How to Release a Song: The Checklist for Independent Artists

To release a song, finish the master and the artwork, then send the song to a music distributor about four weeks before your release date. The distributor delivers it to Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, Boomplay and the other apps. While you wait, pitch the song to Spotify's editors at least seven days before release, set up a pre-save link and record the short videos you will post. Most releases go out on a Friday.

The full checklist follows, week by week. It includes the parts most first-time artists miss, like codes, credits, making your song usable on TikTok and getting paid for the songwriting as well as the recording.

Before you start: is the song ready?

A song is ready to release when you would be happy for a stranger to hear it next to the biggest song in your genre. That means a finished mix and master, not a demo.

Ask yourself two honest questions. Would you play this to a DJ or a label manager today without apologising for the sound? Do you have at least a few weeks of time, and some money, to promote it after it comes out? If either answer is no, it is better to wait a month than to release a song that nobody hears.

If your artist image or voice is made with AI, read Spotify's rules first. Spotify now labels some AI-made artists as "AI Personas" and does not recommend them to listeners who don't already follow them (Spotify, 11 August 2026).

The release checklist, week by week

Four or more weeks before release

• Export the final master as a WAV file (16-bit, 44.1 kHz or higher). Some distributors reject MP3s, and a WAV always gives the apps the best-quality file.
• Make square cover art of 3000 by 3000 pixels. That is the safe size, because Apple Music asks for at least that. Check your distributor's own rules too.
• Pick your distributor. A distributor is the company that delivers your song to the streaming apps and collects your recording money. Well-known examples include DistroKid, TuneCore, Ditto and ONErpm. Compare what each one charges, how fast it pays and whether it takes a cut of your royalties. Many charge in dollars, so check that your card works for foreign payments before you choose.
• Write down your credits. Every writer, producer and featured artist, spelt exactly as they want, with each writer's share of the song agreed in writing. Arguments about splits after a song blows up are common and painful.
• Upload the song and fill in the details carefully. Artist name, song title, genre, featured artists, songwriter names and release date. One spelling mistake can put your song on another artist's profile.
• Set the release date for a Friday. Friday has been the music industry's global release day since 2015, and most playlists refresh around it (Music Business Worldwide).
• Tick TikTok, Instagram and Facebook in your distributor's list of stores, so people can use your song in their videos. If you skip this, there is no sound to push.
• Decide on YouTube Content ID. It earns money from fan videos that use your song, but it can also block them, so think about it before a TikTok or dance push.
• Add your lyrics. Many distributors can send them to Spotify and Apple Music, which helps people find the song by searching a line.
• Get your codes. Each recording needs an ISRC, the song's ID number for counting streams. The release also gets a UPC, its product barcode. Most distributors give you both for free during upload.

Three weeks before release

• Claim your artist profiles. Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists, the Audiomack Creator app and Boomplay all have tools for artists. Add a real photo and a short bio.
• Pitch to Spotify's editors. Spotify asks for the pitch at least 7 days before release, and pitching on time also puts the song on your followers' Release Radar (Spotify for Artists). Pitch as soon as the song shows up in your dashboard. Earlier gives the editors more time to listen.
• Register the song for songwriting royalties. Streams pay for the recording through your distributor, and separately for the song itself, the words and melody, through a publishing administrator. Many artists only ever collect the first. SD Publishing collects the second for you.

Two weeks before release

• Set up a pre-save or smart link, one link that opens the song in every app, so fans can save it before it comes out.
• Record your short videos: ten to fifteen clips. Our guide on how to promote your music shows what to film.
• Upload a Spotify Canvas, the short looping video that plays behind the song, and update your Audiomack and Boomplay profiles.
• Update your press kit (EPK): a short bio, two press photos, your best links and a contact email.
• Announce the date. Post the cover art and the release date, then remind people every few days.
• Write your press release and your message to DJs and playlists. Keep it short: who you are, what the song is about, why now, and the link.

