Release Day Checklist

The Morning Of

Before your song goes live, make sure everything is in place.

Verify your upload:

• Check the song is uploaded to your distributor and scheduled for the correct release time and timezone
• Confirm all metadata is correct (title, artist name, credits, ISRC code)
• Listen to the final distributed version—sometimes encoding introduces artifacts
• Check that all featured artists have been notified and are ready to promote

Prepare your team:

• Send a message to anyone helping with promotion (friends, collaborators, team)
• Provide them with the smart link, artwork, and key talking points
• Ask them to post at a specific time to stagger visibility across the day

Set your own posts to queue:

• Write your release announcement for TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and any other platform you use
• Schedule posts to go live in the morning or during peak hours for your audience
• Have a backup post ready in case something goes wrong

Across Platforms

Each platform has different requirements and best practices.

Spotify:

• Make sure your artist profile is claimed and complete
• Update your profile picture and background if they're outdated
• Check that the song appears in your artist discography
• Add the song to your official artist playlist (if you have one)

Apple Music:

• Verify the song is indexed correctly
• Update your artist information and artwork
• Consider pitching to editorial playlists (Apple Music for Artists dashboard)

YouTube:

• Upload an official lyric video or visualizer if you have one
• Add the song to a playlist on your channel
• Pin a comment with links to other platforms and pre-order/pre-save info

TikTok:

• Add your song to TikTok Creator Marketplace if eligible
• Post a clip of the song or behind-the-scenes content
• Encourage fans to create content using the song

Social and Email

Your followers are the most predictable source of first-day engagement.

Email your list:

• Send a release announcement early in the day with direct links to all platforms
• Keep it short—link, streaming platforms, maybe one sentence of context
• Follow up with a second email later in the week if you have major milestones (playlist adds, reviews)

Post across social media:

• Lead with video or audio clips, not just a link
• Mix announcement posts with behind-the-scenes content
• Respond to every comment—engagement early in the day helps algorithmic visibility
• Use relevant hashtags and trends, but keep them authentic to your song

Engage with press and influencers:

• Send direct messages to anyone who covered you or engaged with previous releases
• Share the song with playlist curators and music bloggers
• Tag collaborators and featured artists so their audiences see it

Post-Release Follow-Up

Release day is the beginning, not the end.

Week 1:

• Monitor streaming numbers and playlist additions
• Push for independent playlist placements (pitch to curators, blogs, and playlists)
• Respond to every piece of fan feedback
• Repost fan reactions and covers to keep momentum visible

Week 2-4:

• Continue promoting the song in your content calendar
• Track which playlists are driving the most streams
• Adjust your strategy if something isn't working (e.g., pivot to a different platform if TikTok isn't moving)
• Plan your next release or singles cycle

Beyond Month 1:

• Use the song's performance data to inform future releases
• Keep the song in rotation on your social media
• Look for remix and feature opportunities to extend the song's lifespan