How To Promote A Single In 2025 (THE 60-DAY PLAN)

My 60-Day Plan For Promoting Your Music Using Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook & More

Music Marketing Trends is a Newsletter by Jesse Cannon that breaks down how musicians really get their music heard. If you know a story we should be telling or an artist we should cover just hit reply to this email.

PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC WITH PLAYLIST PUSH

WHY PLAYLIST PUSH?

Safely Grow Your Spotify Streams: Our AI-powered targeting connects your song to the right curators reaching over 4,000 verified playlists. 

Trusted by 25,000+ artists & labels: Playlist Push is an established industry partner supporting thousands of artists, labels, and managers for over 7 years.

US-based Customer Success Team: You can always reach a member of the team to help with your campaign.

1,100 Reviews and 4.5 Stars on TrustPilot: The feedback from artists of all sizes speaks for itself, from independent to major acts.

Use code Musformation15 at checkout for 15% off your first campaign

So a few years ago I made you all a 60-day plan to promote your song, and heard from a lot of you how much it helped - getting new fans to hear your music and having a plan to stick by and build from. Times have changed, and so have the apps that help promote your music, so I needed to update it. In this newsletter, I'm going to give you a plan with some theory on how I would promote any new single using my joke band and Incel Hypebeast's new hit song "Meet Cute at the Purge." While we'll have some fun along the way, everything here is serious for your music. I'm going to show you what I would post each day of the singles promotion to be as effective as possible so you can draw from this and learn how to promote yourself.

So before we get started, you might get confused if you don't know about my method of releasing songs every 4-8 weeks and why that's the most effective pace. The video explaining this approach is linked here - you might want to check it out for context.

Preparation:

Before we dive into promotion, let's talk about preparation. The most crucial step is creating content in advance - ideally for 2-3 songs, covering about 6 months of promotion. And if you're thinking that's unrealistic, this video is especially for you.

We always emphasize that consistent, sustained promotion is key to music success. The "consistent" part usually falls apart when you don't have content ready ahead of time. Life happens - maybe you're dealing with heartbreak, maybe you're stuck in bed for two weeks after that Instagram model who posts Amazon return fit pics leaves you on read. But if you've prepared your content in advance, your promotion keeps running even when you're not at 100%.

This advance preparation does two things: it keeps your momentum going through rough patches, and it signals to the industry that you're serious about your music. Remember, opportunities often go to artists making consistent moves - and staying consistent is much easier when you've done the work upfront.

Checklist Before You Release:

You’ll need to have the following ready for your next 2 songs:

  • Both songs mastered

  • 2 minimum viable videos (watch this to understand what these are)

  • 2 Lyric videos or visualizers

  • 2 Music videos

  • Promotional assets:

    • Cover artwork + digital media

    • Behind-the-scenes footage

    • Grid-worthy photos and videos for storytelling

Once you've got all this ready, you're set to start promoting your songs.

Release on Tuesday

Let me explain why Tuesday is now our ideal release day. While I've always recommended Tuesday through Thursday releases, I've narrowed it down to Tuesday specifically. Here's why:

Fridays are packed with releases from major artists - your music risks getting lost in that flood when fans already have their fix of new music. Weekends (Saturday/Sunday) see lower social media activity, plus people are still catching up with Friday's releases. Monday? Everyone's swamped with work emails and catching up from the weekend.

Tuesday gives you the maximum number of weekdays to build momentum and break your song. Through recent experimentation, I've found it performs slightly better than my previous Wednesday recommendation - that's actually one of the main reasons for updating this strategy.

Get your free day-by-day promotion schedule spreadsheet to know exactly what to post during your release.

Pre-Release Strategy

Think of this promotion plan as stacking small stones rather than hauling boulders. Instead of grinding constantly, you'll flood social media just twice - on release day and when your music video drops. The rest of the time, you're sharing stories and gentle reminders that keep your song in people's minds while building deeper connections with your audience. This natural rhythm prevents burnout and gives you space to nurture your community and keep writing new music.

