Pre-Save Campaigns: Complete Setup Guide
For Artists
A pre-save campaign lets fans save your unreleased song to their library before release day, ensuring it appears in their queue the moment it goes live. The setup involves choosing a pre-save platform, creating a landing page, capturing emails, and promoting the link across your channels in the 2-3 weeks before release.
Introduction
Pre-saves are the primary call-to-action for unreleased music. When a fan pre-saves your song, two things happen: they commit to listening on release day, and the song automatically appears in their library when it goes live. That first-day engagement signals to streaming algorithms that the song is worth recommending.
But pre-saves are not magic. A link in your bio does not convert on its own. The campaign around the link determines whether you get 50 pre-saves or 500.
This guide walks through the complete setup: choosing a platform, building your landing page, capturing emails, and running the promotion. For how pre-saves fit into your broader release marketing strategy, see How to Market a Music Release (Pre-Save Guide). For the full release timeline, see How to Plan a Music Release: Step-by-Step Checklist.
Choosing a Pre-Save Platform
Several platforms specialize in pre-save links. They differ in pricing, features, and which streaming services they support. The right choice depends on whether you need email capture, how much you want to spend, and which distributor you use.
Platform | Free Tier | Email Capture | Spotify + Apple | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature.fm | Yes (limited) | Yes | Yes | $7/mo |
ToneDen | Yes (limited) | Yes | Yes | $10/mo |
Linkfire | Yes (branded) | Yes (paid) | Yes | $10/mo |
Show.co (CD Baby) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free / $3 per link |
DistroKid HyperFollow | Yes (DistroKid users) | No | Yes | Included with distribution |
Feature.fm is the most popular option for independent artists. Pre-saves, smart links, and email capture in one package. The free tier is limited but functional. Paid plans add analytics, retargeting pixels, and custom domains.
ToneDen offers similar features with strong ad campaign integration. Good if you plan to run paid social ads alongside your pre-save campaign.
Linkfire is used by major labels. More expensive but offers detailed analytics and integrations. The free tier includes Linkfire branding on your pages.
DistroKid HyperFollow is free for DistroKid users but does not capture emails. If email capture matters to you, and it should, use a different platform for your pre-save link.
Setting Up Your Pre-Save Link
Step 1: Create the Campaign
Log into your pre-save platform and create a new campaign. You will need your song title, artist name, release date, cover artwork (at least 1000x1000px), and your Spotify URI or Apple Music link. Some platforms generate these automatically from your distributor.
Step 2: Configure Email Capture
Enable email collection on the landing page. Most platforms let you either require an email before the pre-save completes or offer it as optional. Requiring it reduces pre-saves but increases email signups. Optional capture reduces friction but captures fewer emails.
Make email optional but prominent. "Get notified when it drops" converts better than a forced gate. For how email fits into your long-term fan strategy, see How to Build an Email List as a Music Artist.
Step 3: Customize the Landing Page
Upload your cover art. Add a short description or teaser quote. Some platforms let you embed a video or audio snippet. Keep it simple. The goal is to convert visitors to pre-savers, not to overwhelm them.
Step 4: Add a Countdown
If your platform supports it, add a countdown timer showing how long until release. Urgency drives action.
Step 5: Test the Link
Before promoting, test the link yourself. Click through on mobile and desktop. Verify the pre-save works, the artwork displays correctly, and the email capture functions. A broken link on launch day is a preventable disaster.
Building Your Landing Page for Conversion
A pre-save landing page should answer three questions instantly: What is this? When does it come out? What do I do?
Song title, artist name, artwork. Release date or countdown. Pre-save button, clear and prominent. That is the entire page.
Remove distractions. This is not the place for your full bio, links to five other songs, or a paragraph about your artistic vision. One song. One action. One goal.
