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What to post on release day: your release-week plan, day by day

Free tool · runs in your browser · Facts checked 8 October 2026

Quick answer: on release day, post where your listeners already are: a short video with the hook and where to listen, a story with a direct link, and a post with the cover and the story behind the song. Spread the rest over the week before and the week after. The planner below turns your release date into a dated plan with caption starters you can edit.

The planner runs in your browser. If it doesn’t load, the sample week further down shows what it builds for a Friday release.

How the planner builds your week

  • 15 days around a Friday. The plan runs from 7 days before release to 7 days after. New music has come out worldwide on Fridays since IFPI set the global release day in 2015, and Spotify refreshes Release Radar every Friday, so the planner suggests a Friday when you pick another day.
  • Spotify dates inside the week. 7 days before release is the last day to pitch the song to Spotify’s editors. Release day is a Release Radar refresh, when your followers get songs from your new release. A week later, Spotify for Artists shows how the first week went.
  • Formats, not apps. Ideas come as short videos, stories, feed posts and text posts, so they fit whichever places you post.
  • Your effort sets the count. Light is 1 post a day, Steady 2 and All in 3 on the busiest days; release day gets one more, and the quieter days get one fewer. That rhythm is our rule of thumb.

The ideas are common release-week practice, not rules. Change anything, and keep only what feels like you.

Worked example: a single out on Friday 13 November 2026

Short videos and stories, at the Steady setting: 20 posts in 15 days.

  • Fri 6 Nov, 7 days before: the last day to pitch the song in Spotify for Artists. A video teasing 10 to 15 seconds of the hook, and a countdown sticker.
  • Sat 7 to Wed 11 Nov: one post a day, such as the story behind the song, a lyric poll, honest reactions to the hook, a session photo.
  • Thu 12 Nov, the day before: your pre-save link, and a countdown clip.
  • Fri 13 Nov, release day: a link sticker straight to the song, the release video with the hook, and a screen recording of adding the song to your own playlist.
  • Sat 14 to Thu 19 Nov: answer early comments on camera, share reposts, a stripped version of the hook, what the lyrics mean.
  • Fri 20 Nov, 7 days after: read your first week in Spotify for Artists, and ask fans their favourite part of the song.

Questions artists ask

What should I post on release day?

Three things cover most of it: a short video with the hook and where to listen, a story with a link straight to the song, and a feed post with the cover art and the story behind the song. A second video 6 to 8 hours later, showing a different part of the song, gives anyone who missed the first one another way in.

How many times should I post during release week?

There is no official number. Pick a rhythm you can keep for 15 days: one post a day is enough to stay present, and two or three suit artists with more time or more material.

When should I start promoting a new single?

Posting usually starts about a week before release, which is also Spotify’s pitch deadline. The work starts earlier: distributors ask for the upload 2 to 4 weeks ahead, and the music release planner puts every one of those dates in your calendar.

Why does release day fall on a Friday?

Friday has been the global release day for new music since 2015, and it is when Spotify refreshes Release Radar. Releasing on a Friday lines your posts up with both.

What should I do after release week?

Read your first-week numbers in Spotify for Artists, keep sharing what listeners say, and plan the next release. Release Radar keeps a song for up to 4 weeks for listeners who haven’t heard it, which makes about 4 weeks a natural gap before your next single.

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Sources

  1. Spotify for Artists: Pitching music and videos to Spotify playlist editors (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
  2. Spotify for Artists: Getting music on Release Radar (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
  3. IFPI: on creating New Music Fridays in 2015 (20 Jul 2023)
  4. TuneCore Help: How long does it take for my music to go live in stores? (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
  5. DistroKid Help: Why do I not see my release under Upcoming in Spotify for Artists? (accessed 8 Oct 2026)

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