Articles · Ahead of the Curve
Mitski Got a 100% Click Rate on One Text. Most Indie Artists Still Don't Have This Tool.
The Set Newsroom · Tue Sep 15 2026
Instagram shows your post to a fraction of your followers. A text message gets read by almost everyone. Here's the channel most independent artists are ignoring.
Your Instagram post reaches a fraction of the people who follow you. A text message gets opened by 95% to 98% of the people who get it, usually within three minutes. Mitski's team used that gap to pull a 45%-plus click rate on a single text, with some tour stops going over 100%. Most independent artists still don't have a way to text their fans at all.
Why Texting Beats Everything Else Right Now
The gap between SMS and every other channel is not close. Text messages get a 95% to 98% open rate compared to 28% to 35% for email, according to a 2026 SMS marketing breakdown from Chartlex. Click-through rates run 21% to 35% for SMS versus 2% to 4% for email. Music SMS campaigns specifically averaged a 33.64% click-through rate in 2026, roughly 20 times what email gets, per Millennial Magazine.
It costs 1 to 2 cents to send a text. That's expensive compared to email, and cheap compared to what a dead algorithm costs you in reach.
Major Artists Are Already Doing This
When Mitski's team rolled out her 2024 tour, her list had grown to hundreds of thousands of fans through text, Instagram and DM signups. On presale day, they used geo-targeting to send the link only to fans within 100 miles of each tour stop. Click-through rates hit 45% and higher, with some stops topping 100% as fans tried to buy multiple times. "Integrating Laylo has been an invaluable addition to the Mitski rollout and helped build a layer of fan connection that's blown every expectation out of the water," said Jonathan Bergamo, her head of digital marketing and community engagement, in a case study published by Laylo.
Kali Uchis posted a link to her fan list in an Instagram story and tens of thousands of fans RSVP'd, then got a text with her presale code. Rosalía's team used the same kind of setup to pull 6 times more signups than her previous tour and cross 1 million total fan opt-ins.
You don't need Rosalía's audience for this to work. Canadian band The Beaches grew their list from 1,500 emails to 6,000 in a single month by running presales, merch drops and giveaways through the same kind of tool, according to a Laylo case study.
The Math That Makes This Worth It
Independent artists earn less than 10% of their total income from Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music combined in 2026, per Millennial Magazine. The other 90% comes from direct sales, merch, vinyl, memberships, sync and shows. A single superfan spending $50 to $200 a year on merch, vinyl or a membership can be worth more than 10,000 casual streamers.
That math shows up on Patreon too: a creator with 100 patrons brings in around $500 a month, and one with 500 patrons brings in around $3,000 a month. None of that happens through an algorithm. It happens because the artist has a direct channel to the people who actually pay for their music.
The Tools, and What They Actually Cost
- Laylo: starts around $25 a month plus roughly $10 per 650 texts. Built for drops, presale codes and multi-channel signups.
- EZ Texting: starts around $20 a month billed annually. The cheapest DIY option, good for keyword and QR code signups.
- Community: starts around $199 a month. Built for two-way texting once you already have a real list.
- Subtext: custom pricing, built around paid fan subscriptions rather than free lists.
Before you send a single marketing text in the US, you need written consent from fans to text them and you need to register through The Campaign Registry's 10DLC process, which takes one to three weeks. Every platform above walks you through it during setup. You're also required to honor opt-outs within 10 business days.
What to Actually Send
A list is only worth what you put in it. The message types that consistently perform, based on the same 2026 campaign data, are:
- Drop alerts with a direct link the moment new music is live, which drives first-week saves
- Presale codes, sent as urgent and exclusive, not buried in a newsletter
- City-targeted show announcements, so fans only get texts about dates near them
- Inner-circle moments: unreleased demos, restocks, or a heads-up before something goes public everywhere else
Two to six texts a month is the range that keeps people subscribed without burning out your list. Go past that and your opt-out rate climbs fast.
Start This Week
- Days 1-7: pick a platform and start the 10DLC registration so you're not blocked later
- Days 8-14: seed your list with a real reward, an early listen, a free download, a presale code, not just "join my list"
- Days 15-21: actually deliver that reward, so new subscribers learn your texts are worth opening
- Days 22-30: run your first real campaign tied to an actual event, a drop, a show, a merch restock
A click-through rate above 20% means you're doing it right. An opt-out rate under 2% per campaign means your cadence and content are landing.
The Takeaway
Streaming platforms decide who sees your music. A text list doesn't ask permission from anyone's algorithm. Every artist above started the same way you would: with zero numbers in the list and a reason for someone to give you theirs. The Set's marketing services can help you build that first offer, and The Set's School covers the full direct-to-fan setup for free. If you're ready to build a real release plan around your own audience instead of renting someone else's, see what The Set offers.
Questions
What is SMS marketing for musicians?
SMS marketing means building a list of fans who opt in to get text messages directly from you, used for drop alerts, presale codes, show announcements and exclusive updates. It gets a 95% to 98% open rate, far higher than email or social media.
Is it legal to text market to fans?
Yes, but you need express written consent from fans before sending marketing texts, and in the US you need to register your number through the 10DLC process with The Campaign Registry. You're also required to honor opt-outs within 10 business days.
How much does it cost to start a fan text list?
Budget options like EZ Texting start around $20 a month. Laylo, built specifically for artist drops and presales, starts around $25 a month plus roughly $10 per 650 texts sent. More established artists use Community at around $199 a month.