How to Release Your First Single: A Step-by-Step Guide
From picking a release date to pitching playlists — everything a first-time artist needs to get a single live on Spotify, Apple Music and 150+ stores without paying a rupee upfront.
Releasing your first single is a milestone — and it is far simpler than most new artists expect. Here is the exact process, in the order that works.
1. Finish the master, then leave it alone
Stores accept WAV or FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz or better. Bounce your final master once, check it on headphones, in a car and on a phone speaker, and then stop touching it. Endless last-minute tweaks are the most common reason release dates slip.
2. Get your artwork right the first time
Cover art must be a 3000×3000 pixel square JPG or PNG. No URLs, no social handles, no pricing, no store logos — every store rejects these, and a rejection costs you days. Keep text minimal and readable at thumbnail size, because that is how 95% of listeners will see it.
3. Pick a date at least three weeks out
Distribution itself takes only a day or two, but a lead time of 3–4 weeks lets stores process your release properly and gives you time to pitch. Fridays are the industry convention, but for a new artist a quieter weekday can actually help you stand out.
4. Fill in your metadata carefully
Your artist name, track title and credits must match everywhere — exactly. Decide once how your name is spelled and capitalised, and use that form on every release, your social profiles and your streaming profiles. Mismatched names create duplicate artist pages that take weeks to merge.
5. Upload and submit
Create your release, upload the master and artwork, add your credits and lyrics, choose worldwide territories unless you have a reason not to, and submit. Our review team checks every release for store-readiness before delivery, so problems get caught before a store sees them.
6. Use the lead time
While the release is in the pipeline: claim your artist profiles, prepare a pre-save link, tell your mailing list, and plan the first week of posts. The release date is the start of the campaign, not the end of it.
That is the whole process. No upload fees, no annual charges — create a free account and your first single can be on its way to stores today.