A Mailchimp alternative for musicians should price the work you do
For music promotion, a contact count is not the whole story. Promoly plans are built around monthly promo sends and label profiles.
Your contact list should not become a parking meter.
For a label, a quiet name on the list can still matter. A DJ who has not opened the last few releases may be the first person to play the next one. A radio contact can go quiet between seasons, then become the right person when a new sound lands. Those relationships are part of the work, even when they are not active this month.
Mailchimp's free tier covers 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. That model puts contact count at the centre of the bill.
Promoly is built for another kind of list. Our plans measure monthly promo sends and label profiles, so the budget follows the release work you are doing. Your private promo list can stay intact between campaigns while you decide who should hear the next record.
Music promotion has its own rhythm
Most labels do not send the same message every week. They prepare a release, send it to the tastemakers who fit it, then watch for plays, downloads, and feedback. The next campaign may need a different part of the same list. A useful platform should support that rhythm instead of treating every stored relationship as a reason to increase the bill.
Promoly keeps the focus on the campaign. Build a private list of DJs, radio, and press contacts. Send pre-release music through tracked links. See the response from named tastemakers, then carry that relationship into the next release.
That is the practical difference between a general contact tool and music promotion software. Your list stays ready. Your sends stay connected to the music in front of you.
Keep the list, choose the send
An owned promo list compounds over time. It becomes more useful as you learn who opens, plays, downloads, and writes back about the music. You should be able to keep that context without making a quiet month feel like a penalty.
If you are comparing Mailchimp alternatives for your label, start with the meter. Then look at what the platform helps you do when release day gets close: reach the right tastemakers, keep the relationship private, and understand the response.