The New Method:

I've recently changed my thinking about pre-release strategy, and I want to share something that's working better than those standard 14-day promo plans you see everywhere. For the two weeks before your song drops, use Tribly - a free service where you can offer song previews or downloads in exchange for fan contact info. This direct connection is crucial because even your most dedicated fans can miss announcements in today's "For You" page world. It's a strange reality - someone could follow you on every platform and still miss your posts because of how algorithms filter content. But when you have their email or phone number, you can ensure your core supporters know exactly when to stream at midnight on release day. Those early streams drive up your popularity score, boosting your algorithmic performance on Spotify and YouTube, and increasing your chances of landing on editorial playlists.

Mass Send Email + Text at Midnight

Timing your midnight release message is crucial - when fans give you their email or phone number, they're showing they care enough to listen repeatedly. Send that "song is live" announcement right as it drops, so it's waiting in their inbox when they wake up. These are the listeners who will naturally boost your popularity score through multiple streams.

Don’t Tease

Now, about teasing your song before release - I know it's tempting to follow what major artists do on short-form video. But here's the thing: their strategy works because they already have a dedicated fanbase who will listen repeatedly. When you're building your audience, premature teasing can actually work against you. Those potential fans who connect with your teaser can't immediately go listen and get hooked on the full song. If you really want to preview your music, use Tribly to give fans downloadable previews - this builds their relationship with you through repeated listening. But honestly, I still recommend holding off on teasers until you can convert that interest into actual streams.

The New Music Video Strategy (MVVs)

Let's clear up the strategy for music videos in this minimum viable video era. Many of you are ready to just say "f**k this music video thing" and stick to MVVs since they're getting crazy views with little investment. That's fine - but instead of dropping your MVV on release day, save it for your main music video moment 4 weeks after release.

For day one, just create something simple with motion - like five rotating pictures or a looped video slice. This gives you content that'll keep those broken brains from scrolling TikTok, Reels, and Shorts all day engaged while you're promoting your release. But by saving your stronger MVV for later, you get that second big promotional moment. Look at Tommy Richman's approach with Million Dollar Baby - he uploaded an insanely simple visualizer for the initial release.

And then later posted an MVV using simple party footage and on-screen lyrics for a song that hit number two on the billboard.

My typical release timeline works like this:

  • Day 1: simple motion video,

  • 2 weeks later: a lyric video or visualizer,

  • 2 weeks after that: your main music video (or stronger MVV),

  • 2 weeks after that: an alternate version if you want to keep promotion heavy.

Remember, while big-concept music videos fans will share are great, you don't need them if you can't afford them or don't have the time. Just make sure you have something with motion from day one, then drop your main MVV later for maximum impact.

You Need More Videos

Multiple videos per release is becoming a proven strategy, particularly in K-pop where data-driven marketing leads the industry. For example, Le SSERAFIM’s "Crazy" leveraged 15 different video formats - from trailers and dance practices to behind-the-scenes content and fan reaction features. The data shows that audiences consistently engage with varied video content from artists they follow. This multi-format approach maximizes engagement by giving fans multiple ways to connect with each release.

Release Day (Make Noise!)

Think of release day like your birthday - it's your day to make noise. On day one, you'll launch your song across streaming platforms and put out a minimum viable video.

The SFV Mistake

When it comes to Short Form Videos (SFVs like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts), you need a different mindset. Unlike traditional platforms, SFVs can reach total strangers even if you have zero followers. Most importantly, these videos typically build their viewership over time rather than exploding on day one.

This is where many artists get it wrong. They think they need their strongest SFV content right at launch, but that's not the case. Just like you wouldn't lead with your absolute best track in a release strategy, you want to be strategic with your SFV rollout.

Since the first video of a sound on TikTok gets pinned to the top in searches, your day-one video needs to tell the story. When people search the artist's name, they'll find who wrote the song and what it's called, making it easy to find on streaming platforms. While Instagram and YouTube don't exactly have this feature yet, it’s only a matter of time until they copy it from TikTok - it's just too good at introducing a cold audience who doesn't know who you are.

Where to Direct Fans To:

Let's also remember though that in the first phase of this we really want to drive people to Spotify for the first two weeks of this until you put out your lyric video since we want to ignite that algorithm first. The YouTube algorithm will get ignited as we go along. At first, you want to just link inbound to Spotify. Don't care about using one of those link trees that links to all the other platforms. The people who use those know how to find songs since they're used to being ignored. But once your video is out I do want to emphasize linking to YouTube over and over. 

