The release week playbook
Seven days, in order. Skip a step and the week leaks.
Set the week up before it starts
Treat release week as the week of audience communication, not the moment to begin distribution. Confirm your distributor's delivery requirements and schedule before announcing a date. Make a release folder with the final audio, cover, artist and track names, credits, permissions and links. Test the assets on the phone you will use to post them. If a store link is not available yet, keep a clear landing page ready and update it when the release is live.
Days one to three: give people a reason to listen
Choose one specific detail from the song: a lyric, an unusual sound, the place it was written, or a performance choice. Build a short clip around that detail and write a caption that adds context. Use a second post to develop the story rather than repeating ‘coming soon.’ Invite one action, such as saving the date or hearing a preview. A pre-save is optional; only offer it when the destination works and the request suits the audience.
Release day: check the listening journey
Open the public links yourself and confirm the artist name, version, cover and playback destination. Put the working link in the places your listeners already use. Publish the strongest performance or song excerpt with a clear invitation to listen. Reserve time to answer real replies. If a service is late, point people to the destinations that are available and update the page when the missing link arrives. An accurate message is more useful than a universal launch claim.
Days five to seven: offer another way in
Follow with material that gives the song a different context: an acoustic take, an explanation of a line, a rehearsal excerpt or a close look at the sound. Thank listeners without inventing a milestone. Keep one simple record of what you posted, which link it used and the response you could observe. Compare listening actions and meaningful replies separately from views. Use those observations to choose the next piece of content, rather than reposting the same announcement indefinitely.
A concrete release packet
For a single, a workable packet could include the final master, an instrumental if you have one, the cover, one portrait, a short factual artist bio, credits, a one-sentence description, a performance clip and a list of verified listening links. Mark draft files clearly and keep the final exports separate. The readiness planner below helps organize the decisions; the registry preparation guide explains how to preserve a record of the exact files when registration is part of your process.
Registering before the teaser
The Before step registers two works, the master and the artwork, and each is its own file with its own fingerprint. File the exact exports you will release: the registry fingerprints the bytes, and a re-export, even with identical settings, can produce a different file. The registry's checklist lists works you are about to release as safe to publish; if the audio has to stay private until release day, settle where the file is hosted before you upload it. Save the asset hash and the transaction link with the release assets.
Tools for the week
- Preparing a Work for RegistrationFor the Before step: the five-minute pre-flight. File frozen and backed up, splits agreed in writing, samples and exclusivity checked, hosting decided, metadata staged.
- Suede AI Distro: Independent Music DistributionAlso for the Before step: a free release planner, no account required, builds a release-readiness packet and a royalty setup map ahead of delivery through supported partners.