The Spotify release checklist

Most releases fail on timing, not on the music. This is the schedule that keeps every opportunity open, from the editorial pitch window to the algorithmic pickup period after release.

Six weeks out: lock the assets

• Final master approved. Not "nearly there". Every downstream date depends on this being done.
• Artwork at 3000x3000px, no text issues. Check it at thumbnail size, which is how nearly everyone will see it.
• Metadata finalised. Exact artist name spelling, featured artists credited properly, correct songwriter and producer splits. Fixing this after release is painful and sometimes impossible.
• ISRC and UPC assigned by your distributor.
• Release date chosen. Friday is the industry standard and aligns with New Music Friday and Release Radar cycles.

Four to five weeks out: deliver and pitch

• Deliver to your distributor with the release date set four to six weeks ahead.
• Wait for the track to appear in Spotify for Artists under Upcoming. This can take a few days.
• Submit the Spotify for Artists pitch as soon as it appears. One shot per track, and only before release — the full method is in our pitching guide.
• Set up your pre-save link and point every bio link at it.
• Update your artist profile: current photo, real bio, Artist Pick, and a Canvas for the new track.

Two to three weeks out: outreach and rollout

• Pitch independent curators. Genre-matched, personalised, short. Use our curator email template.
• Book any paid campaign so it starts on or just after release day, not two weeks later. See campaign packages.
• Plan your social rollout: at minimum a snippet, a behind-the-scenes piece, and a release-day post. Pick the strongest 15 seconds of the song, not the intro.
• Tell your existing followers a date. Followers who anticipate a release engage on day one, which is when engagement matters most.
• Line up press or blog outreach if relevant to your genre.

Release week

• Day 0: add the track to your own public playlists, post everywhere, and send every link directly to the Spotify track page rather than a landing page.
• Ask for saves, not plays. "Save it so it comes back to you" converts better and generates the stronger signal. Explain why if you need to.
• Ask for the follow explicitly. Every follower is a guaranteed Release Radar slot next time.
• Reply to everyone who posts about it. Early engagement is disproportionately valuable.
• Do not check your numbers hourly. Release-day figures predict very little.

Weeks one to four after: the part everyone skips

This is where releases are actually won or lost. Algorithmic pickup typically happens two to six weeks after release, so the artists who stop promoting on day eight quit before the window opens.

• Keep placements landing through the whole campaign period rather than front-loading everything into release week.
• Watch save rate in Spotify for Artists, not stream count. Save rate is what predicts algorithmic support.
• Check "Discovered on" to see which playlists are genuinely driving listeners, and pitch more playlists like those.
• Keep posting. A song is new to each person the first time they hear it, regardless of its release date.
• Watch for Discover Weekly and Radio appearing in your source breakdown. That is the signal that the track has crossed over from paid reach to earned reach.

The mechanics are explained in how the Spotify algorithm works.

Thirty days after: review honestly

Pull the numbers and answer four questions:

1. What was the save rate? Strong save rate with weak reach is a distribution problem. Weak save rate with strong reach is a song problem. The distinction determines what to fix.
2. How many new followers? This is the durable asset the release produced.
3. Where did listeners come from? Double down on whatever converted.
4. Did algorithmic sources appear? If yes, the track earned reach. If not, the engagement was not there.

Then start the next one, six weeks out. Consistency is the variable that separates artists who compound from artists who spike. If you want to test playlist outreach on your next release without committing budget, the free playlist trial is a low-risk place to start.