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How Signal & Stride Helped a Band Double Their Spotify Streams

Picture of Chris Yerinides By   ·  3 minute read

For independent musicians, marketing often feels like an uphill battle. Budgets are limited, competition is massive, and the platforms you rely on are unpredictable. But with the right strategy, even small teams can create meaningful, scalable growth.

In this case study, Signal & Stride partnered with The Rough Edges, an independent modern-grunge band, to build a release and advertising system that doubled their Spotify streams — without increasing spend or relying on label support.

This is the exact framework we use to help artists grow faster and more consistently, regardless of budget.

Want to read a PDF version instead?

 

The Challenge: Grow Streams Without Increasing Budget

The Rough Edges approached Signal & Stride with a clear and ambitious goal:

Double their annual Spotify streams in 2024 compared to 2023.

But like most DIY artists, they faced several obstacles:

  • Inconsistent release sequencing

  • Limited local reach (due to relocation)

  • No established testing or optimization framework

  • Strong art direction and songs, but no structured promotion

  • No label or external marketing team

To hit their goal, we needed a repeatable system that increased algorithmic visibility and consistently reached high-intent listeners globally.

What We Found

During our audit, we identified three core areas of opportunity common across emerging artists:

1. Release sequencing wasn’t optimized for the algorithm

Past singles were spread out inconsistently, creating long engagement gaps that slowed playlist momentum and algorithmic recommendations.

2. Strong creative assets, but under-amplified

The band had great songs and visual content, but no scaled promotional engine to reach new listeners outside their existing audience.

3. No A/B testing or optimization loop

Without testing variations of hooks, visuals, messaging, or audiences, their paid media potential was capped.

Each issue represented a high-leverage opportunity to drive predictable, repeatable growth.

 

What Signal & Stride Did

1. Built a Smart, Staggered Release Calendar

We created a structured rollout designed to maximize Spotify’s algorithmic signals.

The timeline:

  • Jan 26, 2024: Lead single Heaven Never Knew Me

  • Mar 1, 2024: Full LP Points in Parallel

  • Earlier singles like Over You, Fairweather Beggar, and Remedy strategically resurfaced

This steady cadence created recurring Release Radar updates and kept the band in listeners’ feeds, generating 100,000+ pre-release streams before the LP even came out.

2. Deployed Global Genre-Aligned Paid Media Campaigns

Since local promotion wasn’t feasible, Signal & Stride launched a digital-first global ad strategy aimed at:

  • Fans of similar artists

  • Listeners in high-engagement regions

  • Platforms most aligned with the band’s goals (Spotify, YouTube, Instagram)

Ads were timed around each release moment to maximize visibility and momentum.

3. Introduced an Aggressive A/B Testing Framework

Signal & Stride tested:

  • Hook variations (melodic passages, heavy riffs, lyric cutdowns)

  • Multiple visual styles (performance clips, studio shots, animated text)

  • Messaging formats (lyrics-forward, vibe-forward, performance-forward)

  • Audience segments by affinity, location, and behavior

Once top-performers emerged, budget was shifted toward the highest-converting combinations.

4. Optimized Spend Weekly for Listener → Stream Efficiency

Instead of “set and forget” campaigns, we ran a dynamic optimization model:

  • Scaling audiences with high save rates

  • Shifting spend as algorithmic traction changed

  • Prioritizing ad formats with strong playback and repeat-listen behavior

This created a compounding growth loop throughout the year.

The Results

Signal & Stride helped The Rough Edges:

  • Double their annual Spotify streams by October

  • Grow from 34,000 streams in 2023 → 86,000+ in 2024

  • Increase global listenership

  • Boost save rates and repeat listening

  • Earn placements in Spotify algorithmic playlists

  • Establish a repeatable release + ads model for future projects

All without increasing budget, and without any label support.

This is the power of aligning release strategy, ads, and optimization under one system.

Why It Matters for Independent Musicians

Many artists assume they need:

  • A label

  • A massive ad budget

  • Industry connections

But what they really need is a system that combines:

  • Intentional release scheduling

  • Smart, targeted ads

  • Ongoing experimentation

  • Data-driven optimization

When these pieces work together, artists can grow at a pace that once felt impossible.

At Signal & Stride, this is exactly what we help independent musicians build: a modern, reliable growth engine designed for DIY realities.

Ready to Grow Your Own Streams?

Whether you’re preparing your next single, building toward an EP or LP, or want a strategy to grow your streams year-round, Signal & Stride can help.

We offer:

  • Release planning

  • Paid media setup and optimization

  • Creative testing frameworks

  • Listener targeting strategies

  • End-to-end marketing systems that scale

Let’s make your next release your most successful yet. Connect with us.