The question
An independent R&B artist had two singles he believed in equally — but conventional wisdom said you should only promote one track at a time. He didn't want to choose. His budget allowed for two simultaneous Starter plans. The question: can an artist run two campaigns on two different tracks at the same time, and do they help or hurt each other?
What was tried before
What Didn't Work
- ✕Released both singles with only social media posts — insufficient reach for either
- ✕Submitted both to editorial — no placements for either track
- ✕Artist ran a small Instagram ad split between both tracks — diluted spend, minimal impact on either
Strategy applied
What We Did
- 1Ran two simultaneous Chartlex Starter campaigns ($59/mo each) — one per track
- 2Each campaign targeted the same geo distribution but let the algorithm find the best listener fit for each track independently
- 3Monitored both tracks in Spotify for Artists to see whether they cannibalized each other or found distinct audiences
- 4Used the dual-track approach to give the algorithm two entry points into the artist's profile
- 5Total investment: $118/mo for both campaigns running in parallel
Observed results
The Outcome
18,000+ combined streams across both tracks in 30 days. The two campaigns found largely distinct listener pools rather than cannibalizing each other.
- Track 1: 9,503 streams in 30 days on Starter plan
- Track 2: 8,441 streams in 30 days on Starter plan
- Combined total: 17,944 streams across both tracks
- Combined listeners: ~5,980 (3:1 ratio across both tracks)
- The two tracks served as separate entry points — listeners who discovered one often explored the other organically
Why it worked
The Takeaway
Running two campaigns simultaneously works when the tracks appeal to slightly different listener segments. The algorithm evaluates each track independently — it doesn't penalize an artist for promoting multiple tracks. In fact, having two active tracks gives the algorithm more data points about the artist's listener profile, which can accelerate recommendations. The key insight: the two tracks found largely distinct initial audiences, then cross-pollinated organically as listeners explored the artist's profile. The $118/mo total investment produced nearly 18,000 streams — competitive with a single higher-tier plan but with the added benefit of two separate algorithmic entry points.
Who this applies to
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