Music Release Checklist: The 8-Week Playbook

You spent months on the song. You upload it, post “new music out now,” and wait. Nothing happens.

This is how most indie releases die. Not because the music is bad, but because there was no campaign behind it. A release is not an event. It is a sustained push that starts weeks before the song goes live and runs weeks after.

Here is the release playbook we use with our artists. Week-by-week, task-by-task. Use it for every release.

Before the Clock Starts

These must be done before week 8 begins. If any are incomplete, stop and finish them first.

  • [ ] Song is finished – mixed, mastered, no more revisions
  • [ ] Artwork finalized at 3000x3000px minimum
  • [ ] Distributor account set up (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, or similar)
  • [ ] Release date chosen (Friday is industry standard; Tuesday-Thursday can work for less competition)
  • [ ] You have somewhere to announce (social profiles, email list, anything)

Week 8: Lock the Foundation

Get the song into the pipeline. This week is pure logistics, and it contains the single most time-sensitive task in the entire checklist.

Distribution:

  • [ ] Upload final master and artwork to your distributor
  • [ ] Triple-check metadata: artist name, song title, featured artists, genre tags, spelling
  • [ ] Select all platform destinations: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, Amazon, Deezer
  • [ ] Confirm ISRC code is assigned

Spotify editorial submission:

  • [ ] Claim your Spotify for Artists profile if you have not already
  • [ ] Wait 2-5 days after upload for the song to appear in upcoming releases
  • [ ] Submit via the “Pitch a Song” feature
  • [ ] Write a specific pitch: genre, mood, instruments, story behind the song, comparable artists with recent momentum

Miss this window and you have zero chance at editorial playlist consideration for this release. Even if you do not get placed, the submission feeds Spotify’s algorithm data for Release Radar and Discover Weekly. Skipping it is leaving money on the table.

Pre-save campaign:

  • [ ] Create a pre-save link (Feature.fm, Hypeddit, or Linkfire)
  • [ ] Enable email capture on the pre-save page – this is non-negotiable
  • [ ] Test the link across devices
  • [ ] Create a pre-save graphic

Every pre-save puts your song in that listener’s Release Radar on day one. This is the highest-leverage action your fans can take before release.

Planning:

  • [ ] Map out your content calendar through release and 4 weeks beyond
  • [ ] Identify 4-5 key moments: artwork reveal, first snippet, story behind the song, countdown, release
  • [ ] Block time next week for batch content creation

Week 7: Build Your Arsenal

Batch-create everything you will need. Do not plan to create content as you go. You will fall behind during the busiest weeks.

  • [ ] Film 10-15 short-form videos (TikTok/Reels) in a single 2-3 hour session
  • [ ] Vary content types: performance clips, behind-the-scenes, storytelling, reaction to your own track
  • [ ] Shoot in different outfits and locations to avoid visual repetition
  • [ ] Create your Spotify Canvas (6-8 second looping video)
  • [ ] Design social graphics for each platform (square, story, banner)
  • [ ] Make countdown graphics: 7 days, 3 days, tomorrow, out now
  • [ ] Prepare lyric cards or quote graphics
  • [ ] Draft release day email with streaming links (save as draft)
  • [ ] Draft pre-save reminder email for week 5
  • [ ] Draft post-release thank you email
  • [ ] Research 50-100 independent playlist curators in your genre
  • [ ] Collect contact info and write a pitch template you will personalize for each

One focused session now gives you enough content for the entire campaign. Creating content day-by-day leads to missed days and inconsistent quality.

Week 6: Go Public

The release becomes real. Announce it and start outreach.

Announcement:

  • [ ] Post release date, artwork, and pre-save link on all social platforms
  • [ ] Send announcement email to your list with pre-save link and the story behind the song
  • [ ] Update your link-in-bio to feature the pre-save prominently

Teaser content:

  • [ ] Post your first song snippet – 10-15 seconds of the hookiest section
  • [ ] Share behind-the-scenes content from recording or production
  • [ ] Post 2-3 videos from your batch
  • [ ] Use countdown stickers on Instagram Stories

Outreach:

  • [ ] Send first wave of playlist curator pitches: 20-30 personalized emails
  • [ ] Reference specific playlists and explain why your song fits
  • [ ] Track every outreach in a spreadsheet: who, when, response
  • [ ] Pitch 10-20 blogs and publications covering your genre with a private link, photos, and short bio

Expect mostly silence from blogs. That is normal. One placement can be worth 50 pitches.

Week 5: Deepen the Campaign

Keep building momentum. Create any longer-form assets you need.

  • [ ] Post 3-5 TikTok/Reels this week
  • [ ] Share songwriting story or meaning behind the track
  • [ ] Create lyric video or visualizer if budget allows (schedule for release day)
  • [ ] Upload Spotify Canvas via Spotify for Artists
  • [ ] Send second wave of curator pitches: 20-30 more
  • [ ] Follow up once with first-wave non-responders (one follow-up only, never more)
  • [ ] Send pre-save reminder email with new content (a snippet they have not heard, a story angle)
  • [ ] DM engaged fans personally asking them to pre-save

Week 4: Ramp the Intensity

Double your posting frequency. This is the acceleration phase.

