
Artist Release Checklist
So, you’re just about to release your song. Good on you! Here’s a few handy tips we’ve put together. Remember, MANY artists do things differently and in a different order (you do you!) but it’s a handy checklist of things you could do that will make it really POP!
ASSETS, ASSETS, ASSETS.
SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS OUT
As well as your mixed and mastered song, make sure you have all your assets ready to go and a timeline mapped out. This includes:
☐ A new press image. This will be your ‘hero’ image for the single campaign and posted across all your social media platforms, including in your bio and in your press release.
☐ Single/ EP/album artwork.
☐ Create a shareable online drive on Dropbox or Google Drive. Put your bio, press image, lyrics, WAV and MP3 files in there.
☐ Upload and create a ‘private’ Soundcloud link for your track to share with selected people before it’s released.
☐ Create and format an updated artist bio for your project. It's great to have a short version (200 words) and a long version (up to 500 words) available.
☐ Form an idea of the 'message' you want to convey about this new piece of work (just a few sentences!). What are the themes? What do the lyrics mean to you? What do you want people to know about?
SOCIAL MEDIA
☐ Put together a schedule of social media content you will release during your campaign.
☐ Create any additional content (e.g. cover images for different platforms/event page headers for tours and tour posters). Think about video content for TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Begin banking it in a folder for roll out time.
☐ Make a website and email newsletter. We recommend Linktree, milkshake, Squarespace, Shopify, music glue or wix for your website. Use Mailchimp to e-mail fans.
☐ Make sure you have created profiles across: YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, IG, Facebook.
☐ Use Meta Business Manager to schedule posts on Facebook and Instagram, this will make your life easier.
☐ Make your username and branding uniform across all platforms – that way, it will be easier to find you.
☐ If you’re already established on social media, let people know you’re working on something new.
PREPARE FOR RELEASE
FOUR WEEKS OUT
☐ By this point, you really need to have decided on a concrete release date. You will need to upload your music so its delivered to stores in time for release day. Allow a minimum of 10 days for this process - more if you can!
☐ We can deliver your song to online stores for you and also transfer your existing catalogue across. Find out more HERE.
☐ If you've already submitted and made a mistake, you can contact support through your artist dashboard.
☐ Register your tracks with your chosen performance and mechanical rights organization in your territory. You can find a list of organizations HERE. You’ll need your ISRC code for this - it’s an intentionally recognized tracking code for music. You will be issued one when you upload your music.
TWO WEEKS OUT
☐ You can look up some potential blogs and playlists by visiting Submithub or Groover. You might want to try to lock in a premiere for your track at this time, and contact any other press contacts you have to get coverage for the song. Be aware of engaging ‘Pay For Play’ services that guarantee streams as you may be flagged for artificial streaming.
☐ Pitch your track for editorial playlists via the Spotify for Artists pitching tool and Amazon for Artists pitching tool.
☐ First timer? If you don't have a Spotify for Artist's account yet, ask your distributor for a link.
☐ This is a good time to market your Spotify pre-save and share it on your channels.
☐ It's also a really good time to do a digital audit of all of your DSP and social channels and update anything you can. An A-Z guide on updating your profile on a whole bunch of digital channels can be found here.
TEASE RELEASE
ONE WEEK OUT
☐ Tease the release date with a post on your social media channels. If there’s a video, share a snippet. Share a story about the track or the single/album artwork.
☐ Upload a Spotify Canvas video for your track. This is the vertical loopable video that shows when you play a song via Spotify on
your phone. More info HERE. Hot tip: Make your Spotify Canvas 7.5 seconds as it will loop twice on Instagram stories when you share it.
☐ Share your pre-save Linkfire on your social media channels. If you need help finding this, we can help!
☐ Update your bios and profile picture to your new press image across your social media platforms and Spotify.
☐ Have you got a full length music video? Set up a YouTube premiere and make sure your channel is optimized for launch. See all our YouTube tips HERE.
☐ Promote your release on TikTok.
GET SHARING
DAY OF RELEASE
☐ Your smartURL will rescan on release day and provide links to all major streaming platforms. Share your Linkfire to multiple platforms. Add the link to your bio on socials.
☐ Post your track everywhere you can think of. If you have a database of fan emails, send it their way.
☐ Register your lyrics on Genius.com - you can also apply to become a verified artist on Genius
☐ Register your lyrics on Musixmatch - this is the site that pulls lyrics for instagram stories.
☐ Post on Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Not sure what to post? Follow a few artists you admire and see what they're posting. Use the delivered audio on-platform to create video to share your release. The more organic and naturally "you" the better.
☐ You can also post the same content across all three platforms, don't tire yourself out creating content for each one. Try to post as often as you can, using delivered audio for at least two weeks following your release.
☐ Push for people to follow your Spotify Profile.
☐ Sign into for Spotify for Artists, Apple for Artists, and Chartmetric to check if you have been added to any playlists and check your streaming analytics in your GYROstream dashboard. If you have some wins, share the good news on social media - be sure to tag and say thanks.
☐ Make your new release a ‘priority track’ on Spotify. You can do this via your Spotify for Artists page.
☐ Keep an eye on your socials. Be sure to thank as many people as you can who engage with your track.
☐ Update your YouTube channel. Make sure you update your bio, have links to all your social media profiles listed and if you're posting a video for your song, make sure you include heaps of meta tags.
☐ Create an artist playlist to sit on your profile on Spotify and make it your "artist pick". Include songs that inspire you and your own songs as well.
☐ Celebrate anniversaries on socials. Has it been one week or one month since your release? Post about it and reengage your fans.
☐ Gather up a ‘bragging’ sheet for your project. Choose your best ‘wins’ and compile them into a document. These could be reviews, notable radio plays, media quotes, info about playlists you have been on or other notable things you’ve done. use this as a tool for when you contact other industry professionals about your music such as booking agents, managers, and publishers.