Music Release Timeline: 8 Weeks to Launch

A music release timeline working backward from your release date needs 8 weeks minimum for a professional rollout. Week 8 locks the master and metadata. Week 5 uploads to your distributor. Week 4 pitches Spotify editorial. Week 2 builds anticipation with teasers and pre-saves. Week 0 launches with coordinated promotion across all channels.

Introduction

Most releases fail before the song goes live. Not because the music is bad, but because there was no timeline. The artist finished the track on Tuesday, uploaded Wednesday, and posted "new song out" on Friday to silence.

Eight weeks is the minimum for a release that has a real chance. Four weeks is the hard floor for Spotify editorial consideration alone. Add asset creation, pre-save campaigns, and promotional buildup, and you need the full runway.

This guide breaks down exactly what happens each week, with specific deliverables and checklists you can copy into your own planning system. For the complete strategic framework behind release planning, see How to Plan a Music Release: Step-by-Step Checklist.

The 8-Week Framework

This timeline assumes a single release. For EPs, add 2 weeks. For albums, add 4 weeks. The structure scales, but the sequence stays the same.

Week 8: Lock Everything

This is the foundation week. Nothing downstream works if this week fails.

Master approval. Your final mix should be complete. Send to mastering or approve the master if already received. The file format is WAV, 16-bit, 44.1kHz minimum. Do not proceed until the master is locked.

Metadata document. Create a single document with all release information. This prevents errors during upload. One typo in metadata can delay your release or create permanent catalog problems.

Track title: Confirm spelling, capitalization, and featured artist format. "Track Name (feat. Artist)" not "Track Name ft. artist."

Artist name: Must match your existing DSP profiles exactly. Inconsistent names create duplicate artist pages.

Songwriter credits: Full legal names of everyone who contributed to composition. These flow to PROs for performance royalties.

Producer credits: Everyone who contributed to the recording. These matter for the sound recording copyright.

ISRC code: Your distributor provides this, or you register through your PRO.

Split sheet. Get this signed by all contributors with percentage breakdowns before you upload anything. A signed split sheet protects everyone.

Week 8 checklist:

• [ ] Master approved and downloaded

• [ ] Cover art brief sent to designer

• [ ] Metadata document drafted

• [ ] Split sheet signed by all parties

Week 7: Asset Production

This week gets all creative assets into production so they are ready before upload.

Cover art review. Your designer should deliver the first draft. Give specific feedback: "The title is hard to read at thumbnail size" is useful. "I don't love it" is not. Cover art specs: 3000x3000 pixels minimum, no blurry upscales, no text too small to read at thumbnail size.

Spotify Canvas. A 3-8 second looping vertical video that plays behind your cover art on Spotify. This increases engagement and makes your profile look professional. Film something simple: a visual element from the cover art animated, moody b-roll, or abstract visuals matching the song's energy.

Press photo. If you do not have a recent press photo, schedule a shoot or select the best option from existing images. This goes into playlist pitches and press outreach.

Lyrics. Finalize and format your lyrics. Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms display lyrics. Errors here are embarrassing and visible to every listener.

Week 7 checklist:

• [ ] Cover art first draft received

• [ ] Spotify Canvas footage captured

• [ ] Press photo selected

• [ ] Lyrics finalized and spell-checked

Week 6: Distribute

Upload week. This is where most artists cut it too close. Six weeks feels early until you realize how much depends on it.

Distributor upload. Submit your release through your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, or your label distributor). Include the master audio file, final cover art, all metadata, genre selection, and release date.

Why 6 weeks matters. Some distributors take 3-5 days to deliver to stores. Apple Music requires 5+ days before release for pre-order setup. Spotify editorial pitching requires the song to be in their system at least 7 days before release. Uploading at week 6 gives you buffer for metadata rejections or processing delays.

Confirm delivery. After upload, check that your release appears in Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists within 2-4 days. If it does not appear, contact your distributor.

Week 6 checklist:

• [ ] Release uploaded to distributor

• [ ] Cover art approved and uploaded

• [ ] Release date confirmed

• [ ] Delivery to Spotify and Apple confirmed (check in 2-4 days)

Week 5: Pitch Preparation

Before you can pitch editorial, you need to write the pitch. Rushing this in 10 minutes produces generic submissions that get ignored.

Editorial pitch copy. Spotify and Apple Music editorial teams review thousands of submissions. Yours needs to stand out by being specific. Include genre and subgenre ("Indie pop with shoegaze influences" not just "pop"), mood and energy, similar artists, the story behind the song in one compelling paragraph, and your marketing plans (video, press, tour, ad spend).

Pre-save setup. Use a pre-save platform (Feature.fm, ToneDen, or your distributor's built-in tool) to create the link. Test it across devices. The link should be ready before you start teasing.

For the complete pre-save strategy, see How to Market a Music Release (Pre-Save Guide).

Email draft. Write your release announcement email. Do not send yet. Have it ready so release week is execution, not writing.

Week 5 checklist:

• [ ] Spotify editorial pitch written

• [ ] Apple Music editorial pitch written

• [ ] Pre-save link created and tested

• [ ] Email announcement drafted

Week 4: Pitch

This is your window for editorial consideration. Miss it and you lose access to the most impactful playlists.

Spotify editorial submission. In Spotify for Artists, find your upcoming release and submit your pitch. Include all the copy you prepared in week 5. You can only pitch one song per release.

Apple Music submission. In Apple Music for Artists, submit for editorial consideration. Apple's process is less transparent than Spotify's but still worth doing.

