The Hidden Truth About Pre-Saves in 2024

If you look at how your favorite musicians promote their music, you'd think pre-saves are one of the most crucial parts of music promotion. But musicians often don't get the hidden reason why their favorite musicians push those pre-saves so hard. And to make things even crazier, Spotify just launched their Countdown Clocks, which have their own pre-save tool for when you release an album.

And now—this part is wild—there's a tool where your audience can pre-save every track you make for life. Seriously, 40 years from now, your fans could still have your new tracks automatically added to their library. Well, that assumes Spotify hasn’t turned into a startup that cleans your blood with music or something by then, but you get the point.

Pre-Saves: What’s the Real Deal?

There’s been so much buzz about pre-saves over the years. Some myths even claimed pre-saves guaranteed placement on Spotify editorial playlists. I personally debunked that by hiring a programmer to confirm Spotify doesn’t even see pre-save data until release day. No evidence exists that pre-save data impacts playlist placement at all.

Also, Spotify’s Countdown Clock tool? It’s only for albums. That’s cool, but most of us release singles, right? So this tool, while useful, has limitations for the way most artists grow their fanbases.

The Hidden Power of Pre-Saves: Email Collection

The real secret behind pre-saves is something musicians often overlook: email collection. You might be thinking, “Why on earth would I need someone’s email address? People don’t even read emails these days—they can barely hold down their job at Guitar Center!” But here’s the truth: email marketing works.

My friends and I laugh at how musicians doubt email marketing until they see it in action. A single email blast can make a huge difference in your profits. And with social media platforms constantly making it harder to reach your followers—only 10% of them even see your posts—having direct access to your fans through email or text is way more valuable.

The Hidden Power of Pre-Saves: Text Messaging

Text messaging can be even more powerful. Campaigns using text sometimes perform up to four times better than email. That’s why I’ve been wishing for a pre-save tool that lets you collect text numbers too. If you’re asking fans to pre-save a song they can’t even listen to yet, you want to get something valuable in return—like their email address or phone number.

Introducing Tribly FM: A Game-Changer

Let me tell you about this amazing new platform: Tribly.FM. They’ve solved all these problems I just mentioned, and I’m honestly obsessed with it. Tribly is all about making it easy to grow your fanbase and generate excitement for your releases. It lets you collect emails, phone numbers, and even lifetime pre-saves.

Oh, and here’s the best part—those emails and phone numbers are yours. You can download them and take them to any other platform whenever you want. And the lifetime pre-save feature automatically adds every new release to your fans’ libraries.

For now, Tribly is totally free, which is kind of insane.

How Does It Work?

Here’s how you use Tribly to maximize your releases:

1. Create a Drop:
   Start by creating a “drop” on the Tribly platform. This could be anything: a brand-new single, a cover you’ve been holding onto, or even an exclusive demo just for your subscribers. Think about what your fans would find exciting or valuable enough to trade their email, phone number, or lifetime pre-save.

2. Customize and Share Your Page:
   Tribly lets you customize a splash page for your drop. Add visuals, text, and whatever else makes it pop. Once it’s ready, share the link everywhere—your Instagram bio, website, stories, or even through QR codes on flyers or merch. Make it impossible to miss.

3. Trade Exclusive Content for Contact Info:
   This is the fun part. Fans unlock your exclusive content by signing up with their email, phone number, or committing to a lifetime pre-save. In return, they get something they can’t resist—like a snippet of your song, an acoustic version, or even early access to your release

Monetizing Your Music: Pay-What-You-Want

Tribly recently introduced a pay-what-you-want model for music pre-purchases. You set a minimum price—like a dollar—but fans can pay more if they feel like supporting you. It’s a great way to earn more while giving fans control over how much they contribute.

Creating Micro-Experiences with Fans

Tribly doesn’t just help with pre-saves—it creates deeper engagement. Fans can preview album art, listen to songs, leave comments, and share with their friends. This kind of interaction builds a stronger connection between you and your audience.

Why QR Codes Matter

Another killer feature: QR codes. You can print these on postcards, flyers, or even your drum kit. Imagine fans at your show scanning a QR code at the merch booth to unlock a cover song or exclusive demo. It’s a great way to connect with fans when their excitement is at its peak.

Boosting Your Popularity Score

Spotify’s algorithm thrives on momentum. Your popularity score determines if your track lands on Release Radar, Discover Weekly, or even fan-generated playlists. The algorithm evaluates how many people stream your song, how quickly they do so, and whether they interact with it—saving it, adding it to playlists, or playing it multiple times.

This engagement is what drives the algorithm to recommend your music to more listeners. It’s not just about streams; it’s about proving your track has staying power.

Every Musician Needs A Direct Line of Communication to Fans

Let’s look at how this works in practice. I’m a huge fan of the band Anxious. I’ve streamed their new song 40 times in the past few days and played their last album so many times I’ve probably paid their rent. But despite being a die-hard fan, I completely missed their local show announcement. The only reason I found out was because a friend texted me after seeing my Instagram story about their song.

So what happens when I know this? I streamed their new track more, bought tickets, and brought friends along and took a picture and posted it on my story and spread the word. That’s the power of direct communication—it’s not just about streams; it’s about deepening fan relationships and keeping them engaged.

The Ripple Effect

Engaging your core fans at the right moment not only boosts streams but also sets off a ripple effect: higher popularity scores lead to more playlist placements, which brings in new listeners. Those new listeners might save your track, add it to their playlists, and follow you, fueling further growth. It’s a feedback loop that starts with just a handful of dedicated fans.

Tribly is free right now, and it's one of those rare tools that actually helps musicians grow their fanbase the right way. Whether you're dropping singles, EPs, or full albums, this is how you make sure your biggest supporters never out and build something real with your fans. Get started with Tribly and watch your fanbase grow with every release.