Successful Music Release | Part 3 | Six Weeks Out

If you’re just joining this series, take a moment to review Parts 1 and 2.

In Part 1, we discussed the importance of setting a clear objective and defining what might be the top 3 objectives for your release.

In Part 2, we introduced the 12-Week Roadmap to guide your release process, breaking down the most crucial components and laying it out so that you can release every 8 weeks.

Now we’re moving into action with the first two weeks of our release plan.

Six weeks out is the absolute minimum time you should give yourself to properly prepare your release—unless your systems are fully dialed in.

For those treating music like a full-time job, you should be investing at least 20 hours a week (about 3 hours per day) into the release and marketing of your music. This is 20 hours of marketing time - NOT including the time it takes to write and produce your music.

Don’t rush it. Give yourself as much time as you can. But don’t keep putting it off like I see so many creators do.

Remember, each new release is a chance to serve the world with your unique art.

Take this seriously, and watch your career evolve.

Six Weeks Out: Time to Get to Work

Here are the absolute essential activities that you must focus on during the first two weeks of your release plan as laid out in the 12-Week Roadmap GANTT Chart:

Along with each activity in the list, I am including an estimated time that it will take you to complete… IF you already have experience releasing and marketing your music.

If you are new to the game, you’ll need to give yourself at least twice as much time for each activity.

This two week period adds up to 33+ hours of work.

1. Review Your Last Release (2 hr)

Before diving headfirst into this next release, it’s crucial to take an honest look at your previous one.

What went well?

What didn’t?

Did you hit your goals?

Was your messaging clear?

Were your visuals on point?

Did you make great content?

Did anyone see it?

Reflect on these questions to improve your strategy for the next release.

• Practical Tip: Write down at least three specific things you’ll do differently this time. This will help you avoid repeating past mistakes and refine your process.

2. Choose Your Next Release (1 hr)

You need to pick the right song to follow up your last release.

Whether it’s an entirely new vibe or something that continues the momentum, your choice of song can define the narrative for your next few months.

• Practical Tip: Ask yourself, Which song resonates the most with my brand, and my audience currently? Which song fits the season or maybe plays off of the news cycle? Then make a commitment to get it out.

Remember, this release timeline assumes that you already have great songs fully mastered and ‘in the can’. Build your production machine first, and then your marketing machine. Otherwise your Fanbase Flywheel won’t be able to gain momentum!

3. Revisit Your Brand and Messaging (3 hr)

This step is critical.

Are you sending a consistent message to your audience?

Are your visuals, social media profiles, and overall narrative in alignment with the direction of your music?

Use this time to refine your brand.

• Practical Tip: Use the Artist Branding Playbook to guide the process of discovering who you are at the deepest level. Make sure you still feel deeply connected and authentic regarding the story you’re telling through your music. Each release is a great opportunity to do a brand refresher.

  • MEMBER BONUS: If you are an active HOME Member, you also have access to this Elite Artist Release Planning video about how to create a compelling artist bio and this chatbot that will help you apply the methodology in the video.

    • 🤗 BONUS BONUS: The video mentioned above also covers a simple method to find Spotify playlists that are taking submissions… but you must learn how to spot the scams!

4. Finalize the Artwork (4 hr)

Visuals are mega important in today's world.

Your cover art is the first impression your audience will get when they see your track on Spotify or Apple Music. Your visual content is the ‘packaging’ for your music and art. Make it count.

• Practical Tip: You can now use AI tools to assist with visual design. Platforms like Midjourney, and Playground AI make it easy to generate visuals based on your prompts. Need fresh photos but don’t have the time for a proper photoshoot? You can use a platform like Photo AI to generate new photos based off of your own photos and selfies. In the modern digital age, there’s no reason to have bad photos and graphics. Make sure your artwork helps you stand out while aligning with your brand and the song’s theme.

👋 DON’T FORGET: You can add a ‘Canvas’ video to Spotify that loops when your song plays. These short videos often match the artwork for the single, so this is a good time to think about that. You can create free animated videos in Canva, or you can hire animators on Fiverr like this one for only $15 💸

5. Set Your Release Goals (3 hr)

Refer back to Part 1, where we discussed setting SMARTER Goals for your release.

What is your clear objective for this single?

