Checklist · Releases
The Music Release Checklist: 8 Weeks Out to Drop Day
May 27, 2026 · 6 min read
This is the actual checklist we run with Mikewavs clients — independent artists and small labels — for a single or EP release. Adjust dates for a full album (add 4 weeks); the structure stays the same.
8 weeks out — pre-production
- Final masters and metadata locked
- Cover art delivered in print and digital sizes
- Distributor upload (DistroKid, UnitedMasters, Symphonic, etc.) scheduled
- Smart link (Linkfire / Feature.fm) created for pre-save
- Content shoot booked — visualizer, BTS, vertical clips
6 weeks out — assets
- All vertical clips edited (10–15 of them, not 3)
- Press release and EPK updated with the new song
- Pre-save link tested on iOS + Android + desktop
- Email and SMS subscribers tagged for this rollout
4 weeks out — announce
- Announce post with cover art, date, pre-save link
- Editorial pitch to distributor (3 weeks minimum before release)
- Curator outreach via SubmitHub / Groover starts
- First email to list — exclusive snippet or behind-the-scenes
2 weeks out — pressure
- Daily short-form content from the shoot
- Paid test ($5–10/day) on the highest-performing organic clip
- Tour / show announces aligned to release week if possible
- Second email — pre-save reminder + the story behind the song
Release week
- Monday: warm-up post, last pre-save push
- Wednesday: short visualizer or lyric clip drops
- Friday (release day): full visualizer, smart link post, email + SMS blast, story takeover
- Saturday/Sunday: react-to-fans content, repost the best fan posts
Week +1 — momentum
- Scale paid budget behind whichever creative converted in week one
- Pitch any earned editorial / press now (algorithmic playlists are still warm)
- Capture stats for the post-mortem doc (saves, listeners, signups, sales)
- Schedule next release announce within 4 weeks to keep cadence
The point of the checklist
Rollouts fail because of missing steps, not bad songs. A boring checklist that you actually run beats a brilliant strategy you forget halfway through.
[ Written by ]
Mike Wavs
Digital strategist for artists, labels, and music teams. Builds direct-to-fan systems, websites, CRM, and release campaigns at Mikewavs. Writes about what's actually working in release marketing.
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