What's the Best Day to Release Music?
Guides & Playbooks

Friday. New music comes out on Fridays around the world, and Spotify's Release Radar and New Music Friday playlists update on Fridays too. Unless you have a reason to pick another day, release on a Friday.

Why Friday

In 2015 the recording industry moved to a single weekly release day for all music, worldwide, and chose Friday. IFPI, the organization that represents the recording industry internationally, calls it New Music Fridays. The idea was to give fans one day to focus on discovering new music, and to leave less room for piracy. (IFPI)

What Friday means on Spotify

Two of Spotify's playlists for new music update every Friday:

• Release Radar is personal to each listener. It brings them new music from artists they follow, artists they listen to, and artists Spotify thinks they'll like. Your followers get songs from your new release in theirs.
• New Music Friday is picked by Spotify's playlist editors, with different versions for different countries and regions.

(Spotify: Release Radar, Spotify: New Music Friday)

A few Release Radar rules from Spotify worth knowing:

• To be in Release Radar in your first week, deliver at least 7 days before release
• If you pitch a song at least 7 days before release, that's the song that goes into your followers' Release Radar. If you don't, Spotify picks one.
• Each listener gets one song per artist per week, and a song can stay in for up to 4 weeks if they haven't heard it
• Re-releases of songs already on Spotify aren't included, and neither are some alternative versions, like acoustic, karaoke or live. Remixes are.

How far ahead to set the date

• At least 7 days if you want to pitch to Spotify's editors. Spotify asks you to deliver at least 7 days before release so its editors have time to listen. (Spotify: Pitching to playlist editors)
• Allow for delivery. You pitch from the Upcoming tab in Spotify for Artists, and Spotify says a release can take around 48 hours to show there after your distributor sends it. (Spotify: Unreleased music)
• 3 to 4 weeks is what we recommend. It gives editors time to listen, gives you a pre-save window, and leaves room to fix anything before the date.
• At least 4 weeks if you want MOOSYC's Priority Pitch. Releases submitted at least 4 weeks ahead qualify.

More: Custom Release Dates

What time it goes live

Your release goes live at midnight local time in each country. It arrives in New Zealand first and moves west through the day, so it's already Friday somewhere while it's still Thursday afternoon in the US.

Plan your announcement around the audience you care about most, not around your own clock.

Picking a Friday in MOOSYC

When you set up a release on the web, the date step offers two choices:

• Next Friday, which MOOSYC marks as the most popular release day
• Select custom date, for any other date

Once you've chosen, MOOSYC shows the date it will release, at midnight in each local time.

Can you release on another day?

Yes. Friday is a habit the industry shares, not a rule. If the date means something, like a show, an anniversary or a moment the song is about, pick that day. Just give yourself the same lead time for delivery, pitching and pre-saves.

A Friday release, step by step

1. Pick a Friday 3 to 4 weeks out.
2. Upload and submit your release in MOOSYC.
3. Claim your Spotify for Artists profile if you haven't yet. See How to Get Verified on Spotify.
4. Pitch one song in Spotify for Artists, at least 7 days before release.
5. Share your pre-save link as soon as the release is scheduled. See What Is a Pre-Save?
6. On the day, post your smartlink everywhere your fans are.

The full checklist is in How to Release a Song, Step by Step.