How to report promo results to your artist
After a promo goes out, the artist wants to know how it landed. A clear report keeps the artist informed, helps you both plan the release, and shows the work the label did. This guide covers what to put in it, how to read the numbers, and how to share it.
Published .
What the artist wants to know
- Did people listen? How many of the people who got the promo played it, and for how long.
- Did they take it? How many downloaded it, and which tracks or mixes.
- What did they think? Ratings, the favourite track and the best comments.
- Will they play it? Who said they will support it, and how: in sets, on the radio, in a playlist.
- Where did it go? The countries and kinds of contacts it reached.
What goes in the report
| Part | What to show |
|---|---|
| Summary | Promos sent, people who listened, total listening time, downloads, feedback and the average rating, each with the share of people sent. |
| Tracks | For each track: listeners, average listening time, how much of the track people heard on average, downloads and how many picked it as their favourite. |
| Ratings | How many ratings of each value, from 5 down to 1. |
| Support | How many DJs will play it in sets, on the radio or in a playlist, and who, if they agreed to be named. |
| Comments | The most useful comments, with the rating that came with each. |
| Reach | The countries the promo reached, with small groups counted together. |
Reading the numbers honestly
Opens are the weakest number. Some email apps, such as Apple Mail, load every image in an email to protect the reader's privacy. That looks like an open even when nobody read the email. If you report opens, separate those automatic opens or leave opens out.
Listening time is the strongest. Seconds actually played, per track and per person, show real interest. A promo with fewer listeners who each played most of the track did better than one with many listeners who skipped after a few seconds.
Downloads mean more with feedback attached. If feedback is required before the download, every download comes with a rating and a comment. If it is optional, some downloads will have no comment.
Passes are useful. A pass tells you the promo wasn't for that person. Many passes from one genre or country are worth telling the artist about, with what you will change.
Compare with your own promos, for example the label's last few releases in the same genre, instead of figures from elsewhere. Lists, genres and settings differ too much for outside numbers to mean much.
What to leave out
- Contact email addresses. The list is the label's, and the people on it shared their address with the label only.
- DJ names, unless you choose to show them. Many DJs are happy to be named next to a positive comment; some aren't. Name supporters only when you know they don't mind, and leave out names next to low ratings.
- Single people in small groups. If one country has one listener, showing it singles that person out. Count small groups together.
When to send it
- A first look about a week after the promo went out, when most listens have come in. Useful for deciding which mix to lead with.
- The full report after release day, once the reminders have gone and DJs have had time to play it out.
- A short update later if notable support comes in: a radio play, a chart or a set from someone important to the artist.
Link or PDF
A read-only link always shows the latest figures, so the artist can check it during the promo. Give it an end date or revoke it when the campaign is over. A PDF is a fixed copy for the artist's records, their manager or a booking agent. Many labels send the link during the promo and a PDF at the end.
A short message to go with it
Hi [artist],
Here is the promo report for [Artist] - [Title]: [report link]
[Number] people listened, for [total time] in all, and [number] downloaded it. The [mix name] was the favourite. [Number] DJs said they will play it in their sets, including [names, if they agreed to be named].
The comments we liked most: "[comment]" ([name or role]).
Next: [what you will do with this, for example lead with the extended mix, send radio a second round].
Reports in Dubsend
Each campaign has a report you can share as a read-only link or download as a PDF. It has the summary, a table per track with listeners, average listening, how much was heard, downloads and favourites, the ratings, the support picks and the comments. The link can have an end date and can be revoked at any time.
Reports never show email addresses, and DJ names appear only if you choose to show them when you make the link. The report leads with listening time and doesn't count opens; in the campaign's own stats, opens from email privacy tools are listed separately. In the countries the report shows, those with fewer than 3 people are counted together. For your own analysis you can export the recipients and the feedback as CSV files from the campaign's stats.
Questions
What should a promo report include?
How many people listened and for how long, downloads, ratings, the favourite track, who will support it and the best comments. Leave out contact email addresses.
Should I report email opens to the artist?
Only with care. Some email apps open every email automatically, which inflates opens. Listening time and downloads are better measures.
Can I show DJ names in the report?
Yes, when the DJs don't mind being named. Many labels name supporters next to positive comments and leave names out elsewhere.
When should I send the report?
A first look about a week after sending, and the full report after release day.