SFV Strategy

Okay, but let’s go back to SFVs for a moment—I want to break that down a bit differently than we have before on my channel. Since I’ve been doing dissections on my members-only feed, I’ve noticed some new patterns emerging and strategies that seem to work for artists who blow up.

The Four-Format Method

The most successful artists typically alternate between four distinct video formats, continuously refining each type. This creates a sustainable content rhythm while building audience engagement.

To move beyond random posting, artists need to first develop their signature take on each format. This provides the foundation for systematic rotation between different content types. As they create more content, they should focus on incremental improvements to each format through careful iteration. Throughout this process, maintaining consistent themes while varying execution helps build a recognizable but dynamic presence.

The key is identifying your four core video types that align with your artistic identity and audience interests. These could include:

  • POV-style content that showcases your perspective

  • Viral-worthy interpretations of your music

  • Behind-the-scenes introductions to you and your work

  • Live performance footage and concert moments

The 7 Effective SFV Formats:

1. Audience-Finding Videos

The first phase of building an audience focuses on "audience finding" videos - content that discusses your music genre and similar artists. This approach is strategically effective because short-form video platforms use these topics to identify and serve your content to viewers who are most likely to engage with new artists in your space.

This tactic is particularly valuable when starting with a smaller follower base, as it helps the platform's algorithm connect you with your target audience. It forms the foundation of a broader content strategy that will typically involve creating 30-60 videos over time.

2. Lip Sync/ Performance Videos

Create 5-10 lip sync or performance videos in these first weeks after your audience-finding content. They don't have to be cheesy - adapt them to fit your aesthetic. These are worth prioritizing since they're currently performing well for artists, plus they're quick to make and accessible to everyone.

3. POV Videos

Next, create 5 POV videos featuring your song's hook paired with emotional scenarios that match your lyrics. For these, you'll capture the viewer's imagined reaction while listening to your track. For example, with a song like "Meet Cute at the Purge," you'd take a picture showing what happens when you find the love of your life at the purge in the club.

4. Concept Videos

Then create 5-10 concept videos that transform your song into potential trends. Study the short-form platforms to develop ideas that encourage viewers to use your hook in their own creative ways. The goal is to find a broader connection between your lyrics and relatable situations that inspire others to participate and recreate.

5. BTS Videos

You should also make 5 behind-the-scenes videos that are fun vlogs or documentary-style videos of what you do with your life. These can be in the studio making your video or anything of the like. 

6. Slideshows

Then you can create slideshows, which do great in the algorithm. Take Good Neighbors as an example - their first song hit 100 million streams in 60 days, and they were mostly doing these slideshows where they matched their song's emotion to visuals with prompts and lyrics. You can make it into a trend by meta-describing what the lyrics are about and getting people to bond with it. And then as your song catches on, you'll hopefully get user-generated content with people using your songs, and you can do duets or react to those as much as you'd like.

7. Embodying the Emotion Videos

A major trend I’m noticing on short-form platforms is that artists who fully embody the emotion of their song are the ones really blowing up. Even something as low-fi as Gigi Perez lying in bed, looking depressed, and singing about exactly that—being depressed in bed—can resonate powerfully.

How to Execute:

Key Focus

The key is platform diversity and consistent posting rather than strict scheduling. After initial audience-building content, focus on maintaining a steady stream of content across platforms.

The core approach focuses on distributing content widely. Post consistently across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts without prioritizing any single platform initially. Success can emerge on any platform regardless of genre, so it's crucial to test performance across all of them. Once you notice stronger traction on a particular platform, you can increase your focus there while maintaining a presence on others.

Implementation

For implementation, begin with audience-finding content, then cycle through different content types regularly. Take advantage of cross-posting features, such as sharing Instagram content to Facebook, for maximum efficiency with minimal extra effort.

The landscape has evolved significantly - previous assumptions about TikTok dominance no longer hold true. Each platform now offers equal potential for breakthrough success, making it essential to maintain a presence across all major short-form video channels until you find your most responsive audience.

Success depends on persistent testing across platforms rather than limiting yourself to a single channel. Keep pushing your content consistently while staying alert to where it gains the most traction. This adaptable approach allows you to discover and capitalize on the platform that works best for your specific content and audience.

