DSP Profile Optimisation

Getting your music out into the world and into the ears of brand new listeners has never been easier. Digital Streaming Platforms (DSP’s) like Spotify, Apple, Amazon etc. allow you to have all your releases in one place for fans old and new to listen to, but it’s vital that your profile is as professional, inviting and optimised as it can be to attract and keep hold of new fans. 

Below are some key areas to focus on when optimising your DSP profiles.

Profile Images

Uploading a profile picture or a banner picture, is an opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself and your music before it’s even been heard. 

Choose quality: Use a Hi-Res, professional-looking image. Low-quality photos signal a lack of care and can put off potential fans.

Professional artist photos or the artwork from your latest/next release work best.

For example, Wolf Alice use their album cover as a banner, while YUNGBLUD opts for a professionally shot portrait that reflects his artistic identity.

Consistency: Aim to use the same image, or at least the same style, across all DSPs for a strong, unified brand.

Biography

Tell your story and connect with fans. Whilst trying to keep it concise and impactful, it’s an opportunity for you to talk about your career so far, what and who inspires you and to highlight new and / or upcoming releases. It’s also a great place to link your social platforms. 

Utilising some of the Features

Spotify

Artist Pick: Pin an ‘Artist Pick’ to the top of your profile with a personal message. This could be your latest release, a curated playlist, merch, or an upcoming live show! An easy way to draw fans’ attention to what matters most right now.

Artist Playlists: Curate your own playlist with anything you like! A great opportunity to group ALL of your best releases to centralise your catalogue. Maybe you want to highlight the songs that inspire you or what show you’re listening to now, to give fans an insight into your listening habits. 

Clips & Canvas: Spotify offers powerful visual tools to bring your music and profile to life. Both can be uploaded through the Video & Visuals tab in Spotify for Artists. Clips are short, vertical videos where you can speak directly to fans, share behind-the-scenes moments, or promote a release, helping you build a stronger connection. Canvas lets you replace static cover art with looping visuals that play on repeat while your track streams, making the listening experience more immersive and encouraging replays.

Lyrics: Spotify works in conjunction with Musixmatch to allow you to post and update the lyrics to your music. Head here to sign up and create a verified account then follow the instructions found here to register, edit and update your lyrics.

Amazon

Hype Deck: Create a ‘Hype Deck’ to promote something of your choice, your artist page, a playlist, a new track, or upcoming album. Once built, this can then be customised, downloaded as an Image and used as a promo asset across your campaigns. 

Merch: Add your merchandise directly to your profile through Amazon Music for Artists, making it easy for fans to discover and purchase your products alongside your music.

Apple

Motion Art: Animated visuals that bring static images to life. There are two types: Artist Motion, which adds subtle movement to your profile image for a more dynamic look, and Album Motion, which animates your cover artwork to make new releases stand out. Both help create a more engaging experience for listeners and make your profile feel polished and professional.

Lyrics: Send your lyrics directly to them rather than through a 3rd party. Just head to ‘Artist Content’ on Apple music for Artists and select a song, click Add lyrics and then input the lyrics to the song you want. Further info and instructions can be found here.

Set Lists: Promote your upcoming shows on Apple Music and Shazam by connecting your artist page to Bandsintown. This ensures your tour dates are visible to fans and easy to follow, helping drive attendance and engagement.

Deezer

Highlights: Highlights allow you to promote something of your choice and drive traffic to it. Simply input all the relevant info and data and then it will appear on the artists’ profile.