How to Prepare Your Next Music Release: A 7-Step Guide for Independent Artists 🎵
Hey SoundBirthers 👋
Want to release a new song? Don’t wait until release day to start preparing. A successful music release involves much more than uploading a track to Spotify and other streaming platforms. Independent artists can build more momentum by planning their release date, preparing content, setting up links, and starting promotion before the song goes live.
This guide gives you a simple music release checklist to help you prepare your next song and give it the strongest possible start.
When should you start preparing a music release?
Ideally, start preparing your release several weeks before your chosen release date.
Your exact timeline will depend on the project, but giving yourself more time means you can properly prepare your artwork, promotional content, pre-save campaign, distribution and release strategy.
The key principle is simple:
Release day should be the moment your campaign comes alive — not the moment your preparation begins.
Here are seven steps to help you get ready.
1. Choose the right song 🎵
The first step is deciding which track you want to release.
If you have several songs ready, don’t automatically choose the newest one. Think about which track best represents where you are as an artist right now.
Ask yourself:
- Which song am I most proud of?
- Which track best represents my current sound?
- Is this a good introduction to my music for someone discovering me for the first time?
- Does this song fit the direction I want to take my project?
- Do I already have enough material to support the release with content?
Your next release doesn’t have to be your biggest song ever.
It should be a song you believe in — and one you’re ready to support properly.
2. Choose a realistic release date 📅
Once you’ve selected your song, choose a release date that gives you enough time to prepare.
A music release involves several moving parts:
- Music distribution
- Cover artwork
- Artist assets
- Social media content
- Teasers and short-form videos
- Pre-save or pre-release links
- Playlist pitching
- Promotion
- Communication with your audience
Trying to organize all of this a few days before release can make the process unnecessarily stressful.
Instead, work backward from your release date.
For example:
Release day → promotion → content → artwork → distribution → preparation
The exact schedule will vary depending on your project, but the earlier you start, the more flexibility you have.
3. Prepare your release assets 🎨
Your song is the heart of the release, but it’s not the only thing people will see.
Prepare the visual and promotional assets you’ll need ahead of time.
This can include:
Cover artwork
Make sure your artwork is ready and suitable for the platforms where your music will be distributed.
Artist photos
Updated photos can help keep your artist profiles and promotional content consistent.
Short-form videos
Think beyond one announcement post.
Prepare several pieces of content that you can use across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Teasers
A short preview of your song can give your audience a first taste before the full release.
Behind-the-scenes content
Studio sessions, songwriting stories, recording moments and personal stories can make the release feel more human.
You don’t need dozens of assets.
You simply want to avoid reaching release week and realizing that the only content you have is the album cover. 😅
4. Start promoting before release day 👀
One of the most important principles of music promotion is that you don’t have to wait until your song is available to start talking about it.
Your audience can discover the story behind the song before they can stream it.
You could:
- Share a song snippet
- Post a behind-the-scenes video
- Explain what inspired the track
- Show part of the recording process
- Ask your audience about the song
- Share the artwork
- Create a countdown
- Announce the release date
The objective isn’t to publish the same announcement repeatedly.
It’s to build curiosity and recognition over time.
When release day arrives, people should already know that something is coming.
5. Set up your pre-save link 🔗
If you’re planning a digital music release, make it easy for people to find your song.
A pre-save campaign can allow listeners to save an upcoming release before it becomes available.
Once your song is live, a Smart Link can give your audience a single destination from which they can access the release on different streaming platforms.
This is particularly useful when your audience is spread across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and other services.
With SoundBirth, artists can create pre-save links (becoming smart link automatically when the release goes live) as part of their release preparation.
The principle is simple:
One audience → one easy destination → multiple streaming platforms.
6. Plan your promotion strategy 📣
Publishing your song is only one part of releasing music.
The next question is:
How are people going to discover it?
Before your release goes live, think about the channels you can realistically use.
For example:
Social media
Choose the platforms where your audience is already active and create content specifically for those environments.
Playlists and pitching
Think about relevant playlists, curators and opportunities to put your music in front of new listeners.
Your existing community
Your current listeners can be some of your most valuable supporters.
Give them something to share.
Music promotion tools
Depending on your release and goals, tools and services can help you increase your reach and create additional promotional opportunities.
SoundBirth brings several artist tools together in one place, including music distribution, Smart Links, pre-save links and promotional opportunities.
The important thing is to choose a strategy you can actually execute.
A simple plan you follow consistently is better than a huge plan you abandon after three days.
7. Give your release a clear objective 🎯
Finally, decide what success means for this particular release.
It doesn’t always have to be a streaming number.
Your objective could be:
- Reach new listeners
- Grow your audience
- Generate more saves
- Increase social engagement
- Get playlist placements
- Introduce a new musical direction
- Test a new type of content
- Build momentum for an upcoming EP or album
Having a clear objective makes it easier to decide what to do before, during and after release day.
It also gives you something meaningful to analyze afterwards.
Your music release checklist ✅
Before your next song goes live, make sure you’ve covered the basics:
☐ Choose your track
☐ Set a realistic release date
☐ Prepare your cover artwork
☐ Update your artist assets
☐ Create promotional content
☐ Prepare teasers and short-form videos
☐ Set up your pre-save
☐ Create your Smart Link
☐ Plan your promotion
☐ Decide what success looks like
You don’t need a huge team or a massive budget to prepare a professional music release.
You need time, organization and a clear plan.
What should you do on release day?
Release day is when your preparation turns into action.
Make sure your music is available, your links work, your audience knows where to listen, and your promotional content is ready to go.
But don’t stop there.
A release is a process, not a single day.
Continue sharing your music, engaging with listeners, testing different content and looking at your results after the release.
That’s how one release can become the foundation for the next one.
Ready to prepare your next release? 🚀
SoundBirth gives independent artists the tools they need to manage and promote their music — from distribution and Smart Links to pre-save campaigns and promotional opportunities.
Your next song deserves more than an upload.
Give it a plan. Give it time. Give it a chance to be discovered.
And most importantly:
Don’t wait until release day to start. 🎶
This is only Part 2 of the September Artist Reset.
Next, we’ll look at the next challenge for independent artists:
How do you actually get people excited about your release?
Until then, keep creating, keep planning and keep moving forward. 🖤
Your next release starts now.
Martin, COO of SoundBirth
& The Amazing SoundBirth Team 💜