Playlist curator outreach. Identify 10-15 independent playlist curators whose playlists fit your genre. Send personalized outreach. Reference specific songs on their playlist and explain why your track fits their curation style. Generic blast emails get deleted. Follow up once after 5-7 days. Twice is acceptable. Three times is spam.

Week 4 checklist:

• [ ] Spotify editorial pitch submitted

• [ ] Apple Music editorial pitch submitted

• [ ] Independent curator outreach sent

Week 3: Film Everything

This is your production week. Batch everything so you are not scrambling to create posts during release week.

Film 10+ clips. Block 2-3 hours for a session. Film multiple formats: vertical videos for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts (15-60 seconds), behind-the-scenes studio footage, lyric reveals or snippet teasers, and talking-to-camera about the song's meaning.

Edit and organize. Cut the clips into finished posts. Label them clearly: "Teaser 1: Hook snippet," "BTS: Recording session," "Talking head: Story behind the song." Store them in a folder ready for scheduling.

Prepare captions. Write captions for each post. Include calls to action where appropriate ("Pre-save link in bio").

Week 3 checklist:

• [ ] Filming session complete

• [ ] 10+ clips edited and labeled

• [ ] Captions written for all posts

• [ ] Posts organized in release folder

Week 2: Tease Phase

The algorithm rewards momentum. Starting cold on release day means you are asking for instant results with no warmup.

Pre-save push. Your link is live. Post about it. Add it to every bio. Mention it in Stories. The goal is to collect as many pre-saves as possible so that when the song releases, it triggers the algorithm with immediate saves.

Teaser posts. Post your first teaser clips. Snippets of the hook, behind-the-scenes moments, mysterious visuals. Create curiosity without revealing everything.

Email teaser. Send a short email to your list: new music coming, here is the pre-save link, and a snippet or story behind the track.

Story engagement. Use Instagram Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Community to build anticipation. Polls, countdowns, and Q&A about the upcoming release prime your existing audience.

Week 2 checklist:

• [ ] Pre-save link in all bios

• [ ] First teaser posts published

• [ ] Story engagement active

• [ ] Email teaser sent

Week 1: Hype Phase

Increase the intensity. This is the final push before release.

Cover art reveal. Debut the artwork. This is a moment on its own. Build a post around it.

Hook teaser. Post a longer snippet that includes the catchiest part of the song. If you have held back the chorus until now, this is when to reveal it.

Countdown. Post a countdown in Stories. Remind your audience the release is coming. Multiple touchpoints matter because not everyone sees every post.

Final email. Send a release reminder 2-3 days before. Keep it short: "Friday. New song. Here is the pre-save if you have not already."

Schedule all release day posts. Queue your posts so release day is about engaging, not posting. Use scheduling tools to automate what you can.

Week 1 checklist:

• [ ] Cover art reveal posted

• [ ] Hook teaser published

• [ ] Countdown active in Stories

• [ ] Final email sent

• [ ] Release day posts scheduled

Release Day (Week 0)

Release day is not for creating. It is for executing and engaging.

Morning posts. "It's out now" goes live as soon as the song is available. Include the streaming link. This is the announcement, not the only post of the day.

Engage heavily. Respond to every comment, DM, and share. The first 24 hours matter for algorithmic signals. Active engagement tells the platform your release is worth promoting.

Monitor performance. Check Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists for early stream data. Watch for playlist adds. Note which posts are performing best.

Thank your supporters. Repost fan shares. Thank people who pre-saved. Acknowledge your community.

Release day checklist:

• [ ] "Out now" posts published

• [ ] Links updated in all bios

• [ ] Active engagement all day

• [ ] Performance monitoring

• [ ] Fan appreciation posts

Post-Release: Weeks 1-4

The release is not the finish line. Most artists stop promoting after 48 hours and wonder why momentum dies.

Sustain posting. Continue posting about the song for at least 4 weeks. The algorithm rewards sustained engagement, not single-day spikes. Every new post reaches people who missed the previous ones.

Rotation ideas. Acoustic version, lyric video, behind-the-scenes of the recording, live performance clip, fan reaction reposts. You filmed enough clips in week 3 to sustain this.

User-generated posts. Encourage fans to create their own posts with your song. Repost and celebrate it. This extends your reach into their networks.

Post-release review. At week 4, review performance: first-week streams vs. previous release, save rate, playlist adds, email engagement, social performance. Document what worked and what to improve next time. Artists building a broader audience strategy should use these reviews to refine every release cycle.

FAQ

What if my master is late?

Push the entire timeline. Do not compress it. If your master is 2 weeks late, your release date moves 2 weeks. Rushing destroys your editorial pitch window.

Can I do this in less than 8 weeks?

You can, but you lose options. At 4 weeks you can still pitch editorial. At 2 weeks you cannot. Decide what you are willing to sacrifice.

Do I need to follow this exact order?

The sequence is a dependency chain. You cannot pitch until you distribute. You cannot distribute until artwork is approved. Adjust timing, not order.

Should I release on Friday?

Fridays align with chart resets but have maximum competition. Test other days and compare results for your audience.

Read Next

• How to Plan a Music Release: Step-by-Step Checklist

• How to Market a Music Release (Pre-Save Guide)

• First Music Release Planning: A Step-by-Step Guide

Stop Building Timelines From Scratch:

Orphiq's release planning tools generates your release timeline automatically when you set a date. Every deadline adjusts if plans change, so you never miss the pitch window again.