Release strategy: the 6 months before the drop

Independent artists we work with often think of a release as a single event: hit publish, hope it lands. That's a recipe for failure. A successful release is a 6-month build.

M-6 to M-4 — Stance and identity

Before talking about the single, the visual and sonic identity needs to be solid. What do you look like? What's your one-line pitch? Your 3 references? We audit the accounts (bio, feed, highlights), align the AD, and set the stage so new visitors get who you are in 5 seconds.

M-3 — Pre-save and first teaser

Now we get tactical. Spotify pre-save link, a 9:16 video snippet built for TikTok/Reels, a mailing list opening up. Goal: collect the first real interest signals and identify who's engaging.

M-2 — Editorial DSP pitching

Spotify requires a minimum of 4 weeks to pitch a single to its editorial team via Spotify for Artists. Apple uses a similar window. It's non-negotiable. We prep the pitch: description, mood, cultural context, comparables, audience data.

M-1 — Press, premieres, paid teaser

At 4 weeks, we approach the press. Outlets need lead time to slot a premiere or a feature. In parallel, we run a paid teaser to warm up the audience that'll see the single on launch day.

Launch day — and beyond

• Spotify Canvas + shared link across EVERY account
• Paid push on the pre-save audience in the first 6 hours
• Live or Q&A on launch day to spark organic buzz
• Daily stats tracking for the first 14 days — the key window

A release isn't a sprint. It's a build. And the build is what we operate.