Managing Promotions
There are two main ways to engage artists on Musosoup:
OFFER SYSTEM
This is where you proactively send an offer to an artist to create content, coverage, or a promotion to help promote their release. If the artist likes the offer, they pay, and you then complete the work outlined in the offer within the agreed timeframe.
MARKETPLACE
This is where you list a promotion or service that an artist can request to purchase. If you like the music and the artist, you can accept the request. Once the artist pays for the promotion, you then complete the work within the agreed timeframe.
To use either of these approaches, you need to create a library of Promotions. Promotions define the specific things you can provide to artists and are used both when making offers and when listing services on the marketplace.
To build, view, manage, and create promotions, head to the Promotions section of the website.
Introducing Promos and Bundles
In the Promotions section, you’ll see two tabs: Promos and Bundles. These represent the two stages of creating a promotion on Musosoup.
What are Promos?
We currently support 63 different promo types. These range from interviews and reviews to industry advice and ads management.
The main ares of promos are:
Interviews
A feature built around the artist’s own responses to a set of interview questions. It typically includes a brief introduction and light review of their music, giving readers insight into the artist’s perspective and creative process. The artist is given reasonable time to reply, and if responses aren’t received within the agreed window, the content may shift to an alternative format.
News
An informational article announcing an artist update, release, or milestone. It focuses on sharing key details about their work or activity rather than reviewing it, presenting the information clearly and originally.
Podcast & Radio
Promotion where an artist’s music is played or featured on a podcast or radio show. This may include a short discussion or interview, with tracks used either as a main feature or background, and focuses on broadcast or streaming exposure rather than written coverage.
Playlist Placement
A free promotion where the artist's release is added to one of your Spotify playlists.
Social Media
Promotion where an artist’s music is used on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube etc, typically as background audio rather than the main focus. It provides short-form visibility through posts, stories, reels, or videos, helping introduce the music to new audiences.
Industry Support
A one-off session offering expert guidance to an artist on their career or a specific industry topic. It focuses on practical advice, with clear expectations around what the session covers, how it’s delivered, and what the artist should prepare in advance.
Marketing & advertising
Paid promotion campaigns designed to increase an artist’s reach through ads on websites and platforms like Facebook, Spotify, and TikTok. This focuses on targeted exposure using agreed creative assets, budgets, and audiences, with clear and transparent campaign details.
Creative & Design
Custom visual or video content created for an artist based on agreed concepts and specifications. This includes original assets for promotion or branding, with clear deliverables and approval before final delivery.
The list of promo types you can create is always evolving. If you’d like to request a new promo type, please contact us at curators@musosoup.com.
What are Bundles?
Bundles are collections of one or more promos. They are the final promotions you use when making offers to artists or listing services on the marketplace.
You can reuse the same promo across multiple bundles and create as many bundles as you like, combining different promos to create engaging, targeted promotions.
Bundles are designed to encourage promotions that support artists across multiple channels. This helps differentiate your offerings and provides artists with a more modern, cross-channel promotional package.
Bundles are your final outward-facing promotions. Any bundles listed on the marketplace will also appear on your curator and publication profiles, allowing artists to browse all your promotions in one place.
Creating Promos
The first step in building promotions is creating individual promos. These are the specific activities you are committing to deliver and may include content, playlisting, marketing, or advice.
A promo should be:
- Very specific: It represents one clear activity
- Something you provide: It’s clear what will be delivered
- Clearly deliverable: There’s no ambiguity about what will be delivered.
Promos are later combined with other promos when creating bundles and finalising promotions.
To get started, click Promotions in the navigation menu and select Create New Promo.
STEP 1: SELECT PROMO TYPE
Selecting the correct promo type is important. We currently support over 60 promo types, using a standardised list to ensure clarity and consistency for artists.
This makes it easier for:
- Artists to understand exactly what’s being offered
- Curators to clearly communicate what they’re delivering
- Musosoup to ensure promos in a bundle are delivered as expected
When you select a promo type, a description will appear to help confirm it’s the right choice. You can also use the guide below to compare different promo types
STEP 2: ENTER PROMO TITLE
The promo title appears within bundles alongside the promo type.
When an artist opens a bundle, they scroll through the individual promos and see both the promo type and the promo title. While the promo type explains what the activity is, the title is your opportunity to make the promo engaging and compelling.
Because the promo type is already visible, avoid purely functional titles or simply repeating the promo type.
Examples of what not to use:
- 200 Word Review
- Instagram Story
- Playlist Placement
- Interview Q&A
- Facebook Share
Instead, use descriptive, engaging titles such as:
- 200 word editorial review from a veteran music blogger
- Curated Instagram story feature for release visibility
- TikTok video spotlighting the story behind the track
- Focused industry feedback session with actionable advice
Strong promo titles should:
- Avoid generic phrasing
- Be engaging and interesting
- Encourage the artist to learn more
- Clearly communicate your edge or experience
STEP 3: PUBLICATIONS
(This is only relevant if you work with multiple publications)
If you work with more than one publication, select the correct publication for this promo. Promos are tied to a specific publication and cannot be reused across others.
