Releases6 min readChecked 18 September 2026
The six-week release plan
What to do each week from announce to the week after release, and which parts droplr does for you.
Most independent releases fail on timing, not on the music. The stores need lead time, the pitch has a deadline, and the fans need more than one chance to hear about it.
The short version
- Six weeks out: master done, artwork done, release date locked.
- Four weeks out: delivered to your distributor.
- Two weeks out: pre-save link live, announce post, pitch submitted in Spotify for Artists.
- Release day: it's out, fans get told, you post what you already made.
- The week after: keep going. Most people stop here, which is exactly when the algorithms are still paying attention.
Inside droplr this is a dated checklist on every release, with the graphic or link each step needs.
The rest of this guide is inside droplr
Free accounts included. No card, and the knowledge board is open on every plan.
- A week-by-week plan you can run for every release
- The delivery dates that can't slip: distributor, pitch, artwork
- What droplr handles automatically, so you stop doing it by hand
- Where to put the link so it actually gets clicked
- What to do in the week after release, when most people stop
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Where this comes from
Facts checked 18 September 2026. General information for independent artists, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, prices and deadlines change: check the official pages linked at the end, and get advice for your own situation.