage pack” ZIP: stems, lyric sheet, wallpapers.
Spin up email + SMS. Use double opt-in for deliverability. Segment by source.
Export and archive your full vertical library with filenames and captions.
Days 31–60: Convert and learn
Run a 3-touch welcome sequence.
Origin story + unreleased link.
Best live clip + ask for a reply with city.
Merch drop or private video.
Start weekly SMS with a 3:1 give:ask ratio. Keep under 160 chars.
Launch broad Meta tests with creative focus. Measure cost per qualified click and save rate.
Days 61–90: Scale what works
Build lookalikes from purchasers, email openers, and high-intent clickers.
Add retargeting on Spotify Showcase/Marquee for lapsed listeners if you qualify. Keep budgets modest.
Roll out touring capture: Set.Live photo drop, QR at merch, on-stage callout.
Paid media in 2026: concise rules
Meta
Targeting collapsed into broad genres. Use one or two broad interests to steer, then let Advantage+ expand.
Creative is the lever. Test 5–10 hooks per song. Keep first 2 seconds clean. No dead air.
Optimize for landing page view or conversion on a fast link hub.
Track:
Cost per qualified click (≤ $0.30 good in many markets).
Click→stream click-through from your hub.
Save rate on platform. Aim 40–60% for ad traffic on good fits.
Spotify
Ad Studio to free users: often $1–$3+ per listener. Usually low ROI.
Showcase/Marquee: best for retargeting your passives to active. Cold is weak. Start with $100–$300 tests.
Judge by intent rate (saves + playlist adds). Expect 15–20% on Showcase. Ads with audio previews (Meta) often drive higher intent.
YouTube + Shorts
Good CPMs. Great for long-form anchors and search. Use UTMs to track assist.
Touring capture system
Set.Live for geo-fenced show pages. Offer the crowd photo in exchange for email/SMS.
Bring a QR banner. Put it at merch and side stage.
Stage line: “I took a crowd pic. Scan or hit set.live to get it after the show. I’ll send the unreleased demo too.”
Direct-to-fan that works
Bandcamp “name your price” for the evergreen alt version or cover. Gates emails.
Limited merch behind email gate. Take preorders. Small runs.
Do not mass-text your phone contacts to “buy my song.” Seed micro-communities first. Examples: niche Discords, subreddits, Facebook Groups by genre. Contribute before you ask.
Email and SMS cadences
Email baseline
1–2 per week. Plain text. One idea per send.
Cadence pattern: Story → Value → Ask.
Subject lines under 45 chars. Lead with benefit or curiosity.
KPI: 20–35% open, 2–5% click. Prune hard bounces and cold subscribers monthly.
SMS baseline
1 per week max for global lists. 2 per week during drops.
Short. Direct. Worth opening.
3:1 give:ask rule. Examples of “give”: early link, voice memo, show photo, discount code.
Compliance
Respect opt-in rules. US: TCPA. EU: GDPR. Use native consent flags and audit trails.
Creative testing: fast loop
Record 10 hooks per song. 7–12 seconds each.
Variants: live clip, performance, POV lyric, behind-the-scenes, fan stitch, meme.
Kill losers fast. Scale winners to new angles and captions.
Keep first frame on-brand. Cut the millennial pause.
Metrics that matter
Owned growth: new emails per day, new SMS per day.
Intent: save rate, playlist adds per 1,000 streams.
Unit economics: cost per qualified click, cost per purchaser, margin per drop.
Tour lift: emails captured per show, local return rate on next on-sale.
FAQ
Will a TikTok rebrand kill my account?
Unlikely if the feed quality holds. Expect some churn. Hedge by pushing viewers to email/SMS and cross-posting to Reels/Shorts.
Should I pause TikTok and wait?
No. Keep posting. Add explicit list CTAs. Mirror to Reels and Shorts.
Are Spotify Showcase/Marquee worth it?
For retargeting passives to active listeners, yes in small tests. Cold, usually not. Compare against Meta ad cohorts.
Is Spotify Ad Studio a good idea?
Usually not for artists. CPC and cost per listener are high. You also gain no cross-platform data.
What replaces detailed Meta interests?
First-party data and creative. Use lookalikes. Use broad interests to steer. Let the system learn.
Copy-paste assets
Bio link stack
“Get the unreleased demo” → email form
Latest single
Tour dates
Store
Email opt-in copy
Get the unreleased demo, alt version, and crowd photo from your city. I send one email a week. No spam.
Welcome sequence
Subject: The story behind [Song]
Body: 4 lines + link to alt version + reply prompt “What city are you in?”Subject: Live from [City] last night
Body: 10-sec clip + tour link + “vote your city” formSubject: Your code for [limited item]
Body: 48-hour window + SMS invite
SMS templates
“New alt version just dropped. 90s emo vibes. Grab it free here: [link]”
“Crowd photo from [Venue] is up. Find yourself: [link]”
“I’m testing a 30-sec chorus. Honest take? Reply 1–5.”
Stage script
“I took a photo with all of you. Hit set.live now to get it. I’ll text the unreleased demo tonight if you leave your number. Thank you, [City].”
Meta ad copy (cold)
“If you like [broad genre], try 10 seconds of this hook. Full song inside.”
“Alt rock + jazz chords. Live one-take. Save if it hits.”
Testing matrix (quick start)
Campaigns: 1 cold, 1 retarget, 1 lookalike.
Audiences: Broad genre 1, Broad genre 2, Lookalike 1% purchasers, Website 30d.
Creatives: 8 hooks x 2 captions. Kill anything over 2× target CPL.
Budgets: 70% to winners daily. Cap losers. Review every 72 hours.
Touring checklist
Set.Live page live.
QR banner printed.
Photo automation connected to email/SMS.
Merch table signup sheet as backup.
Post-show automation: photo → demo → city-specific on-sale alert.
Direct-to-fan checklist
Evergreen “email-only” release on Bandcamp. Name-your-price.
Limited merch drop gated by email.
Monthly supporters’ stream or Discord AMA.
Quarterly bundle: vinyl + alt version + signed insert.
Risk controls
Weekly export of email/SMS lists.
Library backup of verticals with captions.
UTM on all links. Standardized.
Map platform share by city to plan ad weights for on-sale.
Bottom line
Own the relationship. Let platforms be feeders, not foundations. Creative wins. Lists compound. Touring fuels both. Keep tests small, iterate weekly, and bank what works.