How to be successful on the Marketplace

The Marketplace is where artists browse curators, compare services, and decide who to work with. Success here depends on how clearly you communicate your value, how professionally you present yourself, and how well you stand out among other curators.

Unlike the Offer System where you initiate contact, the Marketplace requires artists to choose you. This means your listings, profiles, and pricing need to convince artists before any conversation happens.

This guide explains how to create compelling Marketplace listings, optimize your profiles, and build a reputation that attracts consistent inbound requests.

Your curator and publication profiles are the first impression artists have of you. Incomplete or poorly maintained profiles reduce trust and make artists less likely to request your services.

Curator Profile:

Publication Profile:

READ MORE: Completing Your Curator and Publication Profiles on Musosoup

Your bundles are what artists purchase. Structure, pricing, and presentation directly affect whether artists request your services.

Thumbnails are how your promotions appear on the Marketplace. Use a 1:1 aspect ratio, keep branding consistent, use bold colors or contrast, and avoid generic AI-only imagery. Tools like Canva or Adobe Express work well.

Titles should clearly explain the main deliverable while conveying credibility.

Weak titles:

Strong titles:

Descriptions explain what the artist receives and why it's valuable. Include what's in the bundle, highlight benefits, add relevant stats, and set clear expectations about deliverables and timelines.

READ MORE: Creating Bundles

Pricing affects both request volume and which artists choose you. Consider the effort required, your reach and reputation, bundle composition, and what similar curators charge.

Pricing strategies:

Lower pricing (£1-£10): Higher volume, appeals to emerging artists, requires efficiency to be sustainable

Mid-range pricing (£11-£30): Balances volume with earnings, attracts artists who value quality, most common on the platform

Premium pricing (£30+): Lower volume but higher earnings, requires strong reputation or specialised services

Test different price points and monitor request rates to find what works for your publication.

Genre targeting helps your bundles appear in relevant Marketplace filters. Only select genres you actively cover, targeting irrelevant genres dilutes credibility and leads to declined requests.

Artist feedback is one of the most important factors influencing Marketplace success. Artists read feedback before requesting services.

How to build strong feedback:

What artists value most:

Examples of your work build trust with artists considering your services. Link directly to specific, relevant examples, use 2-3 high-quality samples per promo, and update regularly.

Review new requests within 24 hrs. Artists often submit to multiple curators, so fast responses increase your chances of securing work. Accept requests that fit your editorial focus and decline those that don't.

Set realistic completion times with buffer for delays, track deadlines by ETA date, and communicate proactively if issues arise. On-time delivery is critical for building reputation and receiving positive feedback.

Monitor request volume per bundle, acceptance rates, feedback scores, and earnings per bundle type. If certain bundles receive more requests, create similar offerings. If acceptance rates are low, review whether bundles match the artists requesting them.

Use performance data to understand what's working.

Successful Marketplace curators share these characteristics:

Success on the Marketplace is earned through consistency, professionalism, and genuine commitment to supporting artists. Build that reputation over time, and the Marketplace becomes a steady source of inbound work.

Need help optimising your Marketplace bundles? Contact the Musosoup team at curators@musosoup.com.