Spotify for Artists Tools: Canvas, Clips, Countdown Pages and More

Spotify for Artists is more than a stats dashboard. It includes a set of tools that let you add visuals to your songs, build anticipation before a release, and, if you choose, pay for extra visibility inside the app. Some tools are free, some cost money and some trade a lower royalty rate for more reach.

This guide gives you a practical overview of six of them: Canvas, Clips, Countdown Pages, Marquee, Showcase and Discovery Mode. Availability can depend on your country, your role on the profile and eligibility requirements, so check inside Spotify for Artists for what is open to you.

The tools at a glance

Free tools for every release

Canvas

Canvas is a short, looping vertical visual that plays behind a track in the Spotify mobile app, in place of static cover art. It is one of the simplest ways to make a song feel more personal. Good loops are simple, match the mood of the song and look good without sound or text. We have a full guide on Spotify Canvas tips.

How to use it: upload a Canvas for each release before release day, so it is live from the first stream.

Clips

Clips are short vertical videos you can add to your artist profile and to tracks. They are useful for talking directly to fans: explaining the story behind a song, showing a studio moment or announcing a release.

How to use it: record a short, personal message for each new release, and add new Clips between releases so your profile stays active.

Ideas for Clips:

• A quick explanation of what inspired the song.
• A few seconds of you playing the hook on an acoustic instrument.
• A thank-you message after a milestone, like a sold-out show.
• A preview of an upcoming release with a pointer to its Countdown Page.

Countdown Pages

Countdown Pages let fans pre-save an upcoming release inside Spotify and see a countdown to launch. You can add content to the page to build interest in the weeks before release. Because pre-saving happens inside the app, fans do not need to connect any outside service.

How to use it: set up the page as soon as the release appears as upcoming, then share the link in your announcement. Our pre-save campaign guide covers timing and content.

Don't forget the pitch

The pitching tool is not a visual feature, but it belongs on every release checklist. You can pitch one unreleased song at a time, and you need to pitch at least 7 days before release for the song to be considered for your followers' Release Radar.

Paid tools: Marquee and Showcase

Marquee

Marquee is a sponsored, full-screen recommendation for a new release, shown to listeners who have shown interest in your music. It is designed for the period shortly after release. You set a budget, and Spotify for Artists reports on how people responded.

Showcase

Showcase is a sponsored placement on the Home feed on mobile. It is typically used to put a release in front of listeners who already have some connection to your music, and it can be used for releases beyond the first days after launch.

Getting ready before you spend

Paid placements send listeners to your music, so make sure the destination is ready: a complete profile, a Canvas on the promoted track, an up-to-date artist pick and a clear follow-up plan for the fans you reach. If the song already has weak engagement from organic listeners, fix that first; paying for more exposure rarely solves a mismatch between song and audience.

Deciding whether to pay

1. Check eligibility and availability in your Spotify for Artists account and country.
2. Start small and test with a modest budget.
3. Define success before you spend, for example new saves, streams per listener or new followers.
4. Review results in the campaign reports and compare with releases where you did not use the tool.

Paid tools inside Spotify are legitimate ways to reach listeners, but they do not guarantee any particular result. Treat them as part of a budget, not as the whole plan. Our guide on allocating a music marketing budget can help you decide how much to spend.

Discovery Mode

Discovery Mode lets eligible artists and labels flag selected tracks as a priority in personalized listening contexts such as Radio and Autoplay. In exchange, you accept a reduced royalty rate on streams from those contexts. It does not guarantee a set number of streams.

When it can make sense

• You have catalog tracks with good engagement that you want to keep in rotation.
• You are comfortable trading a lower rate on those streams for potential extra reach.
• You will measure the impact using sources of streams.

When to think twice

• Tracks with weak engagement, since more exposure will not fix high skip rates.
• Situations where every stream's revenue matters more to you than extra reach.

For more on these listening contexts, see Spotify Radio and Autoplay.

A release-cycle checklist for Spotify for Artists

1. Five to six weeks out: deliver the release to your distributor.
2. Four weeks out: pitch your focus track and set up a Countdown Page.
3. Two weeks out: upload your Canvas, record a Clip and update your artist pick.
4. Release day: point your artist pick at the new release and share it everywhere.
5. First weeks: decide whether a paid tool like Marquee or Showcase fits your budget.
6. Ongoing: review which catalog tracks might suit Discovery Mode, and keep adding Clips.

Outside Spotify's own tools, some artists add third-party promotion. If you consider services such as SpotBoost, keep them proportionate to your organic engagement, grow gradually with drip-feed and remember that platforms can review or remove activity that looks unnatural. Nothing here guarantees editorial or algorithmic results.

Key takeaways

• Canvas, Clips and Countdown Pages are free and worth using on every release.
• Pitch one unreleased song at least 7 days ahead to be considered for Release Radar.
• Marquee and Showcase are paid placements; start small and measure results.
• Discovery Mode trades a reduced royalty rate for priority in personalized contexts.
• Availability and eligibility vary, so check your own Spotify for Artists account.