How to Release Your First Song: The Whole Checklist
Published · updated · by Loopin
The gap between “the song is done” and “the song is out” is mostly admin. None of it is difficult, but missing a step costs you weeks — here is the whole sequence in order.
Finish the audio properly
You need a final stereo mix you are genuinely happy with, then a master. Do not skip mastering because you are “only” releasing a first single — an unmastered file will sit noticeably quieter and duller than everything around it in a playlist, and that comparison happens whether you invited it or not.
Export a WAV, not an MP3. Distributors want the highest quality source you have; they generate the lossy versions themselves. Uploading an MP3 means the listener hears a lossy file that was made from another lossy file.
Artwork and the boring rules
Cover art needs to be square, at least 3000 × 3000 pixels, RGB, and free of anything the platforms reject — no URLs, no social handles, no pricing, no logos of streaming services. Text on the cover must match the release title exactly.
This is the single most common reason a release gets rejected and delayed. Check the spec before you commission or design anything, because re-doing artwork after a rejection costs you your release date.
Metadata is not an afterthought
Decide your artist name and spell it identically everywhere, forever. Get the track title right, including capitalisation, and list every featured artist properly rather than putting them in the title. Credit your songwriters and producers.
This is the data that follows your song around for its entire life. Fixing it later means a takedown and re-upload on some platforms, which resets your streaming numbers on that release. Slow down and get it right once.
Pick a distributor and schedule properly
DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby all do the same core job with different pricing models — annual per-artist, per-release, or one-off. For a first single any of them is fine; the differences matter more once you have a catalogue.
Submit at least three to four weeks before your release date. This is not padding: editorial playlist pitching requires lead time, and platforms need days to process. Same-week releases go out with zero chance of editorial support.
Release week
Pitch to Spotify’s editors through Spotify for Artists as soon as the release is delivered and before it goes live — that submission is also what makes the track eligible for Release Radar for your existing followers.
On the day, the useful work is unglamorous: make sure the links work, share something that shows the song rather than announcing it, and reply to everyone who engages. The algorithmic push comes from early save rate and repeat listens, not from the number of posts you make.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I schedule my first release?
Three to four weeks minimum. Editorial playlist pitching needs lead time, and platforms need several days to process a delivery. Anything shorter and you have given up on editorial support before you started.
Do I need to master a song before releasing it?
Yes. An unmastered file sits noticeably quieter and duller next to everything else in a playlist. Even a free automatic master closes most of that gap.
What size should cover art be?
Square, at least 3000 x 3000 pixels, RGB. No URLs, social handles, pricing or streaming-service logos, and any text must match the release title exactly. Artwork rejections are the most common cause of a delayed release.