In music, creating is essential. But if you want to move forward, you also need to look at the right numbers. Because yes, you can’t grow what you don’t measure.
No need to become an analyst. The idea is to understand the basics, track what makes sense, and use it to make better decisions. Ready? Here’s how to do it, step by step.
1. Streaming: the first signals
When we talk about numbers in music, this is usually the first thing that comes to mind.
- Monthly listeners: this gives you a real sense of your reach. Are people coming back to listen? Is your fanbase growing? Great to track audience consistency and even build real impact with labels or curators.
- Followers (on Spotify, Insta, etc.): more reliable in the long run. If it’s going up, that’s a good sign, your community is settling in.
- Playlists: count the adds, saves, new followers. It’s a strong indicator of your visibility and where your style is resonating.
2. Marketing and sales: what brings you money
Creating is one thing. But knowing what really works, that’s what helps you make a living.
- ROI (return on investment): simply put, how much you spend vs how much you earn. Super useful to tweak your campaigns (ads, content, newsletters…).
- Geographic data: knowing where your fans are helps you plan a tour, translate your content, or decide where to allocate your budget.
- Sales: whether it’s merch, tickets or vinyls, keep it all tracked. It’s concrete and helps you manage your stock and plan your next moves.
3. Social media and communication: capturing attention
Your content won’t do much if it doesn’t generate engagement. Here’s what to keep an eye on:
- Social engagement: likes, comments, shares, views. That’s what shows you what really resonates with your fans.
- Email click rates: not glamorous, but very useful to know if your fans are reading (and clicking) when you reach out. Emailing is a key tool to grab attention without relying on algorithms.
- External mentions: blogs, media, forums… who’s talking about you, and where? That’s also what builds your credibility.
4. Community: your real lever
Numbers are great. But what truly sustains a career is your community. The people who come back, who share, who support you live. You can’t always measure it, but you can feel it. And more importantly: you can nurture it.
5. How to organize this data without a headache
No need for a pivot table.
- Create a table with 5 columns: Streaming / Followers & Playlists / Marketing & Sales / Social / Community
- Set 2,3 clear goals (e.g. +100 followers in 2 months, 10 merch sales, etc.)
- Write down what works every month or every quarter
- Adjust if needed
Data should never hold back your creativity. It should help you see more clearly. The challenge: balancing creativity and strategy to build a sustainable music career.
Where to start?
Here are a few simple steps to take right now:
- Log into your Spotify, Apple Music and other dashboards
- Enable Google Analytics on your website, look at clicks from your bio or emails
- Try Google Trends or Ubersuggest for content ideas
- Track your income: streaming, merch, gigs
- Every 3 months, check in: what worked? why? what do you want to test next?
By the way, there’s an all-in-one platform called Winamp for Creators where you can manage, monetize, and promote your music from one place. And of course, all the dashboards you need are included.
And if you want to collect all your royalties easily while you’re working on your strategy? You know where to find us.
