Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Awal 2019 Ultimate Release Guide1
Awal 2019 Ultimate Release Guide1
2019 ULTIMATE
RELEASE GUIDE
2018 ULTIMATE RELEASE GUIDE 2
This best-practice guide will keep you organized, help you To really get the best results from this guide, you need to start
focus on what matters most, and give you industry tips from planning early. Running out of time is one of the most common
our artist marketing team with years of experience releasing mistakes we see artists make. So, start planning at least two
music. We’ve also included some real case studies from months before Release Day to make sure you’re covered.
AWAL artists on how they approach the release process.
The guide breaks down the release process into three stages:
Pre-Release
Release Day
Post-Release
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 4
PRE-RELEASE
PLANNING
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 1 TIMELINE 5
1
Make a Release As we said at the start of this journey — organization is key.
There are a million things for you to keep track of, so before
Pre-release
Release day
Post-release
PRO TIP
Then, break those three into specific events you can use to
not only earmark as goals to work towards (or backwards
from) but also use in all of your planning and strategizing.
2
Set a Budget Before you make any major decisions about your release
plans, make sure you have the budget to cover all of your
expenses — including a cushion for any unforeseen charges
or last-minute opportunities. Depending on your particular
strategy, and what responsibilities your team has, you may
need to pay for:
PRO TIP
Always be realistic with how much you can do yourself. Even if you’re currently handling all
of your marketing and promotion yourself, will you feasibly be able to maintain social media
while prepping and promoting your release? Though hiring someone to help out might require
spending a bit of money, the benefit of being able to properly spread the word about your music
while focusing on big-picture release execution might be worth it.
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 3 VIDEOS 8
3
Plan to Create A stream or MP3 is great, but obviously not the only way to
share your music. Depending on what works best for your
Music Videos, brand and budget, you could consider releasing a music
video, lyric video, or even a live video of you playing the
Lyric Videos,
song in a venue as a post-release strategy.
4
Organize Your Visuals are everything. You need to make sure you’ve got
visuals that are compelling and really grab an onlooker’s
Creative Assets attention. So, make sure you’re planning and preparing your
photo and video content well beyond your release date. It
can be extremely useful to create a downloadable folder
to make it easy for industry contacts, your publicist, and/or
team to help lock in any premieres, shows, or partnerships.
Here are just a few of the digital assets you’ll want to have
on hand for your release:
Artist bio
Any album liner notes
Hi-res press photos
Track or album artwork
Audio/visual teasers
Music or lyric videos
Animated GIFs
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 5 MARKETING / PROMOTION STRATEGY 10
5
Create a Depending on your budget, build out some ideas of
marketing and promotion that might be effective for your
Marketing new release. Would local radio be a logical vehicle for your
music? What about an interview or premiere on a small,
and
niche blog? Pretend social media doesn’t exist for a hot
second (difficult, we know), and think about how you’d
spread the word in the before-times.
Promotion Social media, however, does exist, as we all know, so
6
Create or As we’ve mentioned before, your website is your central
hub for any big news. It’s where many of your existing and
Update Your prospective fans will be looking to for any new releases. So,
it’s important to plan ahead with that in mind.
Website Before a new release, you want to make sure your website is
looking its best or create one if you don’t already have one.
Make it easy for people to learn more about you, and ensure
your fans can get the key info in one place, including:
Tour dates
Store
Contacts
Bio
Socials
Listening links
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 6 YOUR WEBSITE 12
More importantly, make sure news about your upcoming release. Updating hero visuals across your digital channels
release is front and center, with pre-order call to actions with the artwork and information about your arriving music
taking precedence. Beyond that, think about matching is definitely a good idea.
the aesthetics of your website to that of your upcoming
7
Update Your Your website isn’t the only digital real
estate you want to update in advance
Additionally, finesse your biography and
contact information to work in the date
Pages
images with release information. This is
something you may want to plan having
both pre- and post-launch.
8
Work on Your First, put some effort into your mailing list. You want to make
it as easy as possible to sign up. Consider putting email
Mailing List captures on all your digital real estate like your website and
social pages. You can even have a physical mailing list at
shows for people to sign up. It’s also a good idea to include
some kind of incentive, like sending a free MP3 or a ticket
giveaway in exchange for email addresses.
9
Think Social Influencer marketing is a huge aspect to start thinking about before
your release. Think about the key people to involve ahead of time who
Influencers might share your music or your news. Consider press, industry contacts,
or even just peers, fans, and/or any partners. Ideally, you want to shoot
for individuals and/or organizations who have a substantial following.