Whether it's to gain traction on Spotify’s algorithm, collect fan data, or get a new champion on your team, now is the time to lock in that goal.

• Practical Tip: Set a main goal (e.g., 10,000 streams in the first month) and two supporting goals (e.g., grow email list by 100 new subscribers and get feedback from 3 respected industry professionals over the 8 week promotional period). Stay focused on what matters most!

• TAKE TIME on this exercise and make sure to review From Goals to Greatness. Remember 👇

6. Create the Marketing Plan (4 hr)

A successful release isn’t just about dropping the song; it's about building anticipation and sustaining momentum afterward.

Start mapping out how you’ll reach your target audience with your upcoming release. HOME Members can watch this video to learn how to target their audience using data from Spotify and Meta.

• Practical Tip: Create a marketing calendar that spans the 12-week process, with specific campaigns and content ideas for each week leading up to and following the release. Use a Google calendar or similar app so that you can set custom reminders. Check your calendar every day, and set aside time every weekend to look at the weeks ahead. Stay prepared Homie!

REMEMBER the CLASSIC acronym for music marketing success:

C = Collaboration

L = Leverage

A = Advertising

S = Streaming

S = Social

I = Identify

C = Capture

Review the CLASSIC Formula for Music Marketing here and make sure your marketing plan includes each part of the formula!

7. Upload to Distributor (2 hr)

Make sure your track is uploaded to your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, Symphonic, etc.) well in advance. This ensures your song has enough time to make it onto platforms and get reviewed for editorial playlists.

If you are in the process of choosing distributors or switching your distro service, here are some Practical Tips to help you make that decision:

• Ideally you find a distributor with a real human who will champion your music and find opportunities for it.

  • Ideally that person or someone else on their team is pitching you directly to the DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music etc.) for editorial consideration, which means the curators at those companies place you on the playlists they make.

  • These types of distributors typically take a percentage cut of the income from streaming.

  • Some distributors, like Thirty Tigers, offer physical distribution (getting vinyl records into record stores).

    • 🎧 Listen to my conversation with the founder of Thirty Tigers on the HOMIE Podcast.

  • Some distributors, like Symphonic, also offer sync representation.

• If you do NOT have a human or any real support at the company, then it really comes down to keeping the absolute most money you can. Giving up 15-30% may not seem like much until you start hitting millions of streams. Then you might wonder if that distributor is really worth the cut.

• Otherwise, consider what services are bundled together with the distribution platform. Here’s a great article by Ari Herstand called Best Music Distribution Companies of 2024 that includes a very thorough comparison chart.

8. Start Creating Content for the Release (14+ hr)

As you can see, the time allotted for content creation is over 3x any of the other activities.

You need a steady stream of content to keep your fans engaged.

Whether it’s behind-the-scenes footage, lip syncing to the track, or creative TikTok videos, now is the time to start building your content library.

• Practical Tip: Work through the questions in How to Serve Your Audience so that you are clear on the channels you will focus on and the intention behind your content. Aim to have a bank of content ready to roll out during the release week. Begin with the end in mind, and don’t wait until the last minute!

Fundamentally, content is a way to share value with your audience.

By asking for someone to give you their time and attention, you are obligated to give them something valuable in return. If you don’t, then your audience won’t keep engaging with you. The easiest ways to provide value through content are:

• educate

• inspire

• entertain

• document something interesting

I see so many artists get self-conscious about sharing, but remember, the fact that you are going after your dream is inspiring and interesting!

IMPORTANT: DO NOT burn yourself out with the content creation. Work smarter not harder. Study the strategies and tactics of creators who are getting great results. Get ideas from what is working for others, and figure out how to make it uniquely your own.

Your inspiration is your most precious resource.

Burnout kills inspiration. Read this post to learn how to overcome burnout, and make sure you do whatever it takes to stay inspired!

This is the Infinite Game

Don’t get overwhelmed by the details—think of this entire process as part of the ‘Infinite Game’. The infinite game is about continually improving, evolving, and staying in the game for the long haul.

Every release is an opportunity to refine your brand, grow your audience, and stay top of mind with your fans, collaborators, and key industry figures.

The more you refine your process, the more momentum you’ll build, and the more your efforts, strategies, relationships and experience will compound into a long-lasting, sustainable career!

Just focus on how you can improve with each release 📈