Once upon a time, it took an army to promote music to the vast reaches of radio, clubs, and streaming platforms. Fast-forward to 2025, and the need for multiple middlemen is quickly becoming a thing of the past. According to DropTrack CEO Paul Loeb, a growing percentage of the promotional workload is now being handled by automation, AI, and a platform-based approach – and more artists and labels are shifting away from hired promoters.
Like many companies, DropTrack was born out of personal frustration. Loeb began his career as a musician but struggled to get his music heard by a larger audience. Determined to take control, he launched his own record label—only to find that working with traditional music promoters brought a whole new set of challenges. “They charged a fortune and claimed to promote your music to their contacts on your behalf,” Loeb told Digital Music News.
“Sometimes they would follow up, and sometimes they wouldn’t. It felt like throwing money down a black hole.”
After struggling with the inefficiencies of conventional promotion, Loeb decided to create his own solution: an AI-powered tool that successfully secured placements for his music—with over 700 placements ultimately scored across film and TV shows. That included spots on heavily watched shows like Jersey Shore, which, incidentally, still deliver ‘mailbox money’ to Loeb today.
The next step was to establish DropTrack and scale his successful concept. Just recently, DropTrack joined forces with DMN to further expand the platform.
There are plenty of ways a song can blow up these days. However, most of the time, when a song gains serious traction, it isn’t by accident.
New music needs to be worked. But are promoters still needed to get the attention of influential tastemakers who can make or break a song?
Back in the day – like, way back in the day – labels employed large promotional departments to push new music to radio stations and clubs (fat stacks of cash and other goodies also came in handy). These days, streaming playlists are the primary target, and numerous companies and promoters specialize in getting songs onto influential playlists.
According to DropTrack’s Loeb, however, the layer of promoter middlemen is ripe for disruption.
Welcome to the quickly changing animal of music promotion. Instead of relying on labels to hire a team of promoters, DropTrack facilitates music promotion to influential tastemakers. “We essentially open doors to contacts most artists and labels don’t have access to,” Loeb said.
At its core, DropTrack serves as a central hub for music promotion, supporting labels and their catalogs. Essentially a home base for controlling promotional activities, the DropTrack platform features a suite of tools to manage music catalogs, promote releases, and secure valuable placements across a vast number of potential targets. That includes streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, as well as a broad network of radio stations, club DJs, bloggers, and even sync opportunities.
The idea is bearing fruit for a huge number of clients, including emerging artists, management agencies, and independent record labels.
Among the many success stories is that of Americana and Blues musician Louisiana Claude, who achieved 19,000 streams on his new song within the first month of its release. Others have also experienced a significant boost.
“DropTrack is our go-to for getting our artists’ music to press and radio. Their professional press kits maximize our campaigns,” said Michael Stover of MTS Management.
“DropTrack has been essential for connecting with the right audience and industry professionals, streamlining our outreach and boosting our growth,” shared Weird.inc’s Nicky Mei.
In terms of who exactly is getting pitched by DropTrack, the company has developed a broad tastemaker directory that includes record labels, playlist curators, bloggers, and DJs, with AI-recommended opportunities designed to maximize uptake and interest.
“Artists can promote their music to DropTrack’s industry contacts or bring their own,” Loeb said, while underscoring the goal of getting music listened to by ‘the right ears’. The platform is designed to be customized to fit each individual artist and label.
There are also several tiers and services available, depending on the level of promotion required. On the higher end, DropTrack offers a high-touch “Done-For-You” consulting service that includes the work of a manager or PR agent, complete with personalized support and guidance.
Other services include an AI press release generator and personalized submission pitches, all based on the company’s data and experience with what works across its network of tastemakers.
DropTrack’s suite of services is resonating with time- and cash-conscious clients, many of whom need direct and automated promotion. Now, the question is whether DropTrack will put the squeeze on platform promoters – and, in the process, dramatically shift music promotion.
