Today is the last day to add video to Spotify, update your Wrapped campaign

Spotify Wrapped is arguably one of the biggest fan moments of the year, reaching hundreds of millions, and Spotify has expanded its free tools to help artists make the most of their year-end Wrapped campaigns.

But time is running out with TODAY Friday, November 18th, the last day that artists can upload a custom video to their accounts.

The deadlines for taking advantage of the other promotional opportunities are less clear, but presumably, many are coming up on or soon after November 18th.

Below are 5 things that every artist should do today to make the most of this year’s Spotify Wrapped, with adding a video at the top of the list.

1. Add a short video

• Record a vertical, under-30-second “thank you” video on a standard mobile device
• Make sure your video has no music, singing, or lyrics; no explicit content; no logos or brands; and no added text, graphics, or filters
• Upload via Spotify for Artists on the app or desktop web
• More info here.

2. Sell merch

You can promote up to 5 merch items merch to top fans as a part of Wrapped, starting with the item most recently published to Spotify from their Shopify store.

Refresh your Spotify merch to have your newest items included.

The details

• Link your Shopify store to Spotify for Artists
• Publish new or exclusive merch to the Spotify Sales Channel through Shopify
• Don’t have a Shopify store? Get started with the Shopify Starter plan for $5 per month.
• Don’t have merch? – Design and list new merch in minutes with Printful, and use the code SPOTIFY20 to get $20 off your first order. Combine it with the Shopify Starter plan to get selling right away.
• More info here

3. Promote upcoming shows

Wrapped will now show personalized concert recommendations to top listeners.

• List concerts on a partner site
• Check your artist profile to make sure the dates are appearing correctly in the On Tour section
• More info here

4. Set a fan fundraising goal

Use Fan Support to collect end-of-year tips or donations for a charitable cause and Wrapped will help promote it.

• Set up a Fan Support link on your profile using the Fan Support tool in Spotify for Artists
• Receive funds via one of our fundraising partners
• More info here

5. Update artist profile

Some priorities:

• Upload a new artist profile image and update your bio to show fans your latest and greatest. 
• Playlist 2022 picks: Create a playlist and use Artist Pick to gift fans your favorite music of 2022.
• Get verified on Musixmatch and sync the lyrics to all tracks.

HYPEBOT TAKEAWAY

A rare chance to talk directly to fans on Spotify

Spotify doesn’t give fans many opportunities for artists to communicate directly with fans.

So upload a short video before the Firday deadline and use the free tools provided to thank and monetize your fanbase as part of Spotify’s popular Wrapped campaigns.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.