It’s best to approach them in advance and onboard them within your
timeline; that way, you can benefit from their following.
PRO TIP
Consider partnering
with music companies
that not only distribute
your music but promote
its success to their
followers as well!
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 10 LOCAL RADIO 18
10
Hit Up Local If you decide that radio will be part of your release strategy,
start approaching stations, hosts, or shows with your release
Radio Shows before its street date. Common collabs with radio include
pre- or post-release interviews and airplay, day-of premieres,
or even live, in-studio acoustic performances. Regardless
of what your ideal radio situation looks like, it’s another
element that requires thought and planning as far out as
possible to maximize time to make it happen.
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 11 MUSIC DISTRIBUTORS 19
11
Partner with How are you getting your music to major services? There
are tons of music distributors that will take that burden off
a Music your shoulders and can really maximize your exposure. For
example, AWAL distributes to different stores and services
Distributor
covering 190 territories across the world such as Spotify,
Apple Music, Amazon, and YouTube Red. Due to its curated
roster, AWAL has formed strong relationships with DSPs,
getting artists on more popular playlists more frequently.
PRO TIP
Newly welcomed
Need help finding the best digital music distribution singer/songwriter
service for you and your music? Here are the major Rupert Stroud knew
considerations to evaluate before coming to a final it was time to find a
decision, including the right time to start looking for partner in preparation
one and the qualifications that really matter. of a big 2018 release.
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 12 DIGITAL SERVICES 20
12
Prep with Just like with your websites and social pages, your streaming
profiles should reflect and champion your upcoming music
Services
hero and profile images are updated to reflect your song art,
your bio with release info is updated, and that you’re posting
content on your Apple Music Connect profile about the news
with teaser content.
PRO TIP
13
Create Custom Selling merch is a great way to
generate some extra buzz around
You not only need to contemplate
inventory, but it’s also important
14
Use Live Part promotional strategy, part rallying cry for your new
music, live shows are a great way to not only premiere
Create Buzz
means playing the entire album start to finish (while
bookending with songs your fans love to sing along to,
of course), creating a custom takeaway item for every
person in the audience or even giving them a free
download when your music is officially unleashed.
PRE-RELEASE PLANNING 15 RELEASE DAY 23
15
Plan Something Think of release day like your birthday. If you want it to be
a success, you’ve got to do it big. There are tons of fun
Special for and creative ways for you to capture as much attention as
possible around your release during the big day.
Release Day
RELEASE DAY 24
RELEASE DAY
RELEASE DAY 1 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST 25
1
Throw a Contests are a great way to drive organic engagement and
draw attention to your new release. They can be as simple or
Social Media as elaborate as you want; you know your fanbase better than
anyone, so make sure you tailor your strategy specifically to
Contest
what you think they’d interact with.
PRO TIP
2
Set Up As you brainstorm your release-day marketing tactics, which
may very well center on social media, make sure you’re
Notifications
with a notification for friends and followers in real time, like
livestreaming on Facebook and Instagram. Otherwise, create
a specific budget to promote your posts and ensure they’ll
for Your Fans escape algorithmic traps, which plague artists at every level
from DIY to mega-superstar.
RELEASE DAY 3 SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS 28
3
Ask for Chances are, you’ve got friends in similar-sounding bands or
within your particular genre and scene. You might even share
Support pockets of fans with these artists. Give your fellow musicians
a heads up that your release day is approaching, and ask if
From Friends
they’d be willing to share a link and/or a track with their fans
and followers via social media. (Bonus: Offer to do the same
for them when they release new music.) Sometimes it’s
really that easy. You just have to ask!
4
Maximize If you’re working with a publicist, you may already have a
press strategy in place for your release, but if not, try to
PRO TIP
AWAL artists Now, Now
When reaching out to press for any reason, make sure received great publicity
to include everything they might need for a review from NPR Music around their
or feature, including a current bio, one-sheet, hi-res latest release “Yours” and
photos, and streaming links and/or downloadable made sure to pin it to the
tracks. Try sending everything together via a virtual top of their social channels
EPK or even a Dropbox folder. for maximum exposure.
RELEASE DAY 5 RELEASE PARTY 31
5
Plan a Special It’s your release day, so that’s reason enough to celebrate,
right? Consider giving your music some love by planning a
Release Show special release show or other event to promote your new
music. Many artists opt to throw a release bash complete with
or Party
a live set at a venue they’ve frequented in the past (such as
one that served as their “home base” in the early days) or
jump on a bill with friends and keep the party rolling all night.