STEP 4: EXAMPLES OF WORK
Examples of work are URLs showing relevant, specific examples of what the artist can expect when the promo is delivered. These examples help set expectations, build confidence, and reassure the artist.
You can add as many URLs as you like, but generally a small number of high-quality, closely relevant examples works best.
URLs can link to webpages or images. You can use image-hosting services such as Imagur or Google Drive to share creative work, ad campaigns, or print publications if you don’t have an online portfolio.
Other examples include:
- Links to reviews
- Links to specific social posts
- Links to case studies
💡Tips For Adding Examples:
- Add 2–3 examples that closely match the promo
- Avoid linking to homepages or general feeds
- Link directly to specific, relevant content
STEP 5: PROMO VALUE
The promo value represents the cost of delivering the promo. It’s a contribution amount that helps cover your time and effort and supports the upkeep of your publication, channels, and promotional activity.
Bundle pricing is generally aligned with the combined value of the promos included. For example, a £12 review promo and a £3 social promo suggests a £15 bundle price.
You can enter any value (including £0), but all promos are reviewed before they can be used in bundles. If a price appears excessive, it may be challenged or the promo may not be approved.
Pricing can vary depending on:
- Promo type and effort required
- Your reach and reputation
- Overall bundle composition and perceived value
Some promo types must always be free to comply with platform regulations and avoid pay-for-placement:
- Spotify playlist placement
- SoundCloud playlist placement
- YouTube playlist placement
- Radio show
If you select one of these promo types, the promo value will automatically be set to £0.
To summarise:
- Price promos fairly and transparently
- Playlist and radio promos must be free
- Pricing is reviewed by the Musosoup team and excessive pricing will be challenged
STEP 6: DESCRIPTION
The description explains what the promo is, what you’ll do, and what the artist will receive. It’s your chance to clearly communicate value, benefits, and what makes the promo stand out.
Be specific and focus only on this promo. Avoid describing other promos or bundles. And don’t make the description too short. In general:
- Smaller promos (e.g. social posts): 30+ words (~200 characters)
- Larger promos (e.g. reviews or interviews): 80+ words (~500 characters)
Include any requirements you have from the artist and clearly explain deliverables. And remember formatting matters. Use line breaks, lists, and emojis sparingly to improve readability.
💡Tips for strong descriptions:
- Be compelling, informative, and engaging
- Highlight benefits, USPs, and relevant stats or links
- Clearly state any requirements (assets, budgets, sharing)
- Maintain a consistent tone across promo types
- Ensure correct spelling and grammar
Examples of Good Promo Descriptions:
STEP 7: PERMISSIONS
Confirm that you have permission to post promotions on behalf of the selected publication. This ensures you are authorised and understand that promos are presented as coming from that publication.
STEP 8: APPROVAL AND NEXT STEPS
Once you click Save Changes, your promo will be submitted to the Musosoup team for review. If anything is missing or unclear, we’ll notify you. Reviews typically take up to 24 hours.
Once approved, the promo will appear in your promo library and can be added to bundles.
Creating Bundles
Bundles are the final stage of creating promotions. They are made up of one or more promos and represent the final product artists engage with.
You can create as many bundles as you like to support different goals, including:
- Different genres
- Different price points
- Different activities and channels
Bundles allow you to be strategic and experiment with what resonates best with artists.
STEP 1: SELECT PUBLICATION
Select the publication you want to create the bundle for. Most curators have only one publication, in which case you can continue. Once promos are added, the publication cannot be changed.
STEP 2: SELECT PROMOS
Select all promos to include in the bundle. This represents the full scope of activity you’ll deliver.
To learn more about promos, refer to the Creating Promos section above or the guide on promo types.
Most bundles include one primary promo (such as a review or interview), supported by complementary activity such as social posts, playlisting, or ads.
Single-promo bundles are also valid, and are common for professional advice, ad management, or creative services promotions.
As you select promos, they appear in the Bundle Configuration box along with a recommended total price. This price can be adjusted later.
STEP 3: FREE ALTERNATIVE
Free alternatives are small promotional activities that artists can choose instead of the paid promotion when receiving an offer. If selected, you are committed to delivering it.
Important notes:
- Free alternatives apply only to offers, not marketplace listings
- You can change the free alternative when creating an offer
- If a playlist placement promo is included, it must be the free alternative to comply with streaming platform terms (especially Spotify’s)
Select the default free alternative you want to include in your offer and click Next.
