What should I do before releasing a song?

At least 4 weeks before release: submit to Spotify editorial pitch, create DistroKid/TuneCore delivery, prepare marketing assets (artwork, video clips, bio). 2 weeks out: begin teaser campaign, reach out to playlist curators and press. Launch day: coordinate social posts, ask fans to save the track.

How early should I submit to Spotify editorial?

Submit at least 7 days before your release date — Spotify's editorial team needs this time to consider your track for editorial playlists. Submitting earlier (2-4 weeks) gives more time but Spotify only reviews close to release.

What is a pre-save campaign for music?

A pre-save campaign lets fans save your upcoming release to their Spotify library before it goes live. This triggers your release to appear in their Release Radar playlist and signals early engagement to Spotify's algorithm.

Music Release Checklist~50 steps · free · no signup · updated may 2026

Don't ship a release without this checklist.

The non-negotiables

6 stages T-28 → post-release

Spotify pitch

T-7 deadline

Distributor

T-21 cutoff

Day-1 saves

5%+ goal

Save rate

DW trigger

The full pre-release timeline used by Chartlex artists for Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube launches — calibrated against Spotify's editorial windows. Filter by single / EP / album, check off as you go, autosaves locally. Pro accounts unlock T-28 / T-7 / launch-day reminder emails.

Release type

Progress

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Ship a real release in 4 weeks. Pick your release type to filter the list, then check off items as you go. Everything saves locally.

Jump to stage

T-28 to T-21

4 Weeks Out

Lay the groundwork before anything is public.

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T-14 to T-8

2 Weeks Out

Start warming up your audience.

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T-7 to T-2

1 Week Out

Build anticipation and get your systems ready.

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T-1

Day Before

Final checks — no surprises on release day.

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Day 0

Release Day

Go live and stay active for the full 24 hours.

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Weeks 1–4

Post-Release

Keep the momentum and learn from the data.

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Pair this with

Release Date Optimizer

Find the best release date for your genre

Marketing Plan Generator

Week-by-week launch marketing plan

Press Release Generator

Generate the press kit in 60 seconds

Artist Growth Score

Score your Spotify profile out of 100

How we built this

The deadlines, sources, and how we built this.

Stack the deck on launch day

Pair the checklist with a Chartlex audit + algorithmic streaming campaign.

Real streams during the editorial window — pushes saves, fuels Discover Weekly, and turns Day-1 activity into the algorithmic signal that compounds for months.

Get a free audit