Specific Release Times: The Best Time to Release Music
Timing is everything when it comes to releasing music. While there’s no one-size-fits-all exact ‘best time’ your music can go live, having a solid understanding of music industry trends, listener behaviour, and Spotify algorithms can massively help you increase the impact of your next release.
If you’re an independent artist or a label planning a major launch for your next superstar, releasing at the right time can make all the difference in your music's reach and engagement.
When is the best time to release music?
There are many different times and seasons you can choose to release your music around.
If you make upbeat, feel-good dance music, you might want to focus on the summer months and give your music the chance of being played at festivals.
On the other hand, you might make heavier-hitting rock music that is more suited to the colder and darker winter months. It all depends on your own personal preferences.
What is the best day to release music?
If you’re an independent artist wondering when to release new music, you won’t go far wrong with choosing Friday. It’s been the industry standard for years, largely due to how the official charts work.
In 2015, Billboard updated their tracking cycle to run from Friday to Thursday, meaning songs released at the start of that period had a better chance of reaching the top of the charts.
Ditto artists can register music for official charts through our Release Builder
Streaming platform data supports this theory too, with Spotify and Bandcamp both seeing peak listening hours on Fridays between the hours of 10am and 3pm. Spotify even build playlists around this system, updating their renowned Release Radar and New Music Friday playlists just before the weekend. Oh, and let’s not forget Bandcamp Fridays, where artists keep 100% of their profits on the first Friday of each month.
It’s not all about having that Friday feeling though. Other days can also work, sometimes even better.
Tuesdays/Wednesdays
If you want to avoid the Friday flood of new releases, midweek can be a strategic choice, especially for independent artists who want less competition. If everyone is focusing on Fridays, then you might have a better chance of standing out from the crowd dropping on Tuesday evening. Could be worth a go.
Sundays
Although rarely favoured by the modern day musician, a Sunday launch can be great for surprise drops or if your audience is more engaged over the weekend.
Thursdays
Thursday can also be a solid option for building momentum ahead of the weekend while avoiding the rush of Friday releases.
It all comes down to understanding your audience’s listening habits. But if you’re ever in doubt, Friday is a pretty safe bet!
When should I release my music?
Fridays have become the industry standard for music releases. Major labels and DSPs push new music on this day - take Spotify’s New Music Fridays for example - making it the best choice if you want to align with industry trends.
Many streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music refresh their biggest playlists on Fridays, increasing your chances of your latest tracks getting featured.
On top of this, official chart tracking also often begins on Fridays, giving artists a full week to accumulate streams and sales before the big announcement the following week.
While industry norms favour Friday releases, the best time for your music ultimately depends on your audience, marketing strategy, and goals. If you really want to find out the best day and time to release music, then experiment with different days and times, track your results, and refine your approach based on what works best for your fanbase.
Whenever you decide to release music, make sure you submit it along with everything at least 3-4 weeks prior to your desired release date. This gives us, your distributor, and the stores you want to send music to, plenty of time to get everything in line for the perfect release. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail and all that.