STEP 4: BUNDLE DETAILS
Add additional information about the promotion. These details play a key role in engaging artists and can significantly influence whether they accept an offer or request the bundle.
Bundle Thumbnail
The bundle thumbnail is how your promotion appears on the marketplace and in offers. It helps communicate brand, style, and value.
Tools like Canva or Adobe Express work well. AI tools are fine, but avoid relying solely on generic AI-generated imagery.
💡 Tips:
- Use a 1:1 aspect ratio
- Stay consistent with your publication branding
- Use bold colour or contrast
- Consider including your logo
- Be creative
Good Bundle Thumbnails:
Bad Bundle Thumbnails:
Browsing the Musosoup marketplace and other curator profiles can provide useful inspiration. Platforms like Fiverr or YouTube thumbnails can also help illustrate what communicates value quickly.
Bundle Title
Bundle titles are often the first thing artists see. Alongside the thumbnail, they are critical for engagement.
A strong title clearly explains the main deliverable while conveying credibility or differentiation.
Avoid vague titles such as:
- 200 word review
- PR package
- Social posts
Examples:
- 200 word editorial review from a long-running independent music blog
- Indie artist launch bundle with review and social support
- Playlist discovery bundle across niche genre communities
Experiment with titles and take a look at other curators’ marketplace listings to understand what may resonate with different artists.
Genres You Are Targeting
If your bundle targets specific genres, select them here. Genre selection helps your promotion appear in marketplace filters and improves relevance for artists.
Introductory Message
The introductory message is used only when making offers. It appears alongside the offer and is one of the most important elements influencing acceptance.
Important: The introductory message is editable and customisable at the time of making an offer. This allows you to personalise it for each artist and release.
💡Tips:
- Avoid generic, copy-and-paste messages
- Be genuine and specific
- Be conversational and approachable
- Include links to your curator and publication profiles
How to use the introductory message:
Write a base message in the box provided. This acts as a reusable template. When making an offer, customise it with personal details such as:
- Why the track stood out
- Why you like it
- Why it fits your publication or audience
- What made you want to reach out
Tip for quick personalisation: Use dynamic fields in your template to automatically populate artist-specific information:
- {ARTIST} inserts the artist's name
- {TITLE} inserts the release title
This allows you to create a partially personalised template while still adding unique, specific commentary for each artist.
Formatting tips:
- Use emojis sparingly
- Add line breaks to break up paragraphs
- Use lists where helpful
Publish on Marketplace
Bundles can be used for offers, marketplace listings, or both.
To list a bundle on the marketplace, check Publish on marketplace and set a weekly request limit. This helps manage capacity and avoid rejecting large numbers of requests.
You can choose unlimited requests or set a limit between 1 and 10 per week.
Estimated Time To Complete
Select the estimated number of days required to complete the bundle. This is shown to artists and used to calculate expected completion timelines.
You can select between 1 and 60 days and adjust this later when finalising offers or requests. Be realistic - overly long timelines can discourage artists looking for timely coverage.
STEP 5: REVIEW AND SAVE
Review all bundle details, including promos and free alternatives. You can edit all elements except the publication.
Once saved, the bundle is immediately available for use. Bundles do not require approval, as the individual promos have already been reviewed.
Managing Promos and Bundles
Managing promos and bundles is straightforward. Go to the Promotions section and select either the Promos or Bundles tab.
Managing Promos
The Promos tab displays all individual promos along with promo type, price, and status.
Promo statuses:
- Active: Approved and available for use
- Pending: Under review (usually within 24 hours)
- Declined: Not approved due to issues such as incorrect setup or pricing
Click a promo to view full details, including description, examples, and included bundles. Editing a promo requires re-approval but does not affect live promotions. Changes apply only to future use.
Managing Bundles
The Bundles tab displays all bundles you’ve created. Each bundle shows the bundle name, associated publication, status, and number of purchases, helping you understand performance.
Bundle statuses:
- Active: Usable in offers or listed on the marketplace
- Archived: No longer active but can be reactivated at any time
Clicking a bundle shows full details, including image, title, price, and included promos. You can edit, archive, or hide bundles from the marketplace at any time.
Last word about Promotions
Promos and bundles are the foundation of how you work with artists on Musosoup. By creating clear, well-defined promos and combining them into thoughtful bundles, you make it easier for artists to understand what you offer, trust what will be delivered, and decide whether to work with you. Taking the time to set these up properly will improve engagement, acceptance rates, and overall outcomes for both you and the artists you support. If you have any questions or need help at any stage, you can get in touch with us at curators@musosoup.com.
We also recommend reading our article on Offers and Requests to fully understand how your promotions are used when engaging with artists on the platform. | READ MORE: Offers and Requests
Last updated on February 9, 2026