Music Release Promotion Plan: What to Do Before, During, and After Release Day

Most songs get promoted for three days

Here's how a lot of releases go. The song comes out on Friday. There's a post on release day, a story or two, maybe a message to the group chat. By Monday the artist is already thinking about the next one, and the streams flatten out.

The problem isn't effort. It's timing. Most of the work that decides how a release does happens weeks before it comes out, and some of the best growth happens weeks after. A plan spreads that work out so nothing important gets skipped.

Below is a plan that runs from six weeks before release day to a month after. Shift the dates to fit your release, but keep the order.

Six weeks out: get the release ready

Make sure the song is ready to promote

Every promotion channel (editors, curators, your own fans) is judging the finished track. If the mix is muddy or the intro takes 40 seconds to get going, promotion just spends money showing that to more people. Get a second opinion from someone who'll be honest, and listen on cheap earbuds and in a car, not only on studio monitors. Soundmango has a good checklist on whether your track is ready for playlist promotion.

Lock the release date and deliver early

Pick a date and send the release to your distributor at least four weeks ahead. You need the song live in Spotify for Artists as an upcoming release before you can pitch it to Spotify's editors, and distributors can take days or weeks to deliver. Most releases come out on a Friday, which lines up with when Spotify refreshes many of its new-music playlists.

Get the details right

Double-check the song title, featured artists, credits, genre, and artwork before you deliver. Fixing metadata after release is slow, and wrong credits can send royalties to the wrong place.

Four weeks out: set up the pitch

Pitch to Spotify's editors

Once the release shows up in Spotify for Artists, pitch it from the upcoming release page. Fill in every field: genre, mood, instruments, and a short description of the song and what's happening around it. Pitch at least seven days before release so it lands in your followers' Release Radar on release day, but earlier gives editors more time to listen.

Set up a pre-save

A pre-save link lets fans add the song to their library ahead of time, so it shows up for them the moment it's out. It also gives you something concrete to share before release, instead of "new music soon."

Plan your playlist promotion

Independent playlists are where most artists without a label find new listeners. Decide now how you'll approach them: pitching curators yourself, using a service, or both. Soundmango's guide on when to start Spotify playlist promotion covers the timing in more detail.

Two weeks out: warm up the fans you already have

Curators and Spotify's algorithm both look at how a song does in its first days. The fastest way to get a good start is your own audience, so make sure they know a release is coming.

• Email your list. Tell them the date and send the pre-save link. If you don't have a list yet, see our guide on building an email list as a musician.
• Post to your community. If you run a fan community, give members something first: a preview clip, the story behind the song, or early access.
• Give something away. A free download of a remix, an acoustic version, or stems can collect emails and Spotify follows before release day. Every new Spotify follower gets your next release in their Release Radar.

Release week: make the first days count

Send fans straight to the song

On release day, message everyone at once: email list, community, socials, close friends. Ask for one thing that matters: save the song or add it to a playlist. Saves and playlist adds tell Spotify that people want to hear the song again.

If the song is on a playlist of your own songs, share a playlist deep link instead of a plain track link. It plays your new song first, then keeps the listener on your music instead of handing them to autoplay.

Start reaching playlists that fit

Fit matters more than size. A small playlist whose listeners love your genre will do more for you than a big one where your song gets skipped. And stay away from anything that guarantees streams; here's how to tell if a music promotion service is legit. Soundmango's guide on how to promote a new song on Spotify goes deeper on release week.

If you don't have time to find and pitch curators one by one, Soundmango matches your track with independent curators whose playlists fit your genre. Playlists are vetted for fake streams, curators only add songs they like, and you get a refund if no curator accepts your track.

Thank everyone who helps

When a curator adds your song, thank them and share the playlist. When fans post about the song, reshare it. It takes minutes, and it's how a one-off add turns into a working relationship.

Weeks two to four: keep it moving

This is where most releases get abandoned, and where a lot of growth happens. Playlist adds keep coming in, the algorithm is still testing the song, and new listeners are still finding you.

• Keep posting. Share new clips, live versions, or behind-the-scenes content. Someone who missed release day isn't tired of the song.
• Turn new listeners into followers. Playlist listeners mostly listen in the background. Here's how to turn playlist listeners into real fans.
• Watch the right numbers. In Spotify for Artists, check saves, the playlists the song is on, and how many listeners turn into followers. Here's how to measure playlist promotion results without getting fooled by raw stream counts.
• Know when to stop. If a song isn't getting saves after real promotion, more money won't fix it. Soundmango has a useful guide on when to stop promoting a track.

After the campaign: set up the next release

Write down what worked: which playlists drove saves, which posts got people clicking, how many emails your giveaway collected. Then release again while the momentum is still there. Followers you gained this time get your next song in their Release Radar, so each release starts from a bigger base. Soundmango explains how to build momentum from one release to the next.

If you're deciding between a string of singles and a full project, here's a breakdown of whether to promote a single or an album.

The plan at a glance

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I start promoting a release?

Start about six weeks out. That gives you time to deliver the song to your distributor, pitch Spotify's editors at least a week before release, and warm up your fans before release day.

When should I pitch a song to Spotify's editors?

As soon as the release appears in Spotify for Artists, and at least seven days before release day. Pitching that early also gets the song into your followers' Release Radar on release day.

How long should I promote a single?

Plan for at least four weeks after release. Playlist adds and algorithmic recommendations often keep building after the first week, so the weeks after release day matter as much as the day itself.

Should I pay for playlist promotion?

It can be worth it if the service puts your song in front of real listeners on playlists that fit your genre. Avoid any service that guarantees a number of streams or placements, since that usually means bots.

Build an audience you own

Every release goes better when you already have fans to tell. Start collecting them now, and your next release day won't start from zero.