How to Build a Music Marketing Budget in 2026
Most artists either spend too little to see any signal or too much on the wrong things. A simple framework keeps you honest about what's working.
The $250 release budget
Cover art ($50), a single curator campaign ($150), and a smart link ($50). The goal is to test the song, not to scale it.
The $1,000 release budget
Add a second curator round, $300 in Meta/TikTok ads, and a small creator seed of 10–15 micro-influencers.
The $5,000 release budget
Now you can afford a PR push, paid ads at scale, a music video, and a multi-week curator campaign.
Frequently asked questions
Should I spend before or after release?
Split it. 30% in the 2 weeks before release, 70% in the 4 weeks after.
What's the worst place to spend money?
Guaranteed-stream services and follower-bot packages. They violate Spotify's ToS and damage your account.
Ready to grow your streams?
Submit your track to Amplifi and we'll pitch it to 900+ independent curators across 15+ genres.