Updated: November 2026 · Diskover team
Quick answer: to prepare a music release properly you need about 6 weeks: finish the master and artwork in week 1, upload the song to your distributor in week 2, pitch in Spotify for Artists as soon as the song appears, and spend weeks 3 to 5 creating content and warming up your audience. Week 6 is release week, and what you do in the following 7 days matters as much as release day itself.
At Diskover we see hundreds of releases from independent artists every week. The ones that work are almost never the ones released “because the song was ready”: they’re the ones with a plan. This is the guide we give our artists to prepare a single step by step, with a 6-week timeline you can copy as is.
Why 6 weeks (and not 3 days)
With Diskover you can have your song on Spotify in less than 24 hours, which is very useful when you’re in a hurry. But uploading fast isn’t the same as releasing well. With time on your side you gain three things:
- Editorial pitch: Spotify only lets you put songs forward to its editors before the release date, and asks you to do it at least 7 days ahead so the song also lands in your followers’ Release Radar.
- Content: you need photos, vertical videos and a Canvas before the release, not after.
- A warm audience: the algorithm looks at how people respond in the first few days. If you reach release day with your audience primed, you start with an advantage.
The 6-week release timeline
| Week | Goal | Key tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (−6) | Finish the product | Final master, 3000×3000 artwork, credits and split sheet signed |
| 2 (−5) | Distribute | Upload to your distributor with a release date, metadata checked, ISRC |
| 3 (−4) | Pitch and profiles | Pitch in Spotify for Artists, profiles updated, content plan |
| 4 (−3) | Produce content | Music video or visualizer shoot, press photos, vertical clips |
| 5 (−2 y −1) | Warm up | Teasers, pre-save, creator collaborations, outreach to media and playlists |
| 6 (0) | Release and push | Release, stories, replying to comments, tracking data |
Week 1: really finish the song
Before setting a date, the song has to be finished: mix approved, final master and artwork at 3000×3000 pixels, with no platform logos or links. Use this time to put in writing who did what and what percentage each writer is owed. If you still need to record or mix something, artists on the Unlimited or PRO plan get 10% off at Diskover Studios.
Week 2: upload the song with a release date
Upload the song to your distributor with the release date already set, not “as soon as possible”. Carefully check the artist name, featurings, genre and whether it has explicit content: a metadata error can send your song to another artist’s profile. If it’s your first time, there’s a step-by-step in our guide how to upload music to Spotify.
Fridays are still the most common release day worldwide, but it isn’t mandatory. What matters is that on the day you choose you can give 100% to your socials.
Week 3: editorial pitch and up-to-date profiles
As soon as the song shows up in Spotify for Artists as an upcoming release, send the pitch. Describe the genre, mood, instruments, the story behind the song and your promotion plan. You can only put forward one song per release, so choose the best one. We explain it in detail in how to pitch in Spotify for Artists.
Also take the chance to update your photo, bio and header image on Spotify, Apple Music and Instagram. If you’re releasing an EP or album and have at least 3,000 active monthly listeners, you can create a Countdown Page on Spotify to collect pre-saves inside the app (it isn’t available for singles yet).
Week 4: produce all the content in one go
A single well-planned shoot day gives you material for the whole release: music video or visualizer, Spotify Canvas (a 3–8 second looping vertical video), press photos and 10 to 15 short clips for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. At the Diskover Creative film set in Madrid, Unlimited and PRO artists also get 10% off.
Week 5: warm up your audience
- Post teasers with snippets of the song and tell the story behind it.
- Share a pre-save link and pin the date in your bio.
- Reach out to blogs, local radio and independent playlist curators with a short note and the private link.
- Get content creators involved: with ZYNK Creators you can launch micro-influencer campaigns that use your song in their videos, also with 10% off if you’re on Unlimited or PRO.
Week 6: release day and the 7 days after
On release day share the link on all your socials, ask your people to save the song and add it to their playlists, and reply to every comment. But don’t stop there: during the following week post daily, check in Spotify for Artists which sources your streams come from and double down on the clip that performs best. Many songs take off in the second or third week thanks to content, not on day one.
And never buy streams or get into “promos” that promise thousands of plays. Spotify detects artificial activity and can take the song down and withhold earnings.
Mistakes we see often (and how to avoid them)
- Releasing without a date: without lead time there’s no editorial pitch and no guaranteed Release Radar.
- Badly written metadata: a wrongly entered featuring creates duplicate profiles or mixes your music with another artist’s.
- Improvised content: if you still don’t have videos on release day, you’re late.
- Disappearing after the release: the first week is the beginning, not the end.
- Unsigned splits: settling percentages after release always causes problems.
How Diskover helps you with every release
Diskover is an independent distributor with offices in Madrid (calle Luis I, 86). We release on Spotify in less than 24 hours, and if you have any questions about metadata, the date or the pitch, a person from the team answers you, fast and with no bots.
And your music is safe: if you ever stop paying for your plan, we don’t delete it. It moves to the free plan with an 80/20 split and keeps earning. If you want to see how much your release could generate, use our Spotify royalty calculator.
Got a song ready? Start distributing your music with Diskover and prepare your next release in good time.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I upload a song to my distributor?
Ideally between 4 and 6 weeks before the release date. That way you can pitch in Spotify for Artists with time to spare and prepare your content. With Diskover the song can be on Spotify in less than 24 hours if you need it, but with time the release performs better.
How many days before release should I pitch on Spotify?
Spotify asks you to send it at least 7 days before release so the song also reaches your followers’ Release Radar. The sooner you send it, the more time editors have to listen.
What day of the week is best to release a song?
Friday is the most common release day worldwide, but it isn’t mandatory. Choose a day when you can fully focus on promoting the song on social media.
What content do I need before releasing a single?
At minimum, the artwork, a Spotify Canvas, press photos and several vertical clips for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. If you can, add a music video or visualizer for YouTube.
Does Diskover delete my music if I stop paying?
No. If you stop paying for your plan, Diskover doesn’t delete your music: it moves it to the free plan with an 80/20 split and you keep getting paid for your streams.
