SongkeeperSongkeeper
FeaturesPricingDownloadBlog
BlogMusic Business

How to Release an Album: The Complete Guide

March 3, 20267 min read
music-businessdistributionproduction
Contents
  • Before You Start: Is an Album the Right Format?
  • Phase 1: Finalize Your Recordings (12+ Weeks Out)
  • Mix and Master
  • Lock Your Track List
  • Confirm All Credits and Splits
  • Phase 2: Prepare Your Metadata and Assets (8–10 Weeks Out)
  • Get Your ISRC and UPC Codes
  • Create Your Album Artwork
  • Register Your Songs with Your PRO
  • Phase 3: Choose Your Release Strategy (6–8 Weeks Out)
  • Strategy 1: Singles Leading Into the Album
  • Strategy 2: The Waterfall Release
  • Strategy 3: Full Album Drop
  • Phase 4: Submit to Your Distributor (4–6 Weeks Out)
  • Set Up Pre-Saves
  • Pitch to Spotify Editorial
  • Phase 5: Promote Your Release (2–4 Weeks Out)
  • Build a Content Calendar
  • Reach Out to Press and Playlists
  • Prepare Your Smart Link
  • Phase 6: Release Day and Beyond
  • Album Release Checklist

Finishing an album is one of the hardest things you'll do as a musician. But releasing it — getting it onto streaming platforms, into playlists, and in front of listeners — involves an entirely different set of skills that nobody teaches you in the studio.

The difference between a release that gains traction and one that disappears into the void usually isn't the music itself. It's the preparation: the metadata, the timeline, the marketing cadence, and the dozen small decisions you make in the weeks before your album goes live.

Before You Start: Is an Album the Right Format?

Streaming platforms are built around singles. Spotify's algorithm rewards consistent release activity — new tracks trigger appearances in Release Radar and Discover Weekly. An artist who releases one single per month gets twelve algorithmic boosts per year. An album release gets one.

That said, albums demonstrate artistic ambition, give you a reason to tour, and attract press coverage that singles rarely do. The modern approach combines both: release several singles leading up to the album, then drop the full project. Algorithmic benefits of singles and the cultural weight of an album.

Phase 1: Finalize Your Recordings (12+ Weeks Out)

Mix and Master

Every track should be mixed and mastered to release quality. Mastering costs from $50 to $500+ per project depending on the engineer. If you're mastering an album, a single mastering engineer should handle the entire project — albums need consistent loudness, EQ, and spacing across tracks.

Lock Your Track List

Finalize the track order. Once you submit to your distributor, changing the order or adding/removing songs becomes difficult or impossible without creating a new release and losing accumulated data.

Confirm All Credits and Splits

Every contributor needs to be documented with their full legal name, role, ownership percentage, PRO affiliation, IPI/CAE number, and publisher name (if applicable). See our complete guide to split sheets for details.

Don't Skip This Step

Missing or incorrect credits are the number one reason producers and songwriters lose royalties. Fix your credits before you release — not after.

Phase 2: Prepare Your Metadata and Assets (8–10 Weeks Out)

Get Your ISRC and UPC Codes

Every track needs an ISRC code (unique 12-character identifier that tracks streams and sales). Your album needs a UPC code (the barcode that identifies the release). Most distributors generate these automatically.

Reuse ISRCs for Previously Released Singles

If any tracks were previously released as singles, you must use the same ISRC code. A new ISRC creates a duplicate listing on streaming platforms, splitting your stream count.

Create Your Album Artwork

The safe default is a 3000 x 3000 pixel square in sRGB color space, exported as a high-quality JPG or PNG under 4 MB. This works across all platforms. Do not use CMYK — platforms will reject it.

Register Your Songs with Your PRO

Register every song with your Performing Rights Organization before the album goes live. PROs do not pay retroactively for unregistered works — if you wait until after release, you'll miss royalties for early streams.

If you haven't yet affiliated with a PRO, see our guide to affiliating with a PRO or CMO.

Phase 3: Choose Your Release Strategy (6–8 Weeks Out)

Strategy 1: Singles Leading Into the Album

The most common approach. Release 2–3 singles in the weeks before the album drops:

  • 6 weeks out: Lead single
  • 3 weeks out: Second single
  • Release day: Full album (including previously released singles)

Each single generates its own algorithmic push and gives you another chance to pitch to Spotify editorial playlists. Best for most independent artists.

Strategy 2: The Waterfall Release

A more aggressive version — each single includes all previous tracks. Each release compounds streams of previous singles. More complex to manage and requires careful ISRC handling to ensure stream counts carry over. See iMusician's guide for details.

Strategy 3: Full Album Drop

Release everything at once with no advance singles. Maximum impact, but one algorithmic moment instead of several. Only practical with a large existing fanbase.

