Music Release Checklist: What to Do 4 Weeks Out to Release Week (2026)

To release a song, you need the final master, cover art, credits and metadata, a distributor, and a release date at least a few weeks away. The one hard date on Spotify: pitch the song in Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release, and Spotify adds it to your followers' Release Radar.

Everything else in this checklist is about giving fans one place to go and one reason to come back on release day.

The checklist at a glance#

Checked October 23, 2026.

The only platform-set date in the table is Spotify's 7 days. The other timings are working buffers, not rules: distributors don't publish one common delivery time, so leave yourself more room than the minimum.

4+ weeks before: get the release ready to upload#

• Final master. The version you upload is the version that ships. Listen on headphones, a phone speaker and a car if you can. If you're still arranging it, the song length calculator shows how long it runs at your tempo.
• Cover art. Square and high resolution. Check your distributor's artwork rules for the exact pixel size and what can't appear on the cover. Our album cover size checker reads your file against each distributor's rules. The size that passes everywhere is in album cover size.
• Credits and splits written down. Who wrote it, who produced it, who performed it. You will type these into the upload form, and it is easier to agree on them now than after release.
• Release type. One song, a few songs or a full project. Spotify and Apple Music label it by track count and length; see EP vs album vs single.
• Release date. Pick one far enough out that every date below fits.

3 to 4 weeks before: upload to your distributor#

• Upload the audio, cover and metadata with your distributor. Double-check artist name spelling, featured artists and the song title now, before the release goes out to every store. If this is your first release, how to release music on Spotify covers picking a distributor and claiming Spotify for Artists.
• ISRC. Each recording needs an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code). Many distributors assign one when you upload; check yours. If a song already came out as a single and goes on an EP without change, remix or remaster, it keeps the same ISRC (ISRC Handbook, section A.8.4). More in what an ISRC code is.
• Find the song in Spotify for Artists. Once your distributor delivers it, it shows up under Music, then Upcoming. That is where you pitch it.

2 to 3 weeks before: release page and pre-save#

• Pre-save link. A pre-save puts the song in a fan's library on release day. Most distributors and link tools offer one; see how Spotify pre-saves work and how to make a pre-save link with DistroKid.
• Spotify Countdown Pages, if you qualify. Spotify's own pre-save page is only for new and original albums and EPs, not singles, and you need at least 3,000 monthly active listeners (Spotify). Spotify says that, on average, nearly 60% of people who pre-save an album stream it in the first week.
• One release page. Put the pre-save, the cover, your streaming links and a fan sign-up on one page, and use that link everywhere. See what a music release landing page needs.
• Start collecting emails. A pre-save tells you nothing about who the fan is. An email address lets you reach them on release day and for the next one. More in building an email list as a musician.

7+ days before: pitch to Spotify editors#

The rules, a template and two example pitches are in Spotify playlist pitch.

From Spotify's pitching page, checked October 23, 2026:

• Deliver your music at least 7 days before release so editors have time to listen.
• Pitch an unreleased song at least 7 days before release and Spotify adds it to your followers' Release Radar.
• You can pitch one song at a time. Once the pitched song is live, you can pitch another.
• You can't pitch compilations or songs where you are a featured artist.
• You can edit the pitch up to release day, but there's no guarantee editors see the changes.
• More detail in the pitch gives the song a better chance, according to Spotify.

Source: Pitching music and videos to Spotify playlist editors.

1 week before: content and the release-day email#

• Spotify Canvas. The short looping video on the track. Specs are in Spotify Canvas size and specs.
• Short clips. Cut a few vertical clips from the song so you have something to post on release day and the days after.
• Release-day email. Write it now and schedule it. Keep it to the song, one link and one line on why it matters to you.
• Bio links. Decide which link goes in every bio on release day. If it's your release page, it already works.

Free tool: release checklist generator#

Enter your release date and type. The generator works backwards and gives you a dated checklist: the last day to pitch on Spotify, a suggested upload date, when your pre-save should go live and when to schedule the fan email. Add it to your calendar or save it as a PDF. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Release day#

• Make sure your release page shows the streaming links instead of the pre-save.
• Send the email.
• Post the clips and share the link in stories and DMs to people who asked about the song.
• Check that the song plays and the artwork and credits look right on each store.

1 to 2 weeks after#

• Pitch the next one. A live song can't be pitched anymore, so if you have another release coming, it can go in the queue now.
• Re-share with a new clip, a lyric or the story behind the song. Many of your followers missed release day.
• Write down what worked: how many pre-saves, how many new emails, which post brought people to the page. That is your baseline for the next release.

Where does Loud fit?#

The release page is the one item on this checklist you reuse every time. We make Loud: you search one of your songs, and Loud builds your website and link in bio from your music and keeps them updated with every release. It makes a page for each song on its own, with your streaming links and a sign-up for your fan list. Before release day, that page shows a Pre-save button if you paste your distributor's pre-save link; Loud doesn't create pre-saves itself. On release day the listen buttons take its place.

FAQ#

How far in advance should I upload my music?

Spotify asks you to deliver your music at least 7 days before release so its editors have time to listen. Distributors also need processing time and don't publish one common figure, so 3 to 4 weeks before release is a safe buffer.

What do I need to release a song?

A final master, square cover art, credits, a distributor account and a release date. To pick the distributor, see our music distributor comparison. Many distributors assign the ISRC for you if you don't have one.

When should I pitch my song to Spotify?

At least 7 days before release, through Spotify for Artists. Then Spotify adds it to your followers' Release Radar. Once the song is live, it can't be pitched.

Do I need a pre-save?

It's optional. It puts your song in a fan's library on release day. Pairing it with an email sign-up lets you reach the same fan again.

Can I pitch a song from my EP that already came out as a single?

No. Spotify only takes pitches for unreleased songs, and a single that's already out is live. Pitch one of the new songs instead, one at a time.

Can I use Spotify Countdown Pages for a single?

No. Spotify's Countdown Pages are for new and original albums and EPs, and you need at least 3,000 monthly active listeners.