The road for any artist can be tough. It seems like in this day and age there are a thousand different outlets for emerging musicians, and each one of them features its own set of unspoken rules and regulations that can be difficult to decipher for even the most seasoned of industry vets. So for many young artists out there who are just beginning their path, a certain question starts to arise. When you’re trying to get your music out there to the public, where does one even begin? Well, for many young musicians looking for their start the answer is deceptively simple. Many new artists today are finding success in gaining a following by uploading their music to streaming services! These services are a powerful tool for emerging creatives because they allow you to bring your music to listeners all across the globe! Couple that with the incredible playlisting opportunities that these services feature, and it’s easy to see why young creatives swear by uploading their songs to these services. In this guide, we will take you through some of the key points of planning your release strategy, and how to upload music to Spotify, as well as highlight a couple of important areas of planning that many musicians often overlook. So without further adieu, let’s begin!
Timing Is Everything
The first stage of any artist’s release strategy should focus on creating a clear and concise timetable for your next project. This means having a single document that plans out the exact dates and times for everything you plan to release that is associated with your album or single. Take for example your initial announcement, having a plan that your entire team has access to keeps everybody in the loop for not just the timing of your post, but where you should be posting to as well. With so many different social media platforms out there, having a concrete checklist for your posting schedule allows you to maintain your social media presence in all of these avenues. But a timetable is more than just a schedule for your social strategy. It is a powerful tool that can be used to create a system of checks and balances that your entire team has access to. Now everybody can be on the same page, and if there is some mistake looming on the horizon. The chances of someone catching it, are increased exponentially!
The Devil’s in the Details
Now that we’ve explained the importance of creating your timetable, something that should be marked in large bold letters across the front page of it should read: The project’s release date is not its due date. You cannot finish your album the night before its release and expect to see it on streaming services the next day. This is due to several factors, but the first and most important one is that most streaming services need a minimum of two weeks to ingest your project into its servers. In fact, most streaming services suggest uploading your songs as far as a month in advance of your release date. This gives you and the services enough time to iron out any kinks or target any problems that may have arisen in your uploading process. No one wants to wake up on the morning of their release day just to find that all of your song titles got switched to different songs. Accidents are bound to happen, it’s up to you to get ahead of them by giving your team and yourself enough of a window of opportunity to identify, and fix them before they see release.
The Who and the How
Now that we’ve been through some of the planning stages of your project let’s focus on one of the single most important aspects of your release: the uploading process! Namely, how to get your music from your computer onto a streaming service. For independent artists, this is accomplished by a secondary third-party service independent from the streaming services that actually hold music. There are many of these services that you can choose from all of which have their pros and cons, so doing some research is required to see which one works best for you. Once you’ve made your choice, just follow that service’s instructions, and you’ll be uploading your music in no time!
Conclusion
When you’re on the brink of releasing a project you’ve labored over for a long time. It’s easy to feel the need for some caution. However, there is no need for fear, because as long as you have done the due diligence and the research necessary to plan for every eventuality of your release. Whatever distribution service you choose will be more than equipped to handle the rest!
