Release strategy · 6 min read
Announce four weeks out, not four days.
A rushed release is a quiet release. Four weeks is the minimum window that lets every lever — editorial, press, socials, playlists, mailing list — actually pull in the same direction. Anything less and you're just posting a link and hoping.
Week 4: Lock and load
Confirm the release date with your distributor and deliver audio + artwork. Set up your pre-save link (Feature.fm, Linkfire or Hypeddit) with the exact release date and every DSP you're going to. Write the one-line pitch you will reuse everywhere — genre, mood, for fans of, one hook line.
Week 3: Pitch editorial
Submit to Spotify for Artists a minimum of 7 days out — 21 is safer. Fill every field: instruments, mood, culture, city, whether it's a cover. Pitch Apple Music via your distributor's editorial form. Send a first-look press mailout to your Tier 1 targets with a private SoundCloud or Disco link.
Week 2: Warm the room
Drop your first teaser: a 15-second clip that isn't the chorus. Post the story behind the song, not the specs of the song. Send your mailing list a personal note with the pre-save link. DM 20 curators with a genuine reason your track fits.
Week 1: Show up daily
Post every day across TikTok/Reels — different angle each time (writing story, rehearsal, artwork process, a lyric card, a fan reaction). Send a second press push to Tier 2 and 3. Confirm your release-day content is queued: the drop post, the thank-you post, a live acoustic snippet for +48hrs.
Release day and after
Reply to every comment for the first 24 hours — the algorithm is watching. Screenshot playlist adds and repost. Keep posting daily for at least 10 days: the save/skip window that triggers Discover Weekly closes at day 7.
Want this unpacked for your release?
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