Spotify Pre-Save Campaigns in 2025: Impact on Streaming and Playlist Placement

Promoting new music is a delicate art. It's about striking the right chord with your audience, building anticipation, and making sure your release doesn't get lost in the noise. For artists and labels, one strategy that's gained traction is the Spotify pre-save campaign.

Essentially, it allows fans to save upcoming tracks or albums directly to their Spotify library, so they're ready to go as soon as the music drops. But what makes this tactic so appealing? How do artists create a pre-save campaign? And more importantly, does it really deliver? (Spoiler: it actually does!)

Why Pre-Save Campaigns Work

1. They Build Anticipation and Engagement

In 2025, pre-save campaigns are still a top choice for artists looking to create a buzz around new releases. Artists can build a sense of exclusivity and hype by letting fans save upcoming tracks or albums directly to their Spotify library.

Because fans feel like they're part of something special, they're more likely to dive into the music as soon as it drops. The immediate engagement can signal to Spotify's algorithm that the track is gaining traction, which might just land it on playlists like Release Radar.

2. They Simplify Data Collection

Pre-save campaigns not only make it easy for fans to stay on top of new music from their favorite artists, but also offer a great way for artists to collect valuable data. As a result of encouraging fans to pre-save, artists can gather email addresses and build an email list. This list can be used for targeted marketing campaigns, promoting future releases, concerts, or merchandise sales. Fans who pre-save are often super engaged and more likely to support the artist in various ways.

3. They Impact Streaming and Playlist Placement

The early engagement that the pre-save campaigns generate can influence playlist placements. Playlists like Discover Weekly and Release Radar emphasize strong initial stream counts on release day.

A successful pre-save campaign can lead to a strong release day, which in turn increases the chances of being featured on these playlists. It significantly boosts artist's visibility, helping them reach new listeners and rack up streams.

How to Set Up a Spotify Pre-Save Campaign (All Methods)

Spotify has a relatively new feature (released in March 2023) called Countdown Pages that helps artists connect with fans ahead of a release. Though, it's an exciting addition, Contdown Pages are far from the only way to set up a pre-save campaign. Let’s break down all the methods available in 2025, so you can choose the one that works best for your release strategy.

1. The Official Option (Countdown Pages)

Spotify’s Countdown Pages are the platform’s official pre-save tool that offer an interactive hub where fans can pre-save your music, preview tracklists, watch Clips, purchase merch, and see a live countdown timer.

"Countdown Pages generated 6X more pre-saves than our off-platform buy link for several artists on our roster. The tool has been instrumental in helping to reach our chart goals."

— Emily Puterbaugh
Global Director of Streaming & Digital Sales, Secretly Group

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create a Spotify Countdown Page for your upcoming release.

1. Check eligibility. Make sure you have at least 5,000 active listeners in the past 28 days. Note that only albums and EPs are eligible (singles or deluxe editions are a no-go).

2. Log in to Spotify for Artists. Go to the web version of Spotify for Artists and access your Artist account.

3. Navigate to upcoming releases. Click the Music tab and select Upcoming.

4. Create your Countdown Page. Select your upcoming release and click Get Started, then upload Clips (short videos) and tag any merch you want featured.

5. Review and publish. Double-check all details and click Publish to Spotify.

6. Promote your Countdown Page. Set it as your Artist Pick on your profile for maximum visibility and share the page link across social media and email newsletters.

2. Third-Party Platforms

If you don’t qualify for Countdown Pages or want more customization, third-party platforms like Soundplate Clicks, PUSH.fm, Feature.fm, Hypeddit, Show.co, and Unchained Music offer tools for creating pre-save campaigns. They allow you to generate smart links that work across multiple streaming services and offer features like analytics and fan data collection.

Here is how to set up your pre-save campaign using third-party platforms:

1. Choose a platform. Pick one of the options mentioned above or another service of your choosing.

2. Sign up for an account. Create a free or paid account depending on the platform’s pricing model.

3. Upload your release information. Enter details like release date, album art, tracklist, and your Spotify URI (provided by your distributor).

4. Customize your link. Add branding elements like custom URLs or personalized landing pages with artwork and messaging.

5. Activate pre-save features. Enable pre-save functionality so fans can save your music directly to their library.

6. Share your pre-save link. Promote it across social media platforms, email campaigns, and websites.

7. Track engagement metrics. Use the platform’s analytics tools to monitor pre-saves and optimize your campaign.

3. Distributor Links

Many music distributors now offer built-in pre-save functionality as part of their service packages. Platforms like DistroKid, CD Baby, LANDR, and TuneCore automatically generate pre-save links when you upload your music.

Here is how it works:

1. Upload your music to a distributor. Select one of the distributors mentioned about or go with any other distribution service that supports pre-saves.

2. Set a future release date. Schedule your release at least 3-4 weeks in advance to allow time for promotion.

3. Claim your pre-save link. Once your release is processed, the distributor will generate a pre-save link automatically or provide instructions to create one manually.

4. Promote your pre-save link. Share it with fans via social media posts, newsletters, or live events.

5. Track performance (if available). Some distributors offer basic analytics to help you gauge campaign success.

4. DIY Campaigns

For independent artists with limited resources or those who prefer full control over their campaigns, it’s possible to set up pre-saves manually using free tools like Google Forms or landing page builders (e.g., Linktree).

Here is how to go about it:

1. Claim your Spotify Artist profile. Log in to Spotify for Artists and verify your profile if you haven’t already.

2. Obtain your track’s URI or UPC code. If you’re using a distributor (e.g., CD Baby), request the URI or UPC code once your track is uploaded but not yet released. You can also use tools like Show.co or Soundplate Clicks that integrate with distributors to retrieve these identifiers automatically.

3. Create a landing page using free tools. Use platforms like Google Forms or Linktree to create a simple page where fans can sign up for notifications about your release.

4. Manually notify fans on release day. Send an email or post on social media with direct links to stream the track once it’s live.

Spotify pre-saves are more than just a promotional tool — they’re an opportunity to build momentum ahead of release day and ensure strong initial engagement that could trigger playlist placements.

All of the campaign creation methods are effective, you just need to choose one that aligns with your goals, resources, and audience size – and promote it relentlessly across all channels available to you.

Every pre-save counts toward building excitement and boosting streams when release day finally arrives, so make sure fans know why they should save your music now.

Follow LALAL.AI on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube for more information on all things audio, music, and AI.