Release Plan for Your Single: A Timeline From Six Weeks Out to After Release

Start with the fixed deadlines

Before you put anything in the calendar, write down the deadlines you cannot change. At OGRECORDS^™ the release date has to be at least five business days after the upload. If you want to use our playlist pitching, the song has to be submitted no later than 21 days before release. And Spotify for Artists only accepts a pitch to its editorial team if there are still at least seven days until release.

That leads to the most important rule: five business days is the minimum, not the plan. If you want to pitch, you need the finished upload at least three weeks before release, ideally four, so there is still room for corrections. You can read more about planning on our release plan page.

Six to four weeks out: finish everything and upload

This is when the song becomes a release. Master, artwork, credits and splits should be done. Then you pick the date. Most releases worldwide come out on a Friday, and Spotify's New Music Friday is updated on Fridays too. You do not have to follow that, but a Friday is a safe default. You choose the time and time zone in the wizard, and the default is midnight Berlin time.

Then actually upload the release instead of just preparing it. The automatic audio check and the review of your details only run once you upload, and only then will you see if anything is missing. A missing lyricist credit or a cover with a social handle costs you an evening now. A week before release it might cost you the date.

Three weeks to one week out: pitch and pre-save

Once you submit, your pre-save is active automatically. Fans who save in advance will have the song in their library on release day. Share the smart link wherever people find you: in your bio, in stories, in your newsletter. Our glossary explains exactly what a pre-save is.

Pitching also falls into this window. For our playlist pitching the song has to be submitted by 21 days before release. It costs €50 per track, and there is no guarantee of a placement. In parallel, pitch the song yourself to Spotify's editors in Spotify for Artists as soon as it appears there as an upcoming release. Use the remaining days to prepare clips and posts for release week.

What you prepare depends on your channels. A short snippet of the strongest part of the song, a clip showing how it came together and a simple post with the cover and date are a solid set. If all of that is ready before release week starts, you can spend that week posting and replying instead of producing.

Release week and release day

The week before release is about reminders, not new ideas. Plan a few posts that point to the date and one for the day itself. Ask the people who worked on the song to share it as well. If you added split partners, they get their invitation once the release has been delivered.

On release day, check in the main apps that the song, cover and artist name display correctly and that the song sits on your profile. It is normal for a song not to appear in every store at exactly the same minute. If you spot a real error, such as a misspelled name, contact support.

After release: the first two weeks

The first numbers come in with a delay. The stores report streams one to three days later, which is why your dashboard still looks empty on release day. If you booked playlist pitching, you get the report on the Monday after release. Until then, avoid drawing conclusions from half the data.

A release plan does not end on release day. Keep posting in the days after, share listener reactions and short snippets of the song. And start planning the next release: if you put out music regularly, every single can point people to the one before. Work backwards from the target date again, with the same fixed deadlines.