Creating a Music Release Plan for Your Single: My Simple Guide

Hey everyone, Steve here! Releasing a song isn't just about clicking "upload" and hoping it goes well—it's about having a good plan to get your music heard. I've learned a lot about this through trial and error, so I'm here to share my steps to a successful song release.

Creating a Release Plan

1. Start With Clear Goals Before doing anything else, I always ask myself, "What do I want from this release?" Maybe I want more fans, more streams, or just some good attention. For example, when the band I manage, Tonight’s Sunshine released "Would You Rather," our goal was getting noticed, so we made plans around that.

   
   

2. Pick the Perfect Release Date Choosing the right day is important. Releasing music around holidays or big events can either boost your song or make it harder to notice. We picked a quiet day for "Would You Rather," and it really helped our song stand out.

   
   

3. Building Excitement Before the Release The weeks before your song drops are key.

   Here's what I usually do:

   
   

   Teasers and Sneak Peeks: I like sharing short clips on TikTok or Instagram stories. It gets people curious!

   Cool Visuals: Great artwork helps a lot. We tried basic designs once, but people didn't pay attention. So now, we stick with eye-catching visuals.

   Pre-Save Campaigns: Setting up pre-save links was super helpful. Fans loved getting special content as a thank-you, making them feel part of the release.

   
   

4. Release Day: Making It Big This is the fun part where everything comes together!

   
   

   Distribution: Get your song everywhere—Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms. Services like DistroKid or TuneCore make it easy.

   Music Video: Videos attract attention. When we made a music video for "Would You Rather," we even got featured in SPIN Magazine!

   Media Outreach: Send short emails or messages to blogs, magazines, and local media. Tell them why your music matters. Personal messages helped us get some great coverage.

   
   

5. After the Release: Keep the Energy Up Your job isn't finished when your song comes out—it's just getting started.

   
   

   Talk to Fans: Respond to comments, shares, or messages. Fans feel valued when you interact with them, making them more likely to support you.

   Check Your Numbers: Pay attention to your streams and who is listening. When we saw more listeners from playlists, we started pitching to even more playlists.

   Playlists and Collaborations: Try to get your song onto playlists or team up with influencers and other artists. It really helps reach new listeners.

   
   

6. Keep the Song Alive Don't let your song fade after the first excitement.

   Alternate Versions: Making remixes or acoustic versions of your song can get new people interested. Our acoustic version brought in a lot of new fans.

   Perform Live: Always play your song in your shows, whether online or live. Each performance brings more listeners.

   Artist Team-ups: Collaborate with other musicians on remixes or shows. Their fans might become your fans too!

Each song release teaches me something new. Don't worry if things aren't perfect—learn from each experience and make your next release even better. You've got this!