Release week

• On release morning, open every app and check that the song is live, on the right profile, with the right artwork and credits. Tell your distributor at once if anything is wrong.
• Post your strongest clip first, then share the smart link everywhere and update every bio.
• Send your list: DJs, bloggers, influencers, friends and fans, each with a personal message.
• Ask fans to save the song, not just play it. Saves tell the apps that people want to hear the song again.

After release

• Keep promoting for six to eight weeks. This is where most songs are won or lost. Our guide on how to promote your music covers this part step by step.
• Check your numbers once a week in the artist apps: saves, playlist adds and where your listeners are.
• Plan the next release. Many independent artists aim for a new single every four to eight weeks, with the next two songs already finished.

How to release your first song

Your first song needs everything on the checklist above, plus some groundwork first, because nobody is waiting for it yet. These steps make the difference.

1. Choose a name people can find. Search your artist name on Spotify, Instagram and Google before you commit. If someone else already uses it, change it now, while it costs nothing. Spell it the same way everywhere, because a fan who searches and finds the wrong artist rarely tries again.
2. Set up your profiles before the song is out. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube at least, with the same name, photo and short bio. Your distributor will create your streaming profiles when the song is delivered; claim them as soon as they appear.
3. Start posting four to six weeks early. People should meet you before they meet the song: your voice, your story, rehearsals, snippets. A first release with no audience waiting has nothing to land on.
4. Release a single, not an album. A single gives you one clear thing to promote, and it shows you how people react before you spend more.
5. Set a small, honest budget. Keep money aside for promotion, not just for the recording. Even a modest push in the right place does more than a big launch post that nobody sees.
6. Treat it as a test. A first song rarely blows up, and that is normal. Watch what worked, which clip, which platform, which city, and use it to plan the next one.

Our step-by-step guide on packaging your first release like an industry rollout goes deeper.

Releasing an EP or album instead of a single

An EP or album needs a longer runway. Start the timeline six to eight weeks before release, and put out one or two singles from the project first, so people already know a song when the full project lands. Each single gets its own pitch and its own release week. Then the project release becomes a reason to talk about the singles again.

Common mistakes when releasing a song

• Uploading a week before release. That leaves no time for the Spotify pitch, and any delivery problem moves your release date.
• Wrong or missing credits. It causes lost royalties and arguments later.
• No content ready. Release day arrives and there is nothing to post after the cover art.
• Stopping after release week. The song gets one week of attention, then disappears.
• Buying cheap "guaranteed" streams. Spotify says paid services that promise streams break its rules and can get your music removed (Spotify for Artists).

How much does it cost to release a song?

Releasing the song can cost very little: some distributors are free to start, and others charge a yearly fee. The real cost is the music itself (recording, mixing, mastering, artwork) and the promotion after release.

If you plan to pay for promotion, see what each platform costs on our music promotion in Nigeria page. At SounDisruptr, Spotify, Audiomack and TikTok promotion starts from ₦150,000.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I upload my song?

Upload it three to four weeks before release. Spotify needs your pitch at least 7 days before release, and the song has to be delivered before you can pitch it.

What day should I release a song?

Friday. It is the global release day for new music, and most editorial playlists are updated around it.

Do I need a distributor to release a song?

Yes, for the big streaming apps. Spotify and Apple Music take songs from distributors, not straight from artists. Some apps, like Audiomack, also let you upload directly.

How do I get paid when my song is streamed?

Your distributor pays you for the recording. For the songwriting, you need a publishing administrator or a collecting society. Without one, that part of your money stays uncollected. For Apple Music specifically, see how much Apple Music pays per stream.

Can I change the release date after uploading?

Usually, yes, through your distributor, but changes close to release day can cause problems. It is safer to pick a date with four weeks to spare.

Your next step

Count back four weeks from the Friday you want, and put each part of this checklist in your calendar. If you would rather have a team plan the release with you, start here. SounDisruptr has worked with over 216 artists and has trained more than 5,000 through SD Academy.