Phase 4: Submit to Your Distributor (4–6 Weeks Out)

If you don't already have a distributor, see our guide to the best music distribution services. When submitting, you'll provide audio files (WAV, 44.1kHz), album and track titles, artist name, artwork, genre, release date, ISRC codes, songwriter/producer credits, and copyright information.

Submit Early

CD Baby recommends submitting at least 4 weeks before your release date. There's no penalty for submitting too early — and it gives you time to catch errors, set up pre-saves, and pitch to Spotify.

Set Up Pre-Saves

Pre-save campaigns let fans commit to adding your album on release day. Pre-saves count toward first-day streams and signal demand to algorithms. Most distributors offer this, or use third-party tools like Linkfire or SmartURL.

Pitch to Spotify Editorial

Through Spotify for Artists, pitch one unreleased track per release to Spotify's editorial team. Submit 3–4 weeks before release (7 days minimum). Include the story behind the song, genre/mood descriptions, your target audience, and any promotional activity. Choose the song most likely to resonate broadly — not necessarily your personal favorite.

Phase 5: Promote Your Release (2–4 Weeks Out)

Build a Content Calendar

  • 4 weeks out: Announce album with artwork reveal, share pre-save link
  • 3 weeks out: Behind-the-scenes content (studio clips, production breakdowns)
  • 2 weeks out: Release first single (if using singles strategy)
  • 1 week out: Countdown content, track list reveal, snippets
  • Release day: Share links everywhere, go live on social media, engage with fans
  • Week after: Thank fans, share milestones, repost fan reactions

Reach Out to Press and Playlists

Contact blogs and playlist curators 2–4 weeks before release with a press kit: one-sheet, press photos, private streaming link, artwork, and contact info.

Prepare Your Smart Link

Create a single link (Linkfire, Feature.fm, or ToneDen) that directs fans to your album on their preferred platform. This is the link you'll share everywhere.

Phase 6: Release Day and Beyond

Release day: Verify everything is correct on all platforms. Share your smart link across every channel. Engage with fans in the first 24 hours — early engagement signals matter to algorithms.

Post-release (weeks 1–8): Share individual tracks with context and stories. Create supplementary content (lyric videos, acoustic versions, production breakdowns). Monitor analytics and double down on what's working. Submit to user-curated playlists.

SongkeeperSongkeeper

Keep your releases organized

Songkeeper gives you a single place to track every song, recording, credit, and split — so nothing falls through the cracks between the studio and release day.

Get started free

Album Release Checklist

Audio & Production

  • All tracks mixed and mastered
  • Track order finalized
  • Audio exported in distributor-required format (WAV, 44.1kHz, 16 or 24-bit)

Metadata & Registration

  • All credits documented with legal names, roles, and splits
  • Split sheets signed by all contributors
  • Songs registered with your PRO
  • ISRC codes assigned (reusing existing codes for previously released singles)
  • UPC code assigned

Distribution & Promotion

  • Release submitted with all metadata, artwork, and audio
  • Release date set at least 4 weeks out
  • Pre-save link created and shared
  • Spotify for Artists pitch submitted (3–4 weeks before release)
  • Smart link created
  • Press kit sent to blogs/playlists 2–4 weeks before release
  • Content calendar planned

Post-Release

  • Verify album appears correctly on all platforms
  • Monitor analytics and engage with fans
  • Continue promoting individual tracks for 4–8 weeks
Previous

How to Make Music: A Beginner's Guide

Next

Is Sampling Legal? A Producer's Guide

On this page

  • Before You Start: Is an Album the Right Format?
  • Phase 1: Finalize Your Recordings (12+ Weeks Out)
  • Mix and Master
  • Lock Your Track List
  • Confirm All Credits and Splits
  • Phase 2: Prepare Your Metadata and Assets (8–10 Weeks Out)
  • Get Your ISRC and UPC Codes
  • Create Your Album Artwork
  • Register Your Songs with Your PRO
  • Phase 3: Choose Your Release Strategy (6–8 Weeks Out)
  • Strategy 1: Singles Leading Into the Album
  • Strategy 2: The Waterfall Release
  • Strategy 3: Full Album Drop
  • Phase 4: Submit to Your Distributor (4–6 Weeks Out)
  • Set Up Pre-Saves
  • Pitch to Spotify Editorial
  • Phase 5: Promote Your Release (2–4 Weeks Out)
  • Build a Content Calendar
  • Reach Out to Press and Playlists
  • Prepare Your Smart Link
  • Phase 6: Release Day and Beyond
  • Album Release Checklist
SongkeeperSongkeeper

© 2026 Songkeeper. All rights reserved.

PrivacyTerms© 2026 Songkeeper