How to track who listened to your beats

You sent beats last week and nobody answered, so you don't even know if anyone pressed play. Here's how to see who played them, and how to use that to follow up with the right people.

Updated September 25, 20264 min read

Why sending a file leaves you guessing

Attach an MP3 or share it from a cloud folder, and once it's downloaded, it plays on their phone where nothing can see it. Whether it played ten times or never, you can't know.

To know who listened, the beat has to play behind a link, in a player that counts each play. Send that link first, and keep the files for when an artist wants to record.

If you share beats from Google Drive today, compare vvault with Google Drive point by point.

A downloaded file plays where nobody sees it
A link that plays the beat can count each play

Hands holding a phone with wired earphones plugged in.

What a play tells you, and what it doesn't

A play tells you someone pressed play on your beat, and when. With the right tool, it also tells you who, and how long they listened.

It doesn't tell you what they thought. A short play might just mean a busy day. And a link can be passed on: if an artist sends it to their engineer or a friend, those plays count too.

Only a reply tells you what they think. The rest are signs that help you choose who to follow up with, and what to send them.

What you see, and what to do with it

Guesses from what you can see, nothing more. Only the artist knows what they think of a beat.

What you see	What it might mean	What to do
No play at all	They haven't seen it yet, or haven't had time	Wait about a week, then one short follow-up with something new
A few seconds	They checked it on the go, or it isn't their sound	Don't read much into it. Send something different next time
Most of the beat	It held their attention	Follow up with more in that direction
Played again, days later	It stayed with them	A good moment for a short follow-up
A download or a save	They wanted to keep it	Ask if they'd like to use it, and share your terms if they do

Every artist listens differently. Use this as a rough guide.

With vvault

Who played, and for how long

On every plan, vvault notifies you each time someone plays, downloads or saves one of your beats, and with the iPhone app it lands on your phone. The listener is named when they're signed in to vvault or when you emailed the beats from vvault. Anyone else shows as a listener who isn't signed in.

On Pro, the Stats page shows how long each person listened, beat by beat, with their downloads and saves, who opened your emails and who clicked, and where your plays come from. It also shows the best time to send, from when your own emails get opened.

Every plan: a notification for every play, download and save
Pro and Ultra: how long each person listened, beat by beat
Pro and Ultra: who opened your email, who clicked, the best time to send

vvault's Stats page, on Pro: plays, listeners, downloads and saves over the last 30 days, and below, who played or downloaded which beat, with how long they listened.

Track your next send, step by step

With vvault, on any plan.

Upload the beats you picked
Drop in the MP3s, or pick them from Google Drive or Dropbox, and put them in a pack. Every upload starts private, so nothing is out until you share it.
Copy the link
Set the pack to anyone with the link, copy it and paste it in your DM. The artist listens without an account.
Or email it, to know exactly who
A play from a DM link has a name only if the listener is signed in to vvault. Email the beats from vvault and every play has one: as many people as you want on each email.
Follow up with the people who played
Don't jump on the notification. About a week after your first message, follow up with more of what they played. Here's how to follow up after sending beats.

How to use it without being pushy

Knowing who played helps you choose who to follow up with. A few habits keep it from feeling like pressure.

Don't quote it back

“I saw you played it three times” makes people feel watched. Let it shape what you send, and keep it to yourself.

Don't jump on a play

A message ten minutes after they pressed play feels like you were waiting for it. Keep to your usual rhythm.

Let a short play go

A few seconds means very little. Don't chase it.

A no is a no

However many times they played it, if they say no, thank them and stop.

Questions

Is tracking built into vvault, or do I need extra tools?

It's built in, with nothing to set up. Every plan notifies you when someone plays, downloads or saves a beat, and the Stats page shows how long each person listened.

Do artists know their plays are tracked?

vvault doesn't hide it: its privacy policy says that when someone plays, downloads or saves from a link you shared, you see it. Someone who plays without signing in shows as a listener who isn't signed in, not by name.

Can I tell who played if I pasted the same link in several DMs?

Only listeners signed in to vvault show by name. Everyone else shows as a listener who isn't signed in. To know exactly who played, email the beats from vvault: then every play has a name.

Does a play mean they liked my beat?

Not on its own. A long play, or a second one days later, is a better sign than a few seconds. Only a reply tells you what they think.