DistroKid HyperFollow pages are a great free smart link option for DistroKid users, however, what do you when HyperFollow is not working for you? I researched this topic to help you out.
If DistroKid HyperFollow is not working for you, the best thing to do contact their support, re-think the pre-save marketing strategy entirely or start looking for an alternative to HyperFollow pages.
Essentially, when it comes to technical issues, the simplest and easiest thing for you to do is to simply contact DistroKid for some help.
However, if you are noticing a less technical issue like no one pre-saving your release or the pre-save numbers not matching up with the actual save numbers on Spotify, there is a much bigger issue at play.
P.S. If you are looking to solve an issue with using HyperFollow to run Facebook Ads, check out my DistroKid HyperFollow Facebook Pixel Guide.
To learn more about simple solutions to problem with HyperFollow links, simply keep on reading, my friend. 🙂
DistroKid HyperFollow Issues & Solutions
After setting up your very own DistroKid HyperFollow link for your latest release you may run into a few problems such as the HyperFollow page and Spotify stats not updating properly. Thankfully, quite a few of these have already been addressed by the DistroKid team or have simple solutions.
Here are the common issues that DistroKid users tend to encounter with HyperFollow smart links:
- Higher amount of pre-saves or follows stated on HyperFollow than the actual amount of saves shown on Spotify
- HyperFollow launching the Spotify website instead of the actual app
- The album artwork not updating on the HyperFollow page unless you re-do the entire song submission process
- No one pre-saving on the HyperFollow page
Let’s take a look at some simple solutions for these common problems and get you ready for to kill it on your release. 🙂
DistroKid HyperFollow Page Not Updating
After submitting your release to DistroKid, a HyperFollow page should automatically be created for that release. Additionally, your page will be updated for you with links to other streaming services on release day.
When DistroKid first released HyperFollow, there was a bug where the page would not actually update after a user made an edit to the page. This issue has been fixed since the feature launched.
If you do come into any issues, the best option would be to contact DistroKid for some help in the matter.
DistroKid HyperFollow Stats Not Updating
A common problem that DistroKid users may encounter is having the stats not update in the DistroKid dashboard or for the stats between the DistroKid and Spotify For Artists dashboard not being the same.
If your DistroKid HyperFollow stats are not updating, simply give the stats more time to update or perform a quick check by pre-saving the song yourself using the public HyperFollow link.
The stats may be off because the user started the pre-save process (which registered the stat in DistroKid) but they backed out before the song could actually be saved in Spotify.
This actually speaks to a bigger, more fundamental issue with pre-saves, which I touch on in the next section.
DistroKid HyperFollow Pre-Save Not Working
The 2 main issues you may encounter with pre-saves or follows when using HyperFollow are differences between the amount the stats shown in the DistroKid and Spotify dashboards or the fact that HyperFollow launches the Spotify website instead of the actual app when users are pre-saving the release.
These problems happen because of Spotify’s integration with DistroKid and because of this simple fact that almost no one actually pre-saves music.
Let’s get real… when is the last time you honestly pre-saved a song because you just had to have it the moment it came out?
Although it is a great concept, potential listeners need to connect their Spotify account at the time of pre-saving your music, and not the easy way either…
This issue becomes worse when you take into account the of the integration with Spotify.
Fans need to type in their username and password to make the connection because it Spotify opens in a different browser without the login details saved. Quite simply no one is going to want to go through the hassle of remembering and typing in their username and password to save your song.
With that said, this isn’t a DistroKid problem: any pre-save link from any company has this issue due to the Spotify integration.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with pre-saves for that reason and simply focus on focusing your marketing efforts on release day and beyond using the best HyperFollow alternative.
The Best DistroKid HyperFollow Alternative
The best alternative to DistroKid‘s HyperFollow links are to build your own by using a WordPress or SquareSpace website.
