1. Lock the release identity before delivery

• Use the exact artist name you intend to keep using. Small spelling, punctuation or collaborator-name differences can create mapping and catalog confusion.
• Confirm songwriter, producer, featured-artist and other credits. Do not wait until after release to reconstruct who did what.
• Use the distributor’s metadata fields. Do not assume tags embedded in the audio file will replace the information your distributor requires.
• Confirm title, version labels and artwork before delivery. Corrections may be possible later, but some changes can create delays or require distributor support.
• Keep your rights and process records. For AI-generated or AI-assisted work, preserve drafts, source files, licenses, tool terms and meaningful human contribution where relevant.

2. Leave enough time before release

Spotify currently says that if you pitch an eligible unreleased track through Spotify for Artists at least seven days before release, the selected song also gets into your followers’ Release Radar. That is a minimum Spotify-specific planning marker, not necessarily the ideal distributor lead time.

Your distributor may recommend more time for delivery, artist mapping, corrections, pre-release marketing or other DSP requirements. Build backward from the release date instead of uploading at the last minute.

Spotify editorial pitching guidance · Release Radar guidance

3. Claim and verify the correct Spotify for Artists profile

4. Make the public profile worth arriving at

• Use current artist images and a bio that match the identity behind the catalog.
• Check your social and external links where available.
• Use Artist Pick intentionally to point visitors toward the release, playlist, event or catalog entry that matters now.
• Review how the profile looks on mobile, not only inside the artist dashboard.
• For every major release, confirm that artwork, title, collaborators and credits appear as expected.

Spotify for Artists analytics can help you understand listeners and sources after release. Use the data to learn; do not turn every fluctuation into an “algorithm rule.”

5. Pitch the release without pretending a pitch is a guarantee

Eligible unreleased music can be submitted through Spotify for Artists for editorial consideration. Spotify’s playlist pitching is free. A pitch can provide useful context about the release, but it does not guarantee editorial placement.

Use accurate genre, mood, instrumentation, culture and release context. If there is real press, a tour, collaboration or campaign plan relevant to the pitch, include it. Do not manufacture claims just to make the pitch look bigger.

6. Separate setup from promotion

Once the profile, metadata, delivery and pitch are in order, you can evaluate the promotion tools that actually fit the release. Spotify’s current promotion ecosystem includes free editorial pitching, Discovery Mode for eligible music, paid Marquee and Showcase campaigns, profile surfaces, Shopify merch, Fan Support, live events and—on eligible accounts—full-length video.

7. Run this final release-day QA

• Correct artist profile.
• Correct song/album title and version.
• Correct artwork.
• Correct featured artists and public credits.
• Spotify for Artists access works.
• Artist Pick/profile destination is current.
• Pitch completed when eligible and useful.
• No guaranteed-stream or guaranteed-playlist service is attached to the campaign.
• The listener has a sensible next step after hearing the song.

Reviewed September 17, 2026 against current Spotify for Artists and Spotify Support guidance. Distributor workflows and Spotify features can change, so verify the current instructions that apply to your account and release before publishing.