Global Music Marketing: Using Spotify Data to Scale in Mexico & Asia

Stop Fighting for the US/UK: Why Your Next Big Fanbase is in Mexico City or Jakarta

Let’s be honest: trying to break through in the US or UK right now feels like screaming into a hurricane. These markets are incredibly crowded, and the cost to get your music in front of a new listener is at an all-time high.

But while most artists are fighting over the same square inch of territory in New York or London, there are massive “hidden” audiences in Latin America and Southeast Asia who are actually looking for your sound.

If you aren’t looking at your Spotify for Artists dashboard through a global lens, you’re leaving money—and fans—on the table. Here’s how to spot a global breakout before it happens and how to scale it on a budget.

1. Decoding Your “Top Cities” (The Spotify Treasure Map)

Most artists check their Spotify stats, see “London” or “Los Angeles” at the top, and call it a day. To find the real growth, you need to scroll down.

Look for the “Bubbling Under” Cities: Check your Audience > Locations tab. Are you seeing cities like Mexico City, Quezon City, Jakarta, or Santiago?

  • Mexico City is consistently one of the top-streaming cities in the entire world. If you have even a small cluster of listeners there, it’s a sign that the algorithm is testing your music in a high-velocity market.

  • The “Playlist” Signal: Check your Discovery tab. If your music is landing on “Indie Indonesia” or “Vibes Mexicanas” user playlists, that’s organic proof of concept. These listeners are often more active and more likely to share music than the “passive” listeners in saturated western markets.

2. Why “Cheap” Ads are Better in Emerging Markets

The math is simple: In the US, a click on an Instagram ad might cost you $0.80. In Indonesia or Brazil, that same click might cost you $0.05.

Because the competition for ad real estate is lower in these regions, your $100 budget goes ten times further. You can generate thousands of streams and saves in Jakarta for the same price it takes to get a hundred in Chicago.

How to run these “cheap” campaigns effectively:

  • Target by City, not Country: Instead of targeting all of Mexico, target Mexico City specifically. It’s a concentrated hub of tastemakers.

  • The “Conversion” Hack: Use a landing page (like Linktree or ToneDen) to track “intent.” If someone in Manila clicks your ad and then clicks “Play on Spotify,” they are high-value fans.

  • Keep it Visual: You don’t need a huge budget for translation. High-energy, vertical video of you performing or a compelling lyric card works across language barriers.

3. Don’t Just Stream—Build a Community

If you find out you’re “popping off” in a place like Jakarta, don’t just take the streams and run. Acknowledge them.

  • Shout them out: “Hey Jakarta! Just saw you guys are my #3 city this week. Much love!” A simple post like this can turn a casual streamer into a lifelong “super-fan.”

  • Localize your bio: If Mexico City is your top spot, add a “Gracias México” or a Spanish translation to your Spotify bio. It shows you’re paying attention.

The Bottom Line

The goal isn’t just to get “big numbers”—it’s to find where your music actually fits. If the data says your vibe resonates with people in South America or Asia, stop trying to force it in the UK. Go where the love is. It’s cheaper, the growth is faster, and the fans are often more loyal.