Music ads for independent artists

Spotify Marquee vs Showcase: Eligibility, Cost, and Results

Bradley J Simons
Bradley J Simons
4x Juno-nominated producer · founder of Velveteen
The short answer

Use Spotify Marquee when an eligible new release needs a full-screen mobile recommendation during its first 21 days. Use Showcase when an eligible new or catalog release needs a Home banner at any time. Both require recent target-market streaming eligibility, but Marquee adds an active-listener threshold. Diagnose eligibility, timing, audience goal, format, and reporting before comparing projected reach or cost.

Lead visual

Music ads map

Context

Promotion · Paid

What this guide is helping you understand.

Decision

Spotify Marquee vs Showcase

The practical choice or setup step to get right.

Next

Action

What to check before you move the release forward.

A cluster-specific field map used when a guide does not need a more specialized visual family.

Promotion · Paid

Failure path map

signal

Read the exact rejection before changing artwork that may already be sound.

What to measure

Validator text, exported file properties, visible claims, third-party material, and the distributor's current rule.

A broad redesign can preserve the real failure while creating new file, credit, or rights problems.

The point of Spotify Marquee vs Showcase is not more activity. It is a clearer loop from signal to next action.

Part of the Music ads cluster.
21days

latest Marquee start after release

10days

maximum Marquee schedule

14days

maximum Showcase schedule

$100

current self-serve budget floor

Does the release pass the Marquee or Showcase diagnosis?

Eight-point campaign audit
MarqueeShowcase
SurfaceFull-screen mobile recommendationBanner on Spotify Home
Catalog ageEligible new releaseEligible new or catalog release
StartWithin 21 days of releaseAny time
Maximum schedule10 days or until budget is spent14 days or until budget is spent
Base accessAt least 1,000 recent streams in a target marketAt least 1,000 recent streams in a target market
Additional thresholdAt least 5,000 monthly active listeners in the selected target marketNo additional active-listener threshold stated in current access guidance
Self-serve budget$100 to $10,000 per sub-campaign$100 to $10,000 per sub-campaign
Use caseTime-bound new-release growth, engagement, or reactivationNew or catalog growth, engagement, or reactivation

Eligibility is market-specific

Passing the recent-stream requirement in one market does not create Marquee eligibility everywhere. Marquee's monthly-active threshold applies in the selected target market, and every campaign remains subject to Spotify's current team, release, content, rights, and availability rules.

How should Spotify campaign results be interpreted?

Audience-development readout
Useful observationClaim to avoid
GrowthSpotify reports exposed listeners who intentionally streamed the promoted release within its defined windowEvery exposed listener became a durable fan
EngagementActive streams and intent actions changed among reported converted listenersThe campaign caused every later catalog stream
ReactivationA previously active audience segment responded under Spotify's campaign definitionsThe same reactivation pattern will repeat in another market

compare the campaign forecast with the whole release budget

Which Spotify sources should you verify before booking?

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Spotify Marquee and Showcase?+

Marquee is a full-screen mobile recommendation for an eligible new release and must start within 21 days of release. Showcase is a banner on Spotify Home for eligible new or catalog music and can run at any time. Their scheduled durations, surfaces, eligibility, and available audience strategies differ.

Who is eligible for Spotify Marquee and Showcase?+

Current access requires at least 1,000 streams in the last 28 days in at least one target market. Marquee additionally requires at least 5,000 monthly active listeners in the selected target market. The release and team must also pass Spotify's format, rights, artist-role, content, artwork, and other rules.

How much do Spotify Marquee and Showcase cost?+

Current self-serve sub-campaign budgets range from $100 to $10,000 USD or local equivalent. A locally represented Marquee booking can have a $250 minimum. Those are platform limits, not a recommendation; the useful budget depends on the available audience, forecast, campaign goal, and release economics.

How long do Marquee and Showcase run?+

Marquee runs for up to 10 days or until its budget is spent and must begin within the new-release window. Showcase runs for up to 14 days or until budget is spent and can begin anytime. Confirm the dates shown in Spotify for Artists before booking.

How does Spotify measure Marquee and Showcase results?+

Spotify reports listener behavior for 14 days after exposure. Results begin populating after 24 hours and finalize two weeks after the campaign ends. Current reporting includes delivery, audience development, converted listeners, conversion rate, active streams per converted listener, and intent rate.

Bradley J Simons

About the author

Bradley J Simons

Bradley J Simons is a 4x Juno-nominated producer who makes music as Babbage and founded Velveteen. A former touring musician, he writes about releasing, pitching, and getting paid for music from the artist's side of the desk.

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