Music release timeline planner
Set your release date and see the whole campaign laid out: the milestones that actually have deadlines, how heavy each week gets in the studio, and how much you should be posting as release day approaches.
Run-up
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
Week -8
26 Oct
Week -7
2 Nov
Week -6
9 Nov
Week -5
16 Nov
Week -4
23 Nov
Week -3
30 Nov
Week -2
7 Dec
Week -1
14 Dec
Release week
21 Dec
Week +1
28 Dec
Week +2
4 Jan
Week -826 Oct
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Lock the track and the dateStop writing. Pick the release date and work everything backwards from it.
Week -72 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Final mix checksListen on monitors, headphones, phone speaker and in the car before you commit.
Week -69 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Send for masteringBook the engineer early - turnaround plus one revision round is usually two weeks.
- Brief the artworkCover art, square crops and a video loop for socials. Brief it the same week as mastering.
Week -516 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Master and artwork approvedEverything a distributor or label needs is now finished and exported.
- Promo pack out to DJs and labelsPrivate stream, short note, no attachments. This is the single most-missed deadline.
Week -423 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Upload to the distributorThe real cut-off for playlist consideration. Late uploads quietly cost you the whole pitch.
Week -330 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Announce and open pre-savesFirst reveal of artwork and date, with the pre-save link everywhere you post.
Week -27 Dec
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Content weekBatch the clips: studio footage, a hook snippet, a story about the track.
Week -114 Dec
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Chase feedback and pitchesFollow up once with anyone who hasn't replied, and log the support you've had.
Release week21 Dec
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Release dayLinks out everywhere, thank the people who supported it, stay online for the day.
Week +128 Dec
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Share the reactionsRepost supporters, clip the best moments, keep the track alive past day one.
Week +24 Jan
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Review and resetWhat actually moved the numbers? Carry that into the next release plan.
Your dated plan
- Mon 26 Oct 2026 - Lock the track and the dateStop writing. Pick the release date and work everything backwards from it.
- Mon 2 Nov 2026 - Final mix checksListen on monitors, headphones, phone speaker and in the car before you commit.
- Mon 9 Nov 2026 - Send for masteringBook the engineer early - turnaround plus one revision round is usually two weeks.
- Mon 9 Nov 2026 - Brief the artworkCover art, square crops and a video loop for socials. Brief it the same week as mastering.
- Mon 16 Nov 2026 - Master and artwork approvedEverything a distributor or label needs is now finished and exported.
- Mon 16 Nov 2026 - Promo pack out to DJs and labelsPrivate stream, short note, no attachments. This is the single most-missed deadline.
- Mon 23 Nov 2026 - Upload to the distributorThe real cut-off for playlist consideration. Late uploads quietly cost you the whole pitch.
- Mon 30 Nov 2026 - Announce and open pre-savesFirst reveal of artwork and date, with the pre-save link everywhere you post.
- Mon 7 Dec 2026 - Content weekBatch the clips: studio footage, a hook snippet, a story about the track.
- Mon 14 Dec 2026 - Chase feedback and pitchesFollow up once with anyone who hasn't replied, and log the support you've had.
- Mon 21 Dec 2026 - Release dayLinks out everywhere, thank the people who supported it, stay online for the day.
- Mon 28 Dec 2026 - Share the reactionsRepost supporters, clip the best moments, keep the track alive past day one.
- Mon 4 Jan 2027 - Review and resetWhat actually moved the numbers? Carry that into the next release plan.