How early should I upload my song to the distributor?

Aim for four to six weeks before release. Spotify needs it at least seven days ahead for a pitch, but distributors can take days to review, and some stores need longer. Earlier gives you room to fix mistakes.

Do I need a pre-save campaign?

It helps. Pre-saves add the release to fans' libraries on release day. Many distributors offer a free pre-save link. Spotify's own Countdown Pages are for albums and EPs only (not singles), and need at least 5,000 monthly active listeners.

Should I release singles or an EP?

For most independent artists, singles every six to ten weeks build momentum better than one big drop. An EP or album can gather the singles once you've built an audience.

What day should I release?

Friday is the global release day and when most editorial playlists refresh. That's the default for most artists.

Planning a release: the 8-week timeline

Why plan at all

Most independent releases go out the day the master is finished, with a single post on release day. The song then has to find its audience with no help. A plan gives each release a window: weeks of content beforehand, a pitch to editors, fans primed to listen on day one, and promotion after.

The timeline

When	What to do
Week −8	Finish the master. Lock the title, credits and splits. Use a split sheet.
Week −7	Artwork (3000 × 3000 px), press photos, and a one-paragraph story for the song
Week −6	Register the song with IPRS (writers) and prepare full metadata: ISRC, writers, producers, language, genre
Week −6 to −4	Deliver to your distributor. Choose the release date (a Friday)
Week −4	Song appears under Music → Upcoming in Spotify for Artists. Write and submit your pitch
Week −4 to −1	Content: teasers, behind-the-scenes, the story of the song. Test hooks with Trial Reels
Week −3	Pre-save link live (or a Countdown Page, for an eligible album or EP). Email and message your closest fans
Week −2	Send the song to blogs, playlist curators and radio, with a release-day embargo
Week −1	Spotify Canvas, YouTube premiere or Shorts ready, link hub updated
Release day	Post everywhere, update bios, reply to every comment, share fan reactions
Weeks +1 to +4	Keep posting clips of the song, live versions, duets and fan videos. Check data weekly

The pitch

Spotify lets you pitch one unreleased song per release from Spotify for Artists. Its rules:

Deliver the music at least seven days before release so editors have time to listen.
Pitch at least seven days ahead and the song goes into your followers' Release Radar.
One song at a time; you can't pitch songs you're featured on or compilations.
Pitching doesn't guarantee placement, and editors may pick a different song.

Seven days is the minimum, not the target. Pitching three to four weeks out gives editors far more time.

A good pitch says what the song is, who it's for and why now: genre and mood tags filled in accurately, the language, the story in two sentences, and any promotion you have planned (a music video, a show, press).

Building anticipation

The four weeks before release are when people learn the song exists. A simple content plan:

Week −4: the story. Why you wrote it, in your own words, to camera.
Week −3: the hook. Test 15-second clips of the strongest part with Trial Reels; keep the best performer.
Week −2: the making of. Studio clips, voice memos, the first demo.
Week −1: the countdown. Lyric snippets, the cover reveal, a pre-save reminder.

After release day

Most songs get most of their attention in the first month. Don't stop at release day:

Post a new clip of the song every two or three days for four weeks.
Share every fan video and playlist add.
Release an alternative version (acoustic, live, a remix) four to eight weeks later to bring listeners back.
Check your numbers weekly. See Module 8.

Your checklist

Count back eight weeks from a Friday.
Finish master, artwork and metadata before anything else.
Deliver four to six weeks out.
Pitch on Spotify as soon as the song appears.
Plan four weeks of content before and after.