Release Checklist: All you need to Know

As you approach the release of a song or album, the preparation phase is crucial for ensuring success. Every artist, regardless of experience, must follow key steps to transition from a rushed process to a well-planned release. However, identifying these steps and important details can be challenging.

To help, Matchfy has created a comprehensive checklist that guides you through each phase of your release. This practical guide covers everything from preparing promotional materials and choosing the right launch timing to managing digital platforms and promoting on social media.

By following these steps, you can optimize every aspect of your release, increasing your chances of success.

Whether it's your first single or a full album, having a clear and organized plan will empower you to approach the release with confidence.

Song Preparation

Your song or album should be ready at least a month before its release, meaning it should already be recorded, mixed, and mastered.

Make sure your WAV and MP3 files have the right metadata to facilitate sharing, such as radio programming.

Copyright elements

Your music should always be protected by copyright. Each song or album generates two different types of royalties: Songwriting Royalties (register your song with your country's copyright organization) and Mechanical Royalties (register your song with your country's music licensing company).

It’s important to prepare everything before the release, considering all the people who contributed to the creation of your track and establishing the percentages to avoid future issues.

Create a Visual Idenitity

Your artwork should be ready along with your song, and it should be eye-catching to grab the listeners' attention visually. It's the first thing the audience sees, even before hearing the track, so it’s essential that it reflects your genre and the essence of the song. If possible, hire a professional—focusing on quality is important, as high-quality artwork will make your song or album feel equally professional.

It’s also useful to prepare promotional photos, and once again, we recommend always focusing on quality. The same applies to videos: the music video for your song will fully immerse the listener in your world, allowing them to experience your track in a more complete and intimate way. Visual content is a fundamental part of how we consume music.

Prepare your artwork, using JPG or PNG files in a 1:1 ratio, and other visual content for distribution on streaming platforms and promotion on social networks, both before and after the release.

Once everything's ready, it's time to create a:

Pre-save Link

A pre-save link is a connection that allows users to "save" a song or album in advance on their preferred streaming platforms, such as Spotify or Apple Music, before the official release date. When users click the link and authorize the save, the song or album will automatically be added to their libraries or playlists as soon as it becomes available. This tool is useful for creating anticipation and increasing the number of listens at the time of release.

If you want to know more about the creation of this kind of links Read our full article about it!

Music Distribution

If you have never released music before, you will need to choose a distributor to help get your music on various streaming platforms.

You should send your music at least 2-3 weeks before the release because, if there's any inconvenience, the distributor may not accept your song.

The terms of different distributors vary from case to case;

there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so it’s up to you to choose, and it’s best to get it right the first time to avoid having to change it later.

Matchfy also offers this service: Matchfy.io Distribution is the platform for independent artists and agencies that allows you to publish your music on over 150 streaming and download platforms worldwide, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, YouTube Music, and many more! With our platform, you have complete control over every aspect of your distribution; you can publish your music independently and in just a few simple steps, without the need for intermediaries, while retaining 95% of the royalties.

Release Day

It's release day!

It's important to publish a video or a post reminding your audience about your release, sharing the link across all your social platforms, and encouraging your fans to listen and share it in turn.

Conclusion

After all these steps, there's one last thing to worry about: if you want to spread your music to a bigger audience, you should pay attention to promotion too: there are multiple ways to do it, and platform like ours that helps you promote your music in a organic way, entering many playlists based on your genre and also promoting your music throughout social media!

Press the button down below to discover more about Matchfy.