Free music release plan template.
A six-week checklist for a single, EP or album that ends on release day: the master and paperwork, press materials, pitching, the announcement, the final checks, release week and the weeks after. A filled-in example plan for a fictional single. Free, no sign-up.
What is inside
- 01
Release
Title, format, release date, distributor and who does what.
- 02
Week 6 before release
Master, artwork, split sheet, metadata and delivery to the distributor.
- 03
Week 5
Bio, press photos, press release, EPK and a media list.
- 04
Week 4
Pitch Spotify’s editors, press and radio; set up a pre-save.
- 05
Week 3
Announce the date and artwork; follow up press once.
- 06
Week 2
Video ready or scheduled as a Premiere; more clips; newsletter.
- 07
Week 1
Check every link; schedule posts and the newsletter.
- 08
Release week
Release-day posts, the video, the newsletter and the launch show.
- 09
After release
Weekly numbers, thank-yous, an updated EPK and a YouTube campaign for the video.
Free download
Download the release plan template
No sign-up and no email: the files download straight away.
Write the pitch with the Spotify playlist pitch template, get the press materials ready with the EPK and music press release templates, and read our single release strategy for the bigger picture.
How to use the template
Write your release date at the top, then count back six weeks and write the date each week starts. Work through the tasks in order and tick them off; delete the ones that do not apply to you and add your own. The plan ends on release day, but the last section covers the weeks after it, when most new listeners find a song. The filled-in example shows the plan for a fictional single.
Six weeks is a working minimum, not a target. If you can deliver the release to your distributor earlier, do: it gives more time for pitching and less room for a metadata mistake to delay the date.
The dates that do not move
- Delivery. The release has to reach the streaming services, through your distributor, before you can pitch it. The template puts delivery in week 6.
- The Spotify pitch. Spotify lets you pitch one unreleased song at a time, and asks you to deliver at least 7 days before release so its editors have time to listen. A song pitched in time is also added to your followers’ Release Radar. The template plans the pitch for week 4.
- Countdown Pages. For an EP or album, Spotify Countdown Pages let fans pre-save from your profile, once the release has been delivered. Singles are not eligible, and you need at least 3,000 monthly active listeners.
- The video. A YouTube Premiere creates a public watch page before the video goes live, so fans can set a reminder and you can share the link in advance.
After release day
A release does not end on the Friday it comes out. Check where listeners come from each week in Spotify for Artists and YouTube Studio, add new coverage and numbers to your EPK and one-sheet, and keep posting clips, live versions and fan reactions. Our pre-save campaign guide and music video release checklist cover two parts of the plan in more depth.
The last step on the plan
The final task on the checklist is the one that keeps a release reaching new people after the first week: running the official video as a YouTube campaign. Our music marketing runs your official video as a YouTube campaign, shown as Google Ads to people who watch similar artists, and publishes an editorial feature about you on one of the publications we work with. Together they start at $249 per release, with a Google Ads report every week. We don’t sell streams or playlist places. The feature is sponsored content, as our disclaimer states.
Frequently asked.
How far in advance should you plan a music release?
At least six weeks for a single, and longer for an EP or album. That leaves time to deliver the release, prepare press materials, pitch editors and press, and announce it before release day.
When should I send my release to my distributor?
As early as you can, and in good time to pitch it: Spotify asks for delivery at least 7 days before release for an editorial pitch. The template puts delivery six weeks out.
When should I pitch my song to Spotify editors?
Once the release shows in Spotify for Artists, and at least 7 days before release. Earlier gives editors more time to listen. You can pitch one unreleased song at a time.
What day should I release music?
Most releases come out on a Friday, the music industry’s global release day. Pick a date you can plan six weeks back from.
What should I do after a song is released?
Keep it in front of new people: post clips and live versions, share coverage, update your EPK with new numbers, check your data weekly, and run the video as a YouTube ad campaign to people who watch similar artists.
Is the template really free?
Yes. The Word file, the PDF guide and the example download straight away, with no sign-up and no email.
Your next release, on YouTube.
A worldwide YouTube campaign plus an editorial feature about you, from $249. Book a free 15-minute call about your release.