Day 2 (storytelling)

Day two focuses on storytelling through Instagram, using both Stories and grid posts to deepen engagement with your song. The key is generating meaningful conversation around the song's narrative while having socially adept team members actively engage with comments to maximize reach and connection.

This approach not only maintains momentum but transforms casual listeners into invested audience members through strategic social interaction.

The Common Mistake

At this point, people might start mentioning your song in their stories. Here’s where most artists make a mistake: they overshare those reposts instead of only rewarding the best few to keep your engagement high. if you’re worried about disappointing fans who shared but weren't reposted, send them an audio message in their DMs with a personal thank you - this works better than a quiet repost and ramps up their enthusiasm even more.

SFV

Post another video of your song - ideally an audience-finding video. If you don't have one ready, use a text overlay video: lyrics over a background. The key is to keep using the same hook of your song in every SFV from this point forward.

Cross-Platform Posts

Your stories can also go on Twitter/X, Threads, and BlueSky. All these platforms work well for picture and text story posts, so share them there to drive more traffic. Threads work especially well for pushing content to Instagram, but for Twitter/X and BlueSky, avoid reposting TikToks and Reels since they don't perform well there right now. Instead, use those platforms to promote your Spotify and YouTube videos.

Day 3 (Stagger)

Keep promoting your song through short-form videos and stories on Instagram and TikTok, similar to day 2. The key difference now is understanding staggering strategy across platforms.

Recent survey data from avid music fans reveals most check YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram weekly. This creates an opportunity: instead of posting simultaneously across platforms (which can reduce watch time), stagger your posts 3-7 days apart. When viewers encounter your content on different days across platforms, they're more likely to engage repeatedly rather than scroll past familiar content.

Choose which platform to prioritize based on your testing results. While staggering can boost engagement, it's not mandatory for success - many artists achieve significant reach posting simultaneously. The strategy should match your management capacity.

Day 4 (Promote Artist Playlist)

On day 4 it's now Friday and is the perfect time to put your Spotify artist playlist to work. While everyone's competing for attention with new releases, you can actually use this to your advantage – update your playlist with the best new tracks from your micro-genre and let people know it's fresh. Since Friday is when everyone's hunting for new music, share that update across Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky, and drop it in your Instagram story.

These playlists are seriously effective for building fans through Spotify's algorithm – they create these cool connections where you start getting recommended to fans of similar artists. And since your song's been out for a bit, make sure you've added your basic video to your YouTube singles playlist and give that a share too, keeping everything in rotation.

Remember to tag the smaller artists you include – it's a great way to build connections in your scene while helping your playlist get more traction.

SFV

And you obviously want to put up more short form videos today. And some of you are like "Jessie how many of these are we gonna do?" Well, artists are breaking through by posting 30-60 short-form videos, going from completely unknown to hundreds of thousands or even millions of plays. The beauty of short-form video platforms and the For You page era is they'll surface that video repeatedly. So it's time to make another SFV – show some behind-the-scenes footage or something fun that shows your personality over it.

Day 5-6 (Personality Posts)

So for days 5 and 6, we're hitting the weekend. Since less people are on social media then, I try to keep promo light. One of the cool things about dropping on Tuesday instead of Friday is you don't have to fight that uphill battle of day 2 and 3 promo during the weekend. Instead, you've already built 4 days of momentum.

Focus on Your Song’s Feeling

The weekend is perfect for personality posts - show yourself in your insta stories, share pictures on short-form text apps. But here's what's key: give an emotional reason to listen to your song instead of just saying "Out Now." Listeners connect way more with that emotional pitch. Like with my song "Meet Cute at the Purge" - I could say "I found a special love on a special weird day that no one would likely find it. Have you ever felt that? Well, go listen to my new song."

We're trying to make content that's fun and emotional instead of just straight promotion. It should feel human and give people more reason to listen. And remember this psychology - music is basically a mood-altering drug that makes you feel how you want to feel. So tell people how they'll feel when they listen.

The key to these posts is showing the potential feeling your track creates. If it's a slow classical piano piece, maybe post some rain on glass. If it's named something like Meet Cute at the Purge, talk about finding love in strange places. Keep it simple - you can use movie clips, b-roll, whatever. Unsplash is great for free footage you can use in your videos if you need somewhere to star

Day 7 (Tell Stories)

Day 7 is about bridging platforms and diving into your song's story. Make a Facebook post and share it on your Instagram stories with a picture. This reminds your fans they can follow you on their preferred platform - especially if it gets them off Facebook onto Instagram or TikTok where you're more active. Reposting from other apps to your Instagram stories subtly hints to fans where else they can find you.

