Introducing The Waterfall Release Strategy

The waterfall release strategy is a clever way to maximize your streaming potential on platforms like Spotify. Instead of releasing your EP or album all at once, you release it gradually over time, with one track added at a time until the full release is available.

The benefit of this strategy is that each track is released as a separate product, and because of the track-linking (ISRC) you’ve used to upload it on Musible, the stream counts transfer over to each new version of your release on Spotify. This means that each new release will add to the stream count of the previous releases, leading to more streams overall.

For instance, Drake's album 'Scorpion' used a waterfall strategy. With each new release, play counts increased as fans checked out the latest tracks, leading to more streams for the previously released singles 'God's Plan' and 'Nice for What?'

This method also maximizes the amount of tracks you can pitch to Spotify's editors for playlist inclusion. Three releases mean three tracks submitted for editorial review, giving you more chances to get noticed.

In order to execute a waterfall release strategy, you need to plan your release schedule carefully. Start by selecting your release date and then work backwards, deciding how much time you want to leave between each release. It's important to ensure that each release has its own unique artwork and metadata, so that each release stands out on its own.

Overall, the waterfall release strategy can be an effective way to maximize your streaming potential on platforms like Spotify. It allows you to build momentum gradually, while also increasing your chances of getting noticed by Spotify's editors for playlist inclusion.