Timing is everything
Pick a date to commit! It will take time to set things up for a successful launch. Four to six weeks is a good amount to get some things accomplished. If you are short on time, like you have another job, there is no shame in setting a date even farther out. You will need time to create and write summaries, pitches, make videos and more. If you do not have your basic artwork done, that should be the first order of business, Pick your base colors for your brand, do you have a logo? Brand work is super important. Beyond this you could run a contest for the art for a single or the whole album to engage your fans. Having a dossier somewhat complete before you even set the date will be helpful. You will need to write a pitch and having a full description of your work and this particular project. Consider the timing in that is the release on a holiday that makes sense, for example, is it a patriotic song for Memorial Day? Try not to compete with bigger names who are releases on a particular day.
Technical Items
Make sure you have your music registered with certain publishing agencies. Make sure you are setup to receive all your royalties. The performance Rights Organization is one entity to check out as an example, another one is ASCAP and they can help you get what you deserve.
What is the Actual Goal
What does success look like for you, how will you measure this? Would growing your social media account be a successful measure? Is it in-person audience you would like to increase? Are you selling merch and are you ready for that? How long will it take to print T-shirts, stickers or hats? Will you sell CDs eventually or do you have enough ready for an interview or signing? How bout a great give away to gain more fans?
Pre-Release Techniques
Let’s get people excited for the actual release. Announcing teasers is a great way to get some excitement going. Think about a short video with a lyric, or snippet of the song. This would be great for social media that relies on visual input. How about an article about your process with the song? Before you even drop the song itself, look into different services to allow your fans to do pre-saves. Give exclusive listens and allow those to produce reviews. Reach out and try to see if you can get your music on some playlists. Find some influencers and offer some music or a giveaway for an interview.
Advertising
Consider paid advertising for various outlets like FB, TikTok, YouTube or Instagram ads. Where is your main profile? Funnel all the listeners to that if you can. Spotify may have fantastic features to help you promote your music. You don’t need a huge budget, every little bit helps, just make sure all your material is professional and complete.
Launch!
You have built the hype, diversified your outreach, now you have to think about the actual release. Will you live stream it and record for your use in the future? Will you post all across every platform at the same time? How ill you thank you fans? How will you encourage your fans to help you create content? Your next release could be around the corner, don’t forget about that. Consider your next release with this one to actually start to build excitement for the whole album. Try interviewing some fans at a meet and great.
Post Release
What is next? Make sure you review the plan and see what worked and what did not. There is still a lot of work even after you have released the song. Keep up the work and stay visible, keep your fans engaged. Try pitching to more playlists or run more ads, will you have another version of the song? Was the song a teaser for the album and when will this be released? Do you have social media channels that you share with your base showing your ongoing work?
What is Your Why?
Take a moment to reflect on your why. Is this something you want to include in your over all theme? Why do you make music? Why do you want to bring it to people? Is this your lifelong obsession?
