These numbers are in your back pocket, and are key to understanding how listeners are finding and responding to your music.

Independent artists now have access to more information about their listeners than ever before. Harnessing this info, the Spotify for Artists app (artists.spotify.com) puts a bounty of listener data at your fingertips: Who is listening? Where are they located? What else do they like?

Understanding this data is valuable for all parts of the business of making music. It can help you figure out where to tour, how to market yourself, what tracks to focus on, who to collaborate with, and potentially discover new audiences that you can develop. An artist with a solid grasp of their data can turn music-industry games of guessing and chance into a focused operation.

• See our guidance about How To Make A Spotify Artist Account