Brussels, 13th April 2026

We are pleased to release IMPALA’s second report as part of our Digital Forward project, co-funded by the European Union run in partnership with Complete Music Update. This report marks the second part of our Digital Marketing report series for Independent labels PART 1, this one focusing on on-platform strategies.

The first report in this series examined off-platform marketing – the social media strategies, paid advertising, content creation, email list building, and audience development work that labels and their teams do outside the streaming services. It explored how independent labels can build direct relationships with fans, capture data, and create the kind of sustained engagement that compounds over time – even within the fixed economics of streaming.

This report turns to what happens inside the streaming platforms themselves, looking at algorithms, geographic specificities, market penetration, platform tools, and more.

This report follows the release of a webinar (both available here) which took place on the 28th January and was hosted by Sam Taylor (CMU) with expert practitioners from across the digital music ecosystem, namely:

• Malena Wolfer (Pockets)
• Ross Hampl (Partisan Records)
• Fanny Vicherat (Believe Music)

About IMPALA

IMPALA was established in 2000 and now represents over 6000 independent music companies in Europe. 99% of Europe’s music companies are small, micro and medium businesses and self-releasing artists. Known as the independents, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists – they produce more than 80% of all new releases and account for 80% of the sector’s jobs. IMPALA’s mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to finance. IMPALA works on a range of key issues for its members and started a new co-funded work programme as an EU cultural network in 2025. IMPALA runs various award schemes and has a programme aimed at businesses who want to develop a strategic relationship with the European independent sector – Friends of IMPALA. This year we are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a series of interviews Faces of the Independent Sector and other features, see more here.