6
Livestream a What if the bulk of your fanbase
is elsewhere (for example, if you
Also consider simply going live
on your Facebook, Instagram,
or Live Set
travel back for your release day)
or the type of music you make If anyone purchases your album
isn’t exactly conducive to playing during the party (which you may or
live? Hold a virtual release party may not be able to see depending
via one of these platforms: on which platforms you’re using
for distribution), make sure to
Google Hangouts thank them. For an added bonus,
you can even think about telling
Concert Window anyone who buys a song or full
album you’ll make up a tune using
Stageit their name live during the party.
Get fun and get creative! Any
DaCast incentive to engage your audience
SharkStream will help you achieve your ultimate
release-day goals.
IBM Cloud Video
(formerly Ustream)
Livestream
Gigee (currently in the
process of re-launching)
RELEASE DAY 7 Q&A 33
7
Hold a Even if you’re also planning a show in
real life, invite your hardcore listeners,
forge a relationship with it the very first
time they hear it. Even in a virtual arena,
Real-Time
friends, family, and fellow artists to join having a direct conversation with fans
you from the comfort of their own living about what your music means and the
rooms earlier in the day via Facebook intention behind it adds gravitas to your
consider holding a Q&A session where Okay, you’ve successfully put out your
you can share some of the stories behind album and had a killer release day.
the songs on your album. Congrats! The hard work is over now,
right? Not quite.
Believe it or not, they might be a little
intimidated, but by showing your goofy Once you’ve put something out there
side, you’ll put them at ease. If they’re into the world, you want it to remain
still radio-silent, go with it and shift relevant and fresh for as long as
into concert mode by playing acoustic possible. It’d be a tragedy to share
versions of your tunes. something you’ve worked so hard on to
only have it be forgotten over the course
By bringing people who love your music of a week. That’s why an artist’s work is
into your world in such an intimate way, never really done, and it’s important to
as opposed to a straight-up concert keep engagement with your listeners
experience, you’re deepening the already alive well past your actual release day.
PRO TIP existing bond there and breaking down Here are some of the best ways to do
If you’re feeling ambitious or want to walls. You’re also creating a connection just that.
turn your release day into an online between your listeners and your new
marathon, consider combining a full live
set with a Q&A session for the ultimate material; they’re getting to know the
virtual bash! heart and soul behind your album and
POST-RELEASE DAY 34
POST-RELEASE DAY
POST-RELEASE DAY 1 AD CONTENT 35
1
Change In the previous section, we mentioned the importance of
having paid ads. This is a surefire way to make sure your
Content
forgotten to actually stream your music. Changing up your
paid advertisements to share different content surrounding
the release is a gentle way to remind your fans to listen to
your music. For example, you could throw some advertising
dollars behind a link to some great press like a review to
make sure your share gets noticed. Having a post-release
day timeline and content plan is just as important as having
a pre-release plan.
PRO TIP
AWAL members
Coasts did a fantastic
job putting a little
promotional backing
behind the release of
their summer album
This Life to grab some
extra listeners.
POST-RELEASE DAY 2 POSTING VIDEO CONTENT 37
2
Post and Promote If you planned for these elements in your pre-release
strategy, now’s the time to unveil them to the world.
Your Video Content Videos are a great way to essentially reintroduce your
music to the world after it’s already been released. It
gives music you may have released two weeks ago a
fresh, new feel. You could also try sharing other people
playing your track, whether as a cover or as played by a
DJ at a club. Covers and remixes are another great way
to resurface music which has already been released.
3
Encourage Fans Just as we recommended you to do a social media contest
encouraging users to share feedback on your song or
to Share Their release via a custom hashtag, you could also encourage
your followers to share their own personal covers, edits, or
Own Covers or
remixes of your song in exchange for retweets and support
on your end. It’s a way to garner support for both you and
lesser known artists.
Remixes
POST-RELEASE DAY 4 THANK THE PRESS 39
4
Say “Thanks” We can’t say enough how important it is to thank everyone
who supports you every step along the way. Shoutout all
5
Use Your Now that you have a new release and are (hopefully) getting
tons of attention, the time is right to pitch yourself to talent
Book Shows
playing music at a large venue, coffee shop, art show, music
festival, or in your local subway station — you’re still getting
noticed and have a reason to be there, which is to promote
your newest release. As we’ve said before, performing live
shows is a great way to bring music which you have already
released back to the forefront of everyone’s mind.