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

1. Monday: warm-up post, last pre-save push
2. Wednesday: short visualizer or lyric clip drops
3. Friday (release day): full visualizer, smart link post, email + SMS blast, story takeover
4. 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.