I do this myself with my very own WordPress-based website (aka the one you are on right now) and find it to be way more flexible and effective, particularly if you want to do the Spotify algorithm hack by running Facebook and Instagram ads to your smart link pages.
The reasons I’d recommend doing this over using the HyperFollow links are because:
- Without paying for these services, you can create smart links that are exactly in the style of HyperFollow, Linktree, Toneden, Hypeddit, etc.
- Get more streams to your music by using my highly tested and conversion-optimized smart link template
- Look more professional and credible by having a custom domain and no other company’s branding on them
- Get your brand and identity across by perfectly customizing your smart links to look exactly how you want them to
On top of this, you’d actually have a legit and professional full-blown website and not just some smart links for promoting your music.
For a free step-by-step course on how to get started with this, check out my free course on smart links for music.
The things you can do with a website are endless (ie: blogs to rank on Google like this post you are reading, create a Patreon-style membership, private webpages for your fans to create unique experiences, etc)
But, to start, how can you go about creating your own smart links for promoting your music in the style of HyperFollow?
How To Create Your Own DistroKid HyperFollow Smart Links
To create your own smart links in the style of DistroKid HyperFollow, all you need is either a simple WordPress-based website or a Squarespace-based website. If you already have a website solution in place, you may be able to create your own smart links at no extra cost to you.
To create your own smart links for marketing your music, the truth is that you can really use any website creator on the market today. But, it is best if you have the ability to create pages that allow you to remove the header and footer menus like you can with WordPress or Squarespace.
Although both options are great, I use and recommend WordPress because:
- There are no (or very low) monthly fees
- More customization and flexibility because of the endless amount of WordPress plugins available
- The option to use pre-made templates already in the style of Linktree, Toneden, Hypeddit, etc.
To get started with your very own custom WordPress website, all you need to do is install WordPress and then create some “smart link”-style landing pages with the free built-in WordPress page editor.
For a free step-by-step course on how to get started with this, check out my free course on smart links for music.
To install WordPress as quickly and easily as possible, I’d recommend using a web hosting service like Bluehost that gives you web hosting, a website domain, and then instantly sets up WordPress on it for you, all in just a few simple clicks.
Then, when you want to take things to the next level, you can install a premium theme that allows you to perfectly reproduce the looks of other smart link pages and even download pre-made templates like Thrive Architect.
If you are just starting out, I’d recommend starting off with a simple WordPress-based website to keep your costs low and then upgrade to a premium theme when you feel ready to make the leap.
With that said, I’m personally using Bluehost to take care of all of my website needs and have also installed Thrive Architect to not only build smart links in the style of DistroKid HyperFollow but also to create the entire website that you are on right now. 🙂
HyperFollow Vs Linktree
The main difference between Linktree and HyperFollow is that Linktree is mostly focused on general “link in bio” style landing pages for anyone while DistroKid HyperFollow pages are specific for musicians, artists, and producers to promote their new releases and music.
Linktree pages can be used for music marketing and are both cleaner looking and more customizable than HyperFollow. However, Linktree pages do not have a direct integration with Spotify or the ability for users to pre-save songs on Spotify.
Also, unlike DistroKid, Linktree has a “free” option that offers you non-ad-supported landing pages with limited functionality.
However, this “free” option is part of a business model called “Freemium” that is really meant to give you a taste of their product so that you want to upgrade later.
To learn more about Linktree and the freemium business model, check out my article on Is Linktree Free?
Other DistroKid HyperFollow Competitors
Competitors of DistroKid‘s HyperFollow product include LinkTree, ToneDen, and Hypeddit. However, the best DistroKid HyperFollow alternative is to create your own fully customizable WordPress website because it is cheaper and more flexible when designing web pages.
If you do not want to go the DIY approach, and instead want to look up some other smart link competitors, here is a list of companies like Linkfire that are worth checking out:
- LinkTree
- ToneDen
- Linkfire
- Feature.Fm
- SmartLinks
- Hypeddit
