Music release planner

How a music release timeline works

A release is not one day. The song goes live on a Friday, but the work that decides how it does happens in the weeks around it. Most of that work is dull and easy to forget: metadata, artwork sizes, the upload, the email to your list.

The planner above works backwards from the date you choose. It gives every step a day, and you can tick them off as you go. If you add the date to your calendar, each step shows up as its own all-day event.

The default timeline

These are the lead times it starts from. Your distributor may need more or less, so check their upload page.

What goes in a release checklist

Before you upload

Get the final master signed off. Settle song titles, credits and writer splits. Finish square cover art, at least 3000 by 3000 pixels, with no logos or links on it. Mistakes here cost you the most, because changing them after upload usually means pulling the release and starting again.

Upload and set up your links

Deliver the release to your distributor with three to four weeks to spare. That is how long it takes to be checked and sent to every store, and it is what makes a pre-save and a playlist pitch possible. Once you have the release, make one smart link that holds every platform, so every post points to the same place.

The weeks before release

Open the pre-save, pitch the song to playlist editors, and send a short note to blogs and press. Post small pieces of the song, not the whole thing: a line, a clip, a photo from the studio. Tell the people who already support you first, by message, before the public post.

Release week and after

On the day, post once and send the email. Check that every link opens the right release. In the days after, look at where the first listeners came from, thank the people who shared it, and write down what worked while it is fresh. The next release starts from that note.

Common mistakes

• Uploading late. Everything else depends on the upload date, so it is the first thing to fix.
• Asking for a pre-save without saying why. Tell people what happens when they do it.
• Pitching several songs. Editors read the pitch for one track. Pick one.
• Sending traffic to different places. Use one link, so you can see which post worked.
• Planning nothing for the week after release, which is when most of the follow-through happens.

Planning with the rest of your tools

The planner covers when to do things. For the where, a smart link collects every platform in one place, a pre-save page gets fans ready for release day, and a bio page keeps your profile link pointing at the right thing. You can also turn any release link into a printable QR code for posters and merch.