The Music Marketing Checklist
What should be on an independent artist’s music marketing checklist?
Quick Answer
A complete music marketing checklist covers five zones: assets (masters, edits, artwork), profiles (every DSP and social claimed and matching), pre-release (pitching, pre-saves, DJ service), release week (content and outreach), and post-release (working reactions into playlists, radio, and bookings).
Zone 1, Assets
- Mastered WAV, clean edit, instrumental
- 3000×3000 artwork + alternate crops for social
- Metadata sheet: exact artist name, title, features, producers, songwriter splits, BPM, genre
- ISRC assigned (your distributor usually handles this)
- Press photo and a 2 to 3 sentence bio that names your city and sound
Zone 2, Profiles
- Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists claimed
- Same name, photo, and bio on every platform
- Link-in-bio page with the new single on top
- YouTube channel set up with the single scheduled (even as visualizer)
Zone 3, Pre-Release (3 to 4 Weeks Out)
- Distribution submitted with 3+ weeks lead time
- Spotify editorial pitch submitted from Spotify for Artists
- Pre-save link live and pinned
- Record serviced to DJs, clean/dirty/instrumental into a record pool so working DJs have it before street date
- Teaser content: 3 to 5 short clips scheduled
Zone 4, Release Week
- Verify the song is live on all DSPs at midnight
- All links updated everywhere, same hour
- Personal messages (not blasts) to your 20 to 50 real supporters
- Post daily; repost every DJ spin, playlist add, and fan share
Zone 5, Post-Release
- Collect proof: DJ feedback, spin reports, playlist adds, crowd clips
- Pitch independent curators and mixshows with that proof attached
- Push a second content wave at week 3 to 4 (video, remix, acoustic)
- Log what worked; feed it into the next release
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most commonly skipped item on this checklist?
DJ service. Most independent artists cover distribution and social content but never put the record in front of working DJs, which is the step that generates real-world plays and the proof that everything downstream (radio, playlists, press) responds to.
How early should I start this checklist?
Six weeks before release is comfortable. Zones 1 and 2 can be done any time, do them today, they carry over to every future release.
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