When you’ve put all your effort into creating a song or album, poured out all your emotions in the studio and then created an amazing music video or artwork, it’s time for release day!
Some people find release day the most exciting thing ever. Some are consumed in self-doubt and can’t bear to look at their track on the stores. Some are somewhere in the middle.
Regardless of what category of response you have to putting your special track out into the world, the next step is executing your promotional plan (more on that in another post). It’s all about being prepared. The more prepared you are, the more likely you’ll see streams, listeners and followers appearing. Of course, it’s never that simple, but here’s 3 quick tips to help you get ready for release day, manage your emotions, and then stay on top once your music is live.
- Refresh your artist profiles on stores
First, make sure your artist profile is up to date with a killer avatar/profile image, an updated bio, and be sure that your Social Media profiles are linked through and working! - Reach out to Blogs, Influencers and Radio
Write up a short press release and get in touch with relevant blogs and media influencers. Getting a feature or premiere on the likes of the Line of Best Fit or Complex UK is goldust when it comes to a release, and can help you bag lots of new fans who are into the same sort of music that you’re making. Be sure to upload to BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and Fresh on the Net through their uploader portals. If you’re unsure of which blogs to contact, SubmitHub is a brilliant inexpensive way of sending your release to bloggers, influencers and third-party Spotify playlisters. - Pitch your release for editorial playlists
This is an absolute must if you’ve already released a track and have access to Spotify for Artists. If you can bag a good editorial playlist (the playlists Spotify curate themselves), that could make all the difference to your release and even your career trajectory! Their tool is very easy to use: find the release on your Spotify for Artists dashboard, click through, add details and a short pitch, and you’re good to go. If you’re with a bigger distributor, be sure to use their links to pitch to Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music and TIDAL.
With these three steps, you should be in a strong position to keep growing your fanbase, but most importantly – keeping you happy and positive about the hard work that lies ahead! Remember, one release isn’t everything. It’s about consistency, continuity and quality of the course of a campaign.