The Indie Distributor Project

The Single Release Guide

How to plan, release and promote one song: artwork, timeline, Spotify, Bandcamp, press and the first month after. Everything we think you should know, with worksheets.

A 62-page PDF with 19 fillable worksheets.

What it is

A single is one song, but it takes a lot of small decisions: the artwork and its size, when to upload, how to pitch Spotify, whether a Bandcamp pre-order makes sense, what to post and when, who to email and what to say. The Single Release Guide walks you through all of it in order, with a 12-week timeline, templates for the press release and pitch email, and honest notes on what works and what's a scam. It covers the Canadian specifics too (SOCAN, MAPL, FACTOR, Canadian outlets and campus radio).

What's inside

The 12-week timelineCount back from your release Friday: what to finish, upload, pitch and post, and when. Includes how early to upload and when to pitch Spotify.

Artwork, sizes and specsHow to decide on a concept, the sizes platforms expect (3000 x 3000), who can make it, and a brief you can hand to a designer.

Press, playlists and YouTubeA press release and pitch email template, how to find outlets, campus radio, Spotify playlist curators and YouTube channels, and how to spot scams.

Pre-saves, pre-orders and BandcampWhy and how to run a pre-save or pre-order, how Bandcamp works for a single, and a social media plan for before and after release, plus radio, cover songs, lyrics and sync licensing.

Also inside: release sequencing, singles ahead of an EP, artwork across a series, the drip strategy and what the algorithm rewards, radio (campus, CBC, commercial, satellite), cover-song licensing, rights registrations, lyrics and Canvas on Spotify, music videos (lyric video vs. visualizer vs. live-off-the-floor, YouTube vs. Vimeo, Topic channels), sync licensing for TV and streaming, metadata and credits, distributors, Spotify for Artists and Apple pitching, YouTube Official Artist Channels, release-day run sheet, budget and funding, and a results review.

Good to know: The Single Release Guide is general information for independent artists, with a Canadian focus. Platform rules, fees and deadlines change, so check the official sources. It does not guarantee streams, press coverage, playlist placements, income or grants.

The Single Release Guide

Guide + 19 fillable worksheets · PDF

$19.00CAD + HST

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