Conversion Checklist
Element | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Mobile-first design | Most clicks come from social media on phones |
Fast load time | A slow page loses visitors before they convert |
Above-the-fold CTA | Pre-save button visible without scrolling |
Consistent branding | Page matches your teaser posts visually |
Single focus | No competing links or navigation menus |
A well-built pre-save page converts 15-30% of visitors. If your conversion rate falls below 10%, the page is the first thing to fix.
The Email Capture Angle
An email address is worth more than a pre-save. A pre-save is a one-time interaction tied to a single release. An email address is an owned connection you can reach for every future release without depending on algorithms.
What to Offer
People sign up when they get something. Match the offer to your audience:
Early access to the song (some platforms allow exclusive previews)
A behind-the-scenes video or demo version
Entry into a giveaway (signed merch, tickets)
Being "the first to know" about future releases
A giveaway works well for artists building momentum. Exclusive access works for artists with an established fanbase. The point is giving fans a reason beyond "I want your email address."
Promoting Your Pre-Save Campaign
Timeline
Start promoting 2-3 weeks before release. Earlier than that and momentum fades. Later than that and you miss the buildup window. Most people do not pre-save on the first exposure. They need to see the link 3-5 times before acting.
Window | Focus | Content |
|---|---|---|
Weeks 3-2 before release | Announce | Reveal cover art, post the pre-save link |
Week 1 before release | Push | Countdown posts, hook teasers, reminder stories |
Release day | Switch | Replace pre-save with stream link everywhere |
Where to Promote
Your pre-save link should be the top link on every platform during the campaign window. Link in bio, stories, posts, email list. When fans engage with teaser posts, reply with the link. If you have an audience through Orphiq's artist tools, coordinate your promotion calendar so every touchpoint reinforces the same call-to-action.
What Converts Best
Not all posts drive pre-saves equally. The best content creates urgency and gives a reason to act now.
Hook teasers. 15-30 seconds of the catchiest part of the song with text overlay pointing to the pre-save link.
Countdown posts. "7 days until [song title]. Pre-save so you don't miss it."
Behind-the-scenes. Studio footage, recording clips, the story behind the song. Context makes people care.
Direct ask. Sometimes simple works best: "New song coming Friday. Pre-save it: [link]."
Measuring Success
After the campaign, review four numbers:
Pre-save count. How many people saved the song before release? Compare to your audience size, not to other artists.
Email signups. How many new email addresses did you capture? This is the lasting asset from the campaign.
Conversion rate. What percentage of landing page visitors pre-saved? 15-30% is strong. Below 10% means the page or the offer needs work.
Day-one streams. Compare release day streams to previous releases. Did the pre-save campaign lift first-day performance?
Use these benchmarks to improve the next campaign. Each release cycle should produce better data than the last.
Common Mistakes
Waiting too long to promote. A pre-save link posted the day before release does nothing. Start 2-3 weeks out.
Hiding the link. If the pre-save link is buried in a Linktree alongside 10 other links, it will not convert. Make it the only link during the campaign window.
No email capture. If your platform supports it and you are not using it, you are leaving the most valuable part of the campaign on the table.
Promoting only to cold audiences. Pre-saves convert best with existing fans. If you are running ads to cold audiences, focus those on awareness. Save the pre-save push for people who already know your music.
FAQ
How many pre-saves is good?
It depends on audience size. Aim for 10-20% of your monthly listeners or email list. A new artist might target 100-200. The percentage matters more than the raw number.
Do pre-saves affect playlist placement?
Not directly for editorial playlists. But strong day-one engagement from pre-saves boosts your performance in algorithmic playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly.
Should I use multiple pre-save platforms?
No. Use one link. Multiple links confuse fans and split your data. Pick one platform and run all traffic through it.
When should I switch from pre-save to stream link?
On release day, the moment the song is live. Update your link in bio immediately. Some platforms automatically convert pre-save links to smart links after release.
Read Next
Plan Your Campaign:
Orphiq helps you build your pre-save promotion into your release timeline so every post, email, and story builds toward release day.