Music Promotion Introduction To Music Promotion 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric is most important when evaluating the success of a Spotify playlist pitch?
- Number of playlist saves
- Number of streams generated after placement (Correct answer)
- Follower count of the curator
- Number of pitches submitted
Correct answer: Number of streams generated after placement
Streams generated after placement directly measure listener engagement and the real promotional impact of a playlist pitch.
Question 2: What is a 'press kit' primarily used for in music promotion?
- Collecting fan email addresses
- Providing media and bookers with artist info and assets (Correct answer)
- Uploading music to streaming platforms
- Managing tour merchandise orders
Correct answer: Providing media and bookers with artist info and assets
A press kit (EPK) gives media outlets, bookers, and promoters a concise package of bio, photos, music links, and press quotes.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'organic growth' in music promotion?
- Growth driven entirely by paid advertising budgets
- Growth achieved through genuine fan engagement without paid promotion (Correct answer)
- Growth from record label marketing campaigns
- Growth measured only by album sales
Correct answer: Growth achieved through genuine fan engagement without paid promotion
Organic growth refers to audience expansion driven by word-of-mouth, authentic content, and real listener engagement rather than paid ads.
Question 4: When should an artist ideally begin promoting a new release?
- The day the music goes live
- Only after receiving radio airplay
- 4–6 weeks before the release date (Correct answer)
- After the first week of streaming data is available
Correct answer: 4–6 weeks before the release date
Starting promotion 4–6 weeks out allows time to build anticipation, pitch to playlists, secure press coverage, and prime the algorithm.
Question 5: What does 'DSP' stand for in the context of music distribution and promotion?
- Digital Sound Processing
- Digital Streaming Platform (Correct answer)
- Direct Sales Protocol
- Distributed Sound Publishing
Correct answer: Digital Streaming Platform
DSP stands for Digital Streaming Platform, referring to services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music where music is distributed and promoted.
Question 6: Which promotional tactic involves reaching out to blogs, magazines, and online publications for coverage?
- Playlist pitching
- Sync licensing
- PR outreach (Correct answer)
- Radio plugging
Correct answer: PR outreach
PR (public relations) outreach targets journalists and editorial outlets to earn written coverage, reviews, and features.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a 'pre-save campaign' on streaming platforms?
- To sell physical albums before release
- To build a fanbase on social media ahead of a tour
- To drive first-day streams and boost algorithmic visibility at release (Correct answer)
- To register songs with a performing rights organization
Correct answer: To drive first-day streams and boost algorithmic visibility at release
Pre-save campaigns convert fan interest into automatic first-day streams, which signals popularity to platform algorithms immediately upon release.
Music Promotion Introduction To Music Promotion 2
Which metric is most important when evaluating the success of a Spotify playlist pitch?