Music Release Timeline

In the previous blog we mentioned that we would give and example of a music release timeline. This is a timeline with example dates etc. This should get you thinking about the order of which to do things so as to not get caught out with having a delayed release. See below:

MUSIC RELEASE TIMELINE

Jan 1^st

– Music recording finished! Produced and mixed by Simon Paparo at Four Doors Studios and it’s sounding just how you visualised it!

– Send music (WAV file) to mastering engineer (eg Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering-)

– Send music to publicist (eg Emily Cheung at On The Map PR – if using a publicist)

– Schedule phone calls/meetings for January 3^rd with Artist, Photographer and Videographer

– Schedule phone call/meeting with Publicist if using one.

Jan 2^nd

– Start writing an overview of the film clip idea to discuss with videographer. Find clips you love to share with them.

– Source other album art you like and work out an idea for what to talk about with your album artist

– Think about locations for your photo shoot/album art photos to discuss with your photographer

Jan ^3rd

– Meeting or phone call with artist (eg Josh Lanham Art) for album art and merch art,

– Meeting or phone call with photographer (eg Kate Shanasy) for album art and/or press promo shots

– Meeting or phone call with videographer (eg Clare Nica) for single film clip

Jan 4^th

– Meeting/phone call with publicist to arrange release date (Feb 24^th) and date to start promoting (Jan 19^th) or set these dates yourself if you are not using a publicist

– Update biography

Jan 5^th

– Schedule meeting/phone call with graphic designer (eg Matt Heath Design) for January 8th

Jan 8^th

– Meeting/phone call with graphic designer to let them know of the artwork and cd credit-lyrics info etc coming their way

Jan 10^th

– Start collating as many music media contacts as possible if you are doing publicity yourself. (If hiring a publicist they will already have contacts to promote to.)

Jan 15^th

– Mastered Music returned from mastering engineer and your music is radio and release ready!

– Listen to your awesome new single and party!

Jan 16^th

– Album art/merch art, press photos and album art photos finished!

– If printing physical copies ie CDs or vinyl etc send album art to Graphic Designer ( eg Matt Heath Design)

– Send merch art (eg t-shirt art) to printing company (eg Implant Media)

– Book in with live music venue if doing a single launch or use a booking agent/manager if you have one.

– Send all relevant info to live venue’s bookings manager ie press photos, bio, socials links, line-up etc

Jan 17^th

– Start writing press release (research this if you are writing yourself. This will include things like your bio and story behind the song, dates of tour or single launch etc) or send information to publicist so they can do this.

NOTE: We recommend hiring a publicist at least once so you can see what they do and how they do it. Then once the work is done with them you will know which media publications and companies will get behind your music so you can promote to them yourself in the future.

Jan 18^th

– Send master copies and album art/lyrics-credit booklet/release date information to digital distribution company (with CD Baby this can all be done online yourself– they will send out the music to Spotify, iTunes, Amazon etc.)

– Finish writing press release

Jan 19^th

^–Start promoting to all online media publications by sending through the completed press release or this is when your publicist will start promoting.

– This is the time to promote to all big newspapers (eg The Australian, The Age), radio stations etc.

NOTE: If money grows on trees for you then by all means hire a radio plugger as well as a publicist, booking agent mastering engineer and all the rest of it etc etc.

– Promote yourself online via all social media platforms saying things like ‘new single coming soon’ etc. You can even use ads through Instagram and FB to target the right crowd.

– Promote to all well-known radio stations ie triple j, abc radio, triple r, pbs fm, fbi etc and let them know the release day and how you’d love to come in and play the new single live on air! J

NOTE: If you have hired a radio plugger, they will do all this for you and send your music to commercial stations also.

Jan 20^th

– Film clip shoot! Have fun!

Jan 21^st

– Send out all relevant information to AMRAP (ie release date and WAV file of master etc. They will then send it on to all local radio stations around Australia!)

– Send through all relevant files for the music media companies that need them (ie The Australian newspaper may want a bio, album art, press photos music files etc, online music blogs may want a press release, social media links and press photos)