Streaming music services are hot, and getting hotter. They also represent a new avenue of engagement for email marketers who want to use curated content to make their messages even more relevant and memorable – a move that can bring better results from your email marketing.

The numbers tell the story:

• Deloitte’s 13th annual Digital Media Trends survey says 41% of households subscribe to streaming music services.
• Music streaming services have millions of free and paid subscribers:
  • Spotify: 100 million paid subscribers and a total audience of 217 million users. 
  • Apple Music: 95 million paid users
  • Pandora: 86 million users on its mobile platform
  • Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime Music: Combined 32 million subscribers
• 73 million Americans listen to podcasts regularly.

Adding music streams into your email marketing expands your connections with your readers beyond the static appeal of the email message itself. You’re adding extra value in your emails, and you’re engaging with them through a new sensory experience. 

That helps build your brand within and even beyond your email channel. Even if your customers aren’t ready to convert, you’re giving them something to click on that keeps your brand in their line of vision. It gives an opportunity to connect your brand with the powerful emotional experience music and spoken words can convey. 

If you incorporate music streaming elements into emails the right way, you give your subscribers a seamless advanced email experience. Mobile users who tap on your playlist in your email message should be able to start it up right away in the appropriate app. On a desktop, a playlist click should open either the web version of the streaming player or the desktop app, depending on user settings.

Bonus: Customizing the way a playlist appears in email (for instance, with your brand logo and colors) makes your brand visible every time your customers click on it and whenever the playlist comes up when noncustomers are searching for content on the service. It’s a win-win!

Use cases for audio in email

When we talk about audio in email, we’re not suggesting you embed songs or podcasts right in your email. It’s technically possible with some HTML5 wizardry, but it might not give a good experience to a wide portion of your mailing list. Many email clients still don’t support the technology. So, it could set off spam filters. (Read more in this Campaign Monitor blog post.) 

One reliable option is to use Liveclicker’s new LiveSocial feature, which embeds a real-time copy of your playlist in your email messages and links to the playlist to your openers’ Spotify app. 

The tool makes compiling and customizing your playlist feed fast and easy, too. Simple drop-down menu allows you to show off your carefully-made mixtape in brand colors, custom fonts and more. And it always pull the latest version of your playlist at the moment of open, so if you make any additions or adjustments, it’ll get reflected in your emails (yep, even after they’ve already been sent!). 

You can use playlists for any occasion to deliver or enhance content. Just think of the possibilities:

• Road trip playlists
• Vacation listening
• Workout motivation
• Party music
• Event promotions (theater, concerts, etc.)
• Influencer picks
• Showcase for staff creativity
• Supplements to editorial content
• Holiday music

Innovative brands are already incorporating links to streaming songs and playlists in their marketing. Check out these examples for inspiration.

1. Bonus content from a partner or influencer:

K2 Snowboarding teams up with influencers among its users and invites them to put together representative playlists. In the email below, K2 presents a playlist from the Dust Box group of snowboarders in one of its regular marketing emails. Clicking on the link opens the Spotify app (mobile or desktop depending on which device the reader is using). Check it out for yourself (fair warning; some of the songs contain profanity).

2. Multi-use content channel

Mattress manufacturer Casper uses its Spotify channel to deliver podcasts and other content to help restless sleepers settle in for the night. You can fall asleep to a crackling campfire, sounds of the solar system or guided breathing methods. (Also handy for relieving anxiety!). Though Spotify podcast listings aren’t supported in the Liveclicker platform (yet), you can still use email to feature brand podcasts, or podcasts your brand sponsors.

Start streaming!

All you need to get started is a subscription to a streaming service and a solid plan for the kind of content you want to include and what you want to achieve with your playlist marketing strategy. And, check out Liveclicker’s LiveSocial Spotify integration for quickly adding your content to your marketing emails. Want to see how it works? Just request a demo!