Most independent artists lose money on their first release. Not because the music is bad — because the rollout is.

Here's what actually matters:

1. Release on Friday. Every major platform updates their editorial playlists on Friday. Releasing any other day means you're invisible during the biggest discovery window of the week.

2. Submit to playlists 3-4 weeks early. Spotify's editorial team needs at least 2 weeks. Most artists submit the day before and wonder why they got 47 streams.

3. Your cover art matters more than you think. A scroll-stopping cover gets 3-5x more saves. Invest $20-50 in a good designer or use Canva Pro. No selfies.

4. Pre-saves are overrated. Pre-adds aren't. Focus on getting people to add your song to their library on Apple Music. That signals the algorithm harder than a pre-save ever will.

5. Don't release and disappear. The first 7 days determine everything. Post daily content, share your Spotify link everywhere, and engage with every single comment.

I built ReleaseHQ because too many artists are making great music but fumbling the business side. If you want a community that actually helps you grow, we're here.

Let's distribute your songs worldwide