Now's when we dig into your song's story. This could be behind-the-scenes content or deeper background. Remember how you should write your stories down in 5 different ways? It's time to tell your song's story in another one of those ways. Post that story version and share it across your socials.

For those new here thinking "What's this about stories?" - storytelling is how you actually blow up on social media. There's a whole playlist about this linked in the description.

Day 8 (Share Something Vulnerable)

It's day 8 - your song's been out a week. A great way to get real engagement here is by sharing something vulnerable that connects to your song. Like with our example song “Meet Cute at the Purge,” you could say something like “I realized I was being self-destructive. I loved my life but wasn't acting like it, so I had to change. And while I was out there lashing out during the Purge, that's when I met the love of my life.”

Being vulnerable like this is what really connects with people and makes your posts feel like events worth paying attention to.

Day 9 & 10  (Recontextualize)

On day 9, we're recontextualizing your song. Take your hook and match it with new imagery - could be you doing something that fits the emotion, a movie scene, or even a meme. The goal is attaching your music to something that gets that hook playing and stuck in people's heads. By now those audience-finding videos should be wrapping up and hopefully building you a following.

Day 10 follows the same strategy - keep finding fresh ways to present that hook.

Day 11 (Playlist Promo)

Day 11 - it's Friday again. Instead of those old Spotify music-and-talk episodes (which are discontinued anyway), create a playlist that connects your music to other artists. This builds those valuable algorithmic bonds on Spotify that help your music grow while you sleep.

Build the playlist around your local scene or find a theme that fits your style - like if you make depressing songs that sound happy, collect the best tracks that do that same thing. The key is putting your song in context with similar music, then promoting it like last week. People looking for new music can just hit play and let your playlist run.

Day 12-13 (Reach the Night Owls)

Day 12 and 13 - it's weekend time, so let's repeat what worked last week. But here's the key tweak: if you're up between 10 PM and midnight, share your song then. I've tracked clicks and noticed weird spikes during these late weekend hours. Makes sense - lots of people are home alone scrolling, and hardly anyone else is promoting music then. It's like finding this perfect pocket of solo listeners just vibing by themselves.

Day 14 (Tribly Reminder)

Day 14 - Monday again. By now, hopefully people are really vibing with your song. Time to push that Tribly offer again - trade a cover, alternate version, or unreleased track for their contact info. This catches fans at peak enthusiasm and builds your list for future releases.

Try to grab that Spotify follow too - it'll help get you into more Release Radar playlists when your next song drops. And if you've gotten any press coverage, share it now. Use that momentum to convince those holdouts that your song is worth their time.

Day 15 (Drop Lyric Video)

Day 15 - Drop your lyric video or visualizer. Talk about the visuals or mood of your song, then pull out some key lyrics and dig into them. If you don’t feel like explaining your own lyrics, break down lyrics from other artists' songs and connect them back to yours.

Day 16-18 (Lyric Video Promo)

Days 16-18 are about maximizing that lyric video. Day 16, remind everyone the video's up and add it to your YouTube playlist. Day 17, keep that same energy going.

Friday (Day 18), share that playlist of similar artists as we did two weeks ago, making sure to tag them. And here's the key - whenever your hook plays in the lyric video, clip it for short-form videos and post it. Drop the lyric video link in those comments to tie it all together.

Day 19-20 (Target the Early Birds)

Days 19-20 - same weekend approach, but with a twist: schedule both a tweet and Instagram post for early Sunday morning to catch those early birds scrolling in bed. Use Facebook Creator Studio to schedule Instagram/Facebook posts, and TweetDeck for Twitter. We're aiming to reach a different crowd than our usual weekend posts.

Day 21 (Go Live)

Do an Instagram Live with everyone who contributed to your song. If you're a solo artist, connect with another musician instead. Their followers will discover you through the natural conversation, and you'll have the perfect opportunity to play your track during the stream. For TikTok-focused artists, you can adapt this same approach using TikTok Live.

