Every artist says the same thing. “I’ll start promoting when the single drops.” Or worse, “Let’s launch the campaign when the album comes out.” And every time, it’s the same story — nothing happens, because they started too late.
Promotion doesn’t start when you release something. It starts months before. You want results on release day? You’ve got to start warming up the engine now.
Table of Contents
The Reality of Prep Time
Before you ever think about your single, there’s a mountain of admin work that every artist has to get through — and most of it takes weeks or months. This is the stuff nobody talks about, but it’s what makes campaigns run smoothly when the music finally drops.
- Claim and verify your Official Artist Channel on YouTube.
- Link or claim your Topic Channels so everything routes correctly.
- Verify your Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists profiles.
- Check your distributor metadata — track titles, ISRCs, and UPCs must be clean.
- Register every song with your PRO and publishing admin.
- Set up your Meta Business Portfolio with full advertiser access.
- Add your marketing team or agency as partners inside Meta and YouTube.
- Make sure your Facebook Page and Instagram are linked under one portfolio.
- Install your Meta Pixel and YouTube remarketing tags on your website.
- Build your website or Shopify with clear e-commerce and email capture.
- Confirm split sheets and collaborator contracts are on file.
- Organize all visual assets, cover art, and metadata for the single or album.
Every artist has some of this undone — and it always takes longer than expected. Start early, fix it now, and your future self will thank you. Learn more about Digital Admin here.
Warming Up the Machine
Once your admin is under control, it’s time to start warming up the machine — and that means fans, content, and algorithms. This is the period where you build momentum without even announcing your new music.
- Start posting verticals — short-form content, performance clips, or remixes.
- Test new ideas and find what people respond to before your single drops.
- Define your audience and learn who’s actually engaging (more about this here).
- Work with your team — learn each other’s pace and workflow.
- Run low-cost test ads to train the algorithm and build retargeting audiences.
- Reignite your back catalog with visualizers, lyric videos, and new edits.
- Highlight old songs that never got the rollout they deserved.
Everything you do now is like revving the engine before the race. By the time your new song arrives, you’ve already got fans watching, data building, and algorithms trained to push your content.
Plan the Single Campaign Early
Even if you throw everything else away, this part is non-negotiable. You need to plan your single campaign at least a month ahead. More if you want playlist submissions and ad sequencing ready to go.
- Distribute your music five weeks before the live date to pitch for Spotify playlists.
- Make sure your marketing team has all permissions and ad access.
- Have all collaborator assets in Partnership Hub or shared folders. More on this here
- Approve your cover art, metadata, and press copy.
- Confirm your website and pixel tracking are functioning. More on this here
- Set your campaign calendar — videos, ads, and content posts by week.
You can’t “pop up” the week before and expect it to hit. Real campaigns are built in layers: data, content, timing, and teamwork.
If You Think You Have Nothing to Promote, You’re Wrong
Every artist says it: “I don’t have anything new yet.” Doesn’t matter. You already have a catalog that most people haven’t seen. Use it.
- Create verticals from old music videos and songs that did well.
- Release official lyric videos for your top-performing tracks.
- Drop visualizers or remix versions for songs that deserve a second life. Read more on this here.
- Feature your guests and tag their audiences for cross-promotion.
There’s always something to promote. You’re not waiting — you’re training. You’re building the habit and the infrastructure that will make your real drops matter when the time comes.
Time Disappears
Everyone thinks they have time. They don’t. The artists who win are the ones who start early, fix their admin, warm their audience, and show up consistently before it’s go-time. You can’t “drop” something if you haven’t built the machine to drop it through.
Turn Strategy into Action
If you’re ready to start building that machine before your next release, check out our services:
Also read How to Market an Album When You’re Not Famous Yet for the next step once your system is running.
360 Promo is a full-service music marketing, promotion, distribution and admin company. Learn more about us and what we do at 360 Promo, follow us on Instagram and contact us to tailor a plan that works for you.