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
11 Sep
Week -7
18 Sep
Week -6
25 Sep
Week -5
2 Oct
Week -4
9 Oct
Week -3
16 Oct
Week -2
23 Oct
Week -1
30 Oct
Release week
6 Nov
Week +1
13 Nov
Week +2
20 Nov
Week -811 Sep
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 -718 Sep
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Final mix checksListen on monitors, headphones, phone speaker and in the car before you commit.
Week -625 Sep
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 -52 Oct
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 -49 Oct
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 -316 Oct
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 -223 Oct
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Content weekBatch the clips: studio footage, a hook snippet, a story about the track.
Week -130 Oct
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 week6 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Release dayLinks out everywhere, thank the people who supported it, stay online for the day.
Week +113 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Share the reactionsRepost supporters, clip the best moments, keep the track alive past day one.
Week +220 Nov
Studio & admin
Social posting
DJ & label outreach
- Review and resetWhat actually moved the numbers? Carry that into the next release plan.
Your dated plan
- Fri 11 Sep 2026 - Lock the track and the dateStop writing. Pick the release date and work everything backwards from it.
- Fri 18 Sep 2026 - Final mix checksListen on monitors, headphones, phone speaker and in the car before you commit.
- Fri 25 Sep 2026 - Send for masteringBook the engineer early - turnaround plus one revision round is usually two weeks.
- Fri 25 Sep 2026 - Brief the artworkCover art, square crops and a video loop for socials. Brief it the same week as mastering.
- Fri 2 Oct 2026 - Master and artwork approvedEverything a distributor or label needs is now finished and exported.
- Fri 2 Oct 2026 - Promo pack out to DJs and labelsPrivate stream, short note, no attachments. This is the single most-missed deadline.
- Fri 9 Oct 2026 - Upload to the distributorThe real cut-off for playlist consideration. Late uploads quietly cost you the whole pitch.
- Fri 16 Oct 2026 - Announce and open pre-savesFirst reveal of artwork and date, with the pre-save link everywhere you post.
- Fri 23 Oct 2026 - Content weekBatch the clips: studio footage, a hook snippet, a story about the track.
- Fri 30 Oct 2026 - Chase feedback and pitchesFollow up once with anyone who hasn't replied, and log the support you've had.
- Fri 6 Nov 2026 - Release dayLinks out everywhere, thank the people who supported it, stay online for the day.
- Fri 13 Nov 2026 - Share the reactionsRepost supporters, clip the best moments, keep the track alive past day one.
- Fri 20 Nov 2026 - Review and resetWhat actually moved the numbers? Carry that into the next release plan.