  • [ ] Post 3-5 TikTok/Reels per week from here until release
  • [ ] Share the story behind the lyrics, the production process, your emotional connection to the track
  • [ ] Post pre-save link on Stories daily with varied creative around it
  • [ ] Engage with every comment and DM – the algorithm rewards conversation
  • [ ] Send pre-save reminder email (be direct about why pre-saves matter)
  • [ ] Do at least one Instagram Live or TikTok Live to talk about the song
  • [ ] Build energy in any Discord or community spaces you are part of
  • [ ] Final wave of curator outreach
  • [ ] Follow up with remaining non-responders (one follow-up only)

Week 3: Final Preparations

Lock everything in for release day execution.

  • [ ] Verify distributor dashboard shows correct release date
  • [ ] Double-check metadata one final time
  • [ ] Confirm Spotify Canvas is approved
  • [ ] Test all links

Week 2: Last Push

Maximum pressure on pre-saves. Get everything scheduled.

  • [ ] Post countdown content daily with pre-save link (each post offers something different: new snippet, production detail, personal story)
  • [ ] Increase TikTok/Reels to 5-7 posts this week
  • [ ] Send “last chance to pre-save” email 3-4 days before release – make it short and direct
  • [ ] Email full song to press contacts and curators who expressed interest
  • [ ] Share with superfans for early reactions you can quote on release day
  • [ ] Schedule release day posts on all platforms
  • [ ] Prepare 5-10 Instagram Stories for throughout the day
  • [ ] Write all captions in advance
  • [ ] Create “it’s out” graphics
  • [ ] Finalize and schedule release day email
  • [ ] Rest. You need energy for release day.

Release Week: Execute

Monday-Wednesday:

  • [ ] Continue countdown content
  • [ ] Engage with every comment on pre-release posts
  • [ ] Confirm release timing (midnight local time per country, or your distributor’s single timezone)

Release day morning:

  • [ ] Check that the song is live on all platforms
  • [ ] Verify every link works
  • [ ] Confirm Spotify Canvas is displaying
  • [ ] Post release announcement on all social platforms

Release day throughout:

  • [ ] Send email blast with streaming links
  • [ ] Post 5-10 Stories throughout the day
  • [ ] Reply to every comment and DM within hours, not days
  • [ ] Share fan reactions as they come in (with permission)
  • [ ] Thank everyone who engages

Release day evening:

  • [ ] Submit to user-curated playlists (now that the song is live and has a URL)
  • [ ] Share any early wins: stream count, playlist adds, messages from fans

Day after:

  • [ ] Share fan reactions and screenshots
  • [ ] Post a streaming milestone if you hit one
  • [ ] Continue posting TikTok/Reels content
  • [ ] Check Spotify for Artists for early playlist adds and analytics

Weekend after:

  • [ ] Share user-generated content (fans using your song in their videos)
  • [ ] Post more short-form content using your song as the audio
  • [ ] Thank specific supporters publicly

Post-Release: Weeks 2-4

This is where most artists fail. They go silent after release day and the song dies. The artists who sustain momentum for 4 weeks after release consistently outperform those who disappear.

Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” took off on TikTok weeks after release, not on day one. Post-release effort is not optional.

Weeks 2-3:

  • [ ] Post 3-5 TikTok/Reels per week (do not stop)
  • [ ] Try different content angles: acoustic version, lyric breakdown, production walkthrough, fan reactions
  • [ ] Monitor Spotify for Artists daily: where streams come from, which playlists drive traffic, listener locations, save rate
  • [ ] Continue submitting to user-curated playlists
  • [ ] Amplify any fan-created content
  • [ ] Share every milestone publicly – 1K streams, 10K streams, playlist adds

Week 4:

  • [ ] Maintain 2-3 posts per week minimum
  • [ ] Analyze full performance data: what content drove streams, which platforms performed, what you would do differently
  • [ ] Send thank-you email to your list
  • [ ] Thank playlist curators who added you (builds relationships for future releases)
  • [ ] Document every learning for your next release
  • [ ] Start planning the next release timeline

If You Only Have 4 Weeks

Sometimes you do not have 8 weeks. Here is the compressed version:

Week 4: Upload to distributor, submit to Spotify editorial (tight but possible), set up pre-save, batch-create content Week 3: Announce release, begin curator outreach, start teaser content Week 2: Heavy promotion push, send advance copies, schedule release content Week 1: Release day execution, post-release follow-through

You lose editorial playlist consideration (probably too late) and your content will feel rushed. For smaller releases – loosies, covers, quick drops – this works.

If You Can Only Do 5 Things

Not everyone can execute the full checklist. These are the non-negotiables:

  1. Submit to Spotify editorial 4+ weeks before release
  2. Set up a pre-save campaign with email capture enabled
  3. Announce and tease on social media for at least 2 weeks
  4. Send a release email to your list on launch day
  5. Keep posting for 4 weeks after release

Everything else is amplification. These five are the foundation.

Add paid promotion only after organic content is performing. Never use ads to rescue a release with no organic foundation.

Meta Ads: Turn your best-performing organic video into an ad. Target by music interests and similar artists. Start at $50-100 to test. Anything under $0.15 per click to streaming links is solid. See our Meta Ads guide for musicians for the full breakdown.

TikTok Spark Ads: Boost organic content that already has traction. Never boost content that flopped – the algorithm already judged it. $50-100 starting budget.

Playlist pitching services: SubmitHub and PlaylistPush are legitimate. Services promising guaranteed placements are scams. Never pay for bot-driven playlists – Spotify detects them and it can flag your account.

Skip paid promotion entirely if: you have not tested organic content first, your budget is under $50, or you are hoping ads will compensate for a missing release strategy.