Day 22-24 (New Storytelling)

Day 22: Fresh Song Perspective

Pick an untold element of your track to spotlight - maybe a funny moment from recording, that Wikipedia reference in your lyrics, or any aspect you haven't shared yet. Keep it interesting and new.

Day 23: Lyrical Deep Dive

Take a key lyric from your song and have some fun with it. Google similar lyrics from other songs and play with the connections. Make some jokes about shared themes. This approach hits big on short-form video when done right - viewers love catching those lyrical links and will want to hear your take.

Day 24: Another Story Angle

Time to roll out another version of your song's story. Remember, you should have five different ways to tell it. Each fresh angle keeps people interested while building that deeper connection to your track.

Day 25-27 (Re-up the Conversation)

Day 25: Playlist Refresh

Update your curated playlist with fresh tracks, then share it just like you did two weeks ago. This keeps your music discovery platform active while maintaining your song's presence.

Day 26-27: Weekend Engagement

Switch up your weekend routine with interactive content. Launch a Q&A on Instagram, asking followers engaging questions that tie back to your track. Use Instagram's full toolkit - polls, question stickers, chat features - to spark genuine fan connections. Keep your regular weekend promotional activities running alongside these engagement pushes.

The key is making these interactions feel natural while keeping your song part of the conversation. Let fan responses guide the discussion and create those authentic community moments.

Day 28 (Share Your Journey & Review Data)

Look back at your path as an artist and connect it to your current track. Share a compelling image from your upcoming music video while reflecting on your growth. This creates anticipation for the video while giving the song deeper context.

Review your best-performing short-form videos to identify what resonated most. Take those winning elements and create enhanced versions this week. Rather than completely new approaches, refine and build upon what's already connecting with your audience - whether it's a particular storytelling angle, editing style, or content theme that's hitting home.

The goal is thoughtful iteration: identify your strongest content patterns and make them even more impactful, rather than starting fresh each time.

Day 29 (Music Video Release)

Hit it hard just like release day. Give your video the full promotional push, creating multiple short-form videos from key moments. Pull your catchiest hooks and most striking visuals to create shareable clips. This is your moment to reignite interest - the music video gives fans a fresh way to connect with your track.

Since it's been a month since your initial heavy promotion, this visual element creates the perfect opportunity for another big push. Music videos deepen the connection between the artist and the audience, letting them experience the song in a new dimension.

Approach this with the same energy as Day 1 of your release: full engagement, consistent posting, and strategic use of every platform's tools. The visual storytelling opens up new promotional angles while reinforcing what fans already love about the track.

Day 30 (Music Video Promo)

Update your YouTube presence by adding the music video to your playlists and removing any placeholder content like the lyric video. Share the story behind your video through YouTube Shorts, giving fans insight into the creative process.

Create a community post announcing the video's arrival, keeping your YouTube channel's momentum going after the big release. This maintains engagement while ensuring your video gets maximum visibility across the platform.

Keep the energy high - this is the culmination of your month-long rollout. The music video represents your complete creative vision, so make sure every platform reflects this milestone.

Day 31 (Maintain Momentum)

Keep your posting rhythm strong, especially on Instagram. The platform actively boosts accounts that create at least 10 reels monthly, while artists posting 3+ times weekly show consistent growth in their analytics.

Read your metrics carefully here: If your song is gaining traction, double down on your content push. If growth is slower than hoped, shift to a sustainable 3x weekly posting schedule that keeps you in the algorithm's favor without burning out.

Remember - steady, strategic posting beats sporadic bursts. Whether you're riding a wave or building for the next one, consistency is your strongest tool for long-term growth.

Day 32 (Review & Refine)

Time to refresh that Spotify playlist with similar artists and get those tags going. By now you've probably got some fan content to play with - start mixing their UGC into your posts through stitches and reposts.

Take a good look at which short-form videos hit hardest. Use your winners to build something even better. Pull the best clips from your music video, share some behind-the-scenes magic, and weave in that fan content. Keep an eye on what's working for other artists too - not just trending sounds, but their creative approaches.

Remember, these platforms never sit still. What kills it on TikTok today might shift tomorrow. Stay nimble, stay watching, and keep speaking the language of each platform in your own voice.

