Releasing a new single is exciting but like with most good things in life, it can also be overwhelming. With so many moving parts, it's crucial to have a solid plan to ensure your music gets the attention it deserves. Creating an effective release strategy is key for any artist aiming to maximise their reach and impact. This article is designed to help you cut through the noise and get your music heard, so let’s dive in!
A successful release starts with great planning. Once you’ve finished your song (see our articles on mixing and mastering to make sure you’re indeed ready for a release) you should choose a release date at least six weeks in advance to make sure you have plenty of time to get all your ducks in a row. Try to avoid big holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving when picking your release date to ensure your release stands out.
Releasing music as SoundCloud Exclusives before distributing it to other DSPs can be a great way to build anticipation for your release. In a recent interview with Burstimo, SoundCloud A&R Hope Hale mentioned that SoundCloud rewards SoundCloud Exclusives with more exposure, so go take advantage of that opportunity!
When you have your release date(s) pencilled in, it is time to establish a budget. It is important to allocate funds for various aspects of your release. Consider the tools and people you need to enhance your content and promote your release. This includes assets such as cover art, banners, videos, etc. as well as promo costs like RepostExchange, SubmitHub, radio tours, etc.
It is important that you understand who your ideal listeners are and why they would care about your music. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend you read our article about Artist Brand Identities first before you continue with your release strategy.
Once you have your brand identity clear, you can start to create engaging artwork. In today’s multimedia world you should craft a cohesive visual identity for the release that can be moulded into different formats like a Spotify Canvas, SoundCloud/Spotify/Youtube Banner, Youtube Lyric Video and Social Media posts.
This is also the moment to have a photoshoot. Official photoshoots are important as they show that you’re taking your music career seriously. Don’t cut short on this, get a real photographer, or at least a photography student to take your pictures.
Make sure you collect all your release assets in one place for easy access. When you work with a team it is encouraged that you save all your assets to a Google Drive or Dropbox so everyone on the team can access them at all times. If you haven’t already, this is also the time to learn about Digital Press Kits. We wrote an article about DPK’s here.
Continue by completing your online profiles. Choose a standout profile picture (probably one from your photoshoot!), write a compelling bio (learn how to do that here), organise your Instagram highlights, and add relevant links to your links section on SoundCloud, YouTube and Instagram.
Don't limit yourself to just a SoundCloud link. Provide your fans with a variety of options, such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, your website, and a variety of DSPs like Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer, so they can choose how to connect with you.
Make sure your profiles on all these DSPs are also fully set up and polished. Complete the 'About' section, create a banner, choose a standout profile picture, and add links. Aim to make your profile professional and informative, and ensure all these elements reflect your identity as an artist.
Once you’ve got all your assets ready, it is time to craft a concise press release. We’ve written an article all about that here. When you have your Press Release ready you can submit (parts of) it to tastemakers either directly or through platforms like Submithub.
Start researching and identifying bloggers, playlist curators, and radio stations that suit your release. Look beyond genres and consider themes like ‘gaming playlists’ or ‘summer vibes’, then tailor your approach based on genre and location. You have to submit your music well in advance to make sure curators have time to listen to your music before it is released.
Also don’t forget to pitch your song for Spotify Editorial Playlists at least seven days in advance. Even if you think you’ll have no chance landing on an editorial playlist yet. A pitched song is more likely to get featured on the Release Radar playlist of your Spotify followers and in the Discover Weekly of Spotify users with a similar taste to your Spotify followers.
Use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to announce your upcoming release. Create short, engaging teaser videos to build anticipation. Share behind-the-scenes clips of the recording process, artwork creation, or even personal stories related to the song. This helps in building a personal connection with your audience.
That said, you should prioritise creating micro-content. Aim to produce at least 15-25 videos using the chorus of your song. Record yourself performing or miming the song in interesting locations to catch people’s attention while scrolling through social media apps. Alongside, you can post 15-second snippets of your song across all platforms daily.
It is worth encouraging fans to share their excitement for the release and let them promote your music for you in return for your recognition. Every time a fan shares their excitement for your upcoming release, make sure you like, comment and repost it so more people will be likely to do the same.
When it suits your type of music it is worth recording a live performance or acoustic version of your song that you can post on SoundCloud and YouTube. High-quality recordings can also be uploaded to Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
You want to make sure you are posting consistently across all social media platforms, at least once a day leading up to your release. On release day you can post a lot more and after the release you should still post about the song for at least a month, preferably also every day.
You want to encourage engagement, not only for the algorithms but also to build trust and report. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions to maintain a strong connection with your audience, this is what creates a fan base you can count on.
You can use polls, Q&A sessions and countdowns to further engage your audience and keep them excited. You can even take this a step further and host live sessions on social platforms to discuss your upcoming release. Be creative in order to stand out!
Congratulations you made it to release day! Today is gonna be a busy day for you! First things first, you have to ensure your song is available on all major streaming services. While you do that, copy all the links and put them in a smart link which you can use on socials while promoting your track. This is also the moment to upload a high-quality music video or lyric video on YouTube.
Make sure you update your Spotify artist pick as well as banners on SoundCloud, YouTube and Spotify. When you’ve got your DSP links and profiles ready, it is time to send out a newsletter to your mailing list with the links to your new release. This is also the moment to start pushing your release on socials.
It is important to engage with fans personally and ask them to support your release to maximise streaming numbers on release day to trigger algorithms on SoundCloud and Spotify. Alongside getting streams from your direct fans, you can use RepostExchange to get reposts from fellow members to tap into their audiences and grow your reach. You can learn more about that here!
A well-executed release strategy involves meticulous planning, consistent engagement, and strategic promotion. By following your release plan, you can build anticipation, maximise your impact on release day, and sustain momentum post-release. It is important to stay flexible, listen to your audience, and continuously adapt to ensure your music reaches and resonates with a wider audience.
By following this guide you should be well on your way dropping your best release to date. But remember, the journey doesn't end here. Continue promoting your music, engaging with fans, and refining your strategy with each release. Best of luck with your music career!
