When Should You Start Spotify Playlist Promotion?
On release day, with the Spotify for Artists pitch a week or more before. The six-week timeline, and what to do if you are late.
5 min read
Start Spotify playlist promotion on release day, with the finished track live on Spotify. The one step that comes earlier is Spotify's own editorial pitch, which you send from Spotify for Artists at least seven days before release. After release day, the main push runs for four to six weeks, and a track that fits a playlist stays worth promoting long after that.
Why release day is the right start
A playlist can only hold a track that's out. Curators add released tracks, listeners save released tracks, and your own fans can only share a link that works. Release day is also when everything else points the same way:
- Your followers get the track in their Release Radar, where Spotify says a new release can stay for up to 28 days.
- You're posting about the track anyway, so every playlist listener who checks your profile finds a release in full swing.
- Every save and follow in those first weeks lands while the track is newest.
A six-week timeline
Six weeks out: finish the track
The master is done, the artwork is done, and the release date is set with your distributor. Lock the title, credits, and genre tags now, since everything after this depends on them. If you're still changing the mix, move the date. Is your track ready for playlist promotion has the checks.
Two to four weeks out: pitch Spotify's editors
Pitch the track in Spotify for Artists while it's still unreleased. Pitch at least seven days before release and Spotify adds it to your followers' Release Radar, according to its guide to getting music on Release Radar. The window closes when the track goes live, and you can only pitch one unreleased track at a time.
One to two weeks out: get your people ready
Shoot two or three short clips, write the message you'll send your fans, and line up an email to your list if you have one.
Release day: start your campaign
The track is live, so you have its Spotify link. That's the moment to put it in front of playlists that fit.
Weeks one to six: keep it moving
Post clips a couple of times a week, share any playlist your track lands on, and watch Spotify for Artists for the playlists that send listeners.
Week six and after
Write down what happened, then let the track keep working. A curator running a genre or mood playlist cares whether your track fits today, whatever its release date.
Why the old way starts weeks earlier
Traditional pitching advice tells you to start a month or more before release. That's how long the old way takes: finding curators, checking which ones take unreleased music, sending private links, writing each pitch, and chasing replies. On pitching platforms, around $150 usually buys submissions to about 15 curators, with nothing promised, and the curators keep the money whatever they decide. That model isn't compliant with Spotify's rules either: they don't allow charging for placements, or even for considering a track for one, and it's the artist who carries the risk. You spend weeks before release doing research, and often hear nothing back.
On Soundmango there's no research phase. On release day you start a campaign with your track's Spotify link, set the genres and minimum follower count you want, see the price, and pay once. Your track only reaches curators whose playlists fit, and it keeps going to the next fitting curator until one takes on your campaign. Approved tracks have an estimated 99% chance of landing on at least one playlist.
If you're already late
Two weeks to go. Pitch Spotify's editors today. Two weeks is still inside the seven-day cutoff.
Less than a week to go. The Release Radar pitch is gone for this release. Everything else still works: tell your fans on release day, start your campaign, and keep going for six weeks. Give the next release more lead time.
The track came out months ago. You haven't missed anything that matters for playlists. A track that fits a playlist is worth promoting whenever you get to it.
Late promotion picks the wrong playlists
When you feel late, you get less picky. A big playlist that doesn't really fit starts to look fine. An offer of guaranteed streams starts to sound reasonable. Both cost money and can hurt your track: Spotify can withhold royalties and pull tracks from playlists over artificial streaming, according to its help pages. How to spot fake Spotify playlists shows what to check before you pay anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to promote a song after release day?
No. Release day is when playlist promotion starts, and a track that fits a playlist stays worth promoting for months.
Can I start a Soundmango campaign before my release date?
No. Starting a campaign takes your track's Spotify link, so the track has to be out. Pitch Spotify's editors before release, then start your campaign on release day.
How long before release should the track be finished?
Four to six weeks. That leaves time to pitch Spotify's editors well before the seven-day cutoff and make a few clips.
How long should playlist promotion run?
As a rule of thumb, about six to eight weeks, with most of the push in the first four while the track is new. When to stop promoting a track covers the signs.
Does the release day of the week matter?
Friday is the standard, since that's when most new music comes out worldwide. Pick a date your distributor can hit and you can promote properly.
Start on release day
Finish the track, pitch Spotify's editors a week or more ahead, and put your track in front of the right curators the day it goes live. Start your campaign on release day, and your track goes to curators who run playlists in your genre until one takes it on. If none does, you get every cent back.