Day 33-35 (BTS & New Footage)

Day 33-34: BTS Release Weekend

Share those behind-the-scenes moments from your video shoot across your stories and tweets. Each clip gives fans another layer of connection to the track - telling the small stories that happened between takes and things of that nature.

Day 35: Highlight Fan Connections

Pull engaging moments from your YouTube and Instagram interactions where your personality shines through or where you've shared insights about the song. Turn these authentic exchanges into short-form content that shows who you really are.

Day 36 (Go Live Again)

Your fans have now had a week to watch your videos so tonight we're going to do an Instagram or TikTok live with everyone who was involved in the video. Directors, actors, a photographer that was involved, whoever. Invite them on one at a time and talk about the song and what else they're working on and most of all play the damn video on a device.

Open Verse Challenge

On this day you can also launch an open verse challenge where you play the hook of your song and then an instrumental afterward which can be the chorus or verse and allow it to be duetted on TikTok or Reels and hopefully users will create with it and get your hook played and have users spread your music without doing all the work which I'm sure by now you'll probably appreciate. Make sure you hashtag it with the open verse hashtag as well.

Day 37 (Tell Another Story)

Since your video has been out for a week we want to talk about one of the visuals in it give a glimpse of what's in it or make a post about it. Pick one specific detail from your video - maybe it's a unique prop, a memorable location, or an interesting camera angle - and create content focused just on that element. Focus on one detail of the video and make content about it.

Day 38 (Prep The Next Release)

Day 38 let's show you hard at work on an upcoming song but now let's play up how this latest song is just the beginning and how the song you're promoting is influencing the new one so people should follow along. Post yourself in the studio or writing room, maybe even play a tiny snippet of what you're working on, and connect it back to the current release - show how one creative project flows into the next. Let fans know this momentum isn't stopping and they'll want to stick around to see where it goes next.

Day 39 (Playlist Update)

Day 39 and I know you're going to be shocked here, but we're going to do another playlist update. Keep pushing your new song next to music similar to yours so we can hopefully get some of those artists' fans to hear your track. Seriously, it only takes an hour to update your playlist, and it's such a great promotional tool that helps with your algorithmic ties. You can even make a graphic for Instagram to promote it and tag the other artists on grid if you want to.

Day 40-42 (Review and Refine)

Look through your analytics and see if those morning posts or those late-night posts work better, then let's do what worked best again, and let's push the music video.

For day 42, make sure you've been posting behind-the-scenes stuff to your short-form videos - if you haven't done that yet, let's do it now. Then let's do the ultimate internet thirst trap: post a picture from when you were younger and put the hook of your song on your Instagram story.

We can use this on TikTok too if you've built up enough of a following there but otherwise stick to posting the various videos we went over before.

Review all your UGC and content to see what we can build on - let's make sure your best stuff is getting posted and you're constantly improving the quality of your posts.

Day 43-60 (Repeat, Refine, Remind)

So now we get to day 43 through 60 - you've got two options here. Either start fresh with a new song, or release an alternate version of your song and promote it the way we did in previous weeks. For these last two weeks, you can push your new acoustic version, remix, feature version, or whatever variation you choose, using all the techniques we've covered while mixing up everything we've been doing.

If you're not doing an alternate version, just pick from the last 45 days of promotion ideas and keep pushing the original song until your next release. Remember, in the earworm era, extended promotion is everything - you want that wave of momentum in the algorithm to keep finding new people to serve your music to.

Keep showing people you're taking the song seriously and reminding them to listen. By now you've probably picked up the rules and ideas for these patterns, so just keep those going for the next two weeks until you release your next song and start that campaign.

Can You Still Post Song A’s UGC When Promoting Song B?

Don't feel limited by timing - if a great UGC comes in for your first song while you're promoting your next one, absolutely share it. These boundaries aren't strict. Actually, lots of songs blow up because someone makes amazing UGC months after the initial release. Just look at what happened with Dasha's "Austin" this year - later UGC helped launch it into viral territory.

If you enjoyed this for $5 a month, I break down how musicians are blowing up their music in 5 videos every month. Dissecting artists like Artemas, South Arcade, Tommy Richman, RJ Pasin, Magdelena Bay, Dasha, Gigi Perez & more. We also break down what musicians need to know with the latest changes in social media and music promotion; answer your questions. I also listen to member’s music once a month. Sign up here.

Reply

or to participate.