Comparison
Promoly vs Mailchimp
Mailchimp is great for newsletters. It's not built for music promos. Here's what you're missing if you're using Mailchimp to send promos to DJs and press.
Try Promoly freeFree 7-day trial · 150 sends · No credit card required
| Feature | Promoly | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| In-browser audio player | ||
| Play/download tracking | ||
| Feedback and ratings | ||
| Smartlinks | ||
| Pre-save pages | ||
| Email open tracking | ||
| Contact segmentation | ||
| Email automations | Reminders only | |
| Newsletter templates | ||
| Starting price | £15/mo | Free (limited) |
| Free trial | 7 days, 150 sends | Free tier |
7 days free, no credit card
What is Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is the world's most popular email marketing platform. It handles newsletters, automations, landing pages, and audience management for millions of businesses. Many indie labels and publicists use Mailchimp for music promos because it's familiar and has a free tier. But Mailchimp has no concept of music: no audio player, no play tracking, no download tracking, and no feedback collection.
Key differences
Mailchimp can't play music
Mailchimp emails don't embed audio players. You're stuck attaching MP3s (which get blocked by spam filters) or linking to SoundCloud. Promoly sends each recipient a private player page they can stream from instantly.
No play or download tracking
Mailchimp tells you who opened an email. Promoly tells you who opened, who played each track, how long they listened, who downloaded, and what feedback they left.
No feedback collection
Mailchimp has no way to collect star ratings or written comments on your tracks. Promoly requires (or optionally collects) feedback before downloads.
Pricing works differently
Mailchimp charges by contact count, which gets expensive as your list grows. Promoly charges by sends per month, which is better for labels who have large lists but send a few campaigns per month.
Where Promoly wins
Built for music
Every feature exists because labels and artists need it. Audio players, play tracking, feedback collection, smartlinks, pre-saves. Mailchimp has none of this.
Real engagement data
Know who played your track, for how long, whether they downloaded, and what they thought. Mailchimp can only tell you who opened the email.
Professional promo presentation
Recipients get a branded player page with artwork, track listing, and streaming links. It looks like a proper promo, not a generic email.
DJ feedback and ratings
Collect star ratings and written comments on every track. Use that feedback to guide your A&R and release strategy.
Where Mailchimp wins
Free tier
Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 500 contacts. If you're just starting out and can live without play tracking, it costs nothing.
Full email marketing suite
Newsletters, automations, landing pages, A/B testing, e-commerce integrations. If you need general email marketing alongside your promos, Mailchimp does that.
Universal familiarity
Everyone knows Mailchimp. Your team and contacts already know how it works. There's no learning curve.
The verdict
Use Promoly for industry promos to DJs, press, and curators, and use Fan-Mailer inside Promoly for release-day emails to your fans. Keep Mailchimp if your fan email depends on weekly newsletters or automations. If you're currently using Mailchimp to send promos, you're flying blind on engagement and making your music harder to play. Switching to Promoly for your promo workflow takes minutes and the difference in results is immediate.
No credit card required. 150 free sends.
Promoly vs Mailchimp FAQ
Can I use both Mailchimp and Promoly?
Yes. Keep Mailchimp for weekly newsletters and automations, and use Promoly for promos to DJs, press, and curators. If your fan emails are mostly release announcements, Fan-Mailer handles them inside Promoly, on a list kept separate from your industry contacts.
Why can't I just attach MP3s in Mailchimp?
Most email providers block or strip audio attachments. Even if they get through, you can't track whether anyone played them. Promoly streams audio in-browser and tracks every interaction.
Is Promoly harder to use than Mailchimp?
No. Promoly is simpler for promos because it's purpose-built. Upload your tracks, pick your contacts, hit send. Most labels send their first campaign within five minutes.
Does Promoly handle fan newsletters too?
For release announcements, yes. Fan-Mailer gives you a fan list separate from your industry contacts, with its own send allowance on every plan. Import your fans from a CSV, and every fan email carries one-click unsubscribe. It's built for release-day emails rather than weekly newsletters, so keep Mailchimp if you send those.
How do I move my promo contacts from Mailchimp to Promoly?
Export your promo contacts from Mailchimp as a CSV and import them into Promoly. It takes a few minutes. If you're bringing your fan list too, export it as its own CSV and import it into Fan-Mailer, where you confirm your fans agreed to hear from you.
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