How to Promote a Release with a Release Kit

Most releases fail quietly for one reason: the right people heard about the track too late, or not at all. The label that could have signed it got the link after the release date. The curator saw the pitch on release day, when the playlist was already set. A Release Kit fixes the "who" part of that problem. This guide covers the "when" and "how": what to prepare, which file to open each week, and what to write.

What a Release Kit is

A Release Kit is a set of contact lists for one release, filtered to your genre. A typical kit holds record labels, Spotify playlist curators and SoundCloud repost channels. Some kits add DJs who chart on Beatport or radio stations. Each list comes as its own CSV and XLSX file, with the columns that matter for that list.

A kit is not an electronic press kit. An EPK is what you send: bio, photos, music and links. A Release Kit is who you send it to. You need both, and this guide assumes your EPK is ready or close to it.

Pick the kit that matches your goal

Start from what you want the release to do. Streams, a label deal and club plays each need different people.

If you release every month, a one-off kit goes stale between records. That is what the Release Pass is for: a fresh file for your genre every month.

Prepare before you open the files

Pitching with a half-ready release wastes contacts you only get one first impression with. Have these ready before the first email goes out:

• The final master, or a mix close enough that a label can judge it.
• A private streaming link with your artist name and track title in the name.
• Artwork, even a draft, and the release date if you already have one.
• A one-line description of the track: genre, tempo, mood and one artist it sits close to.
• A tracking sheet with columns for contact, list, date sent, reply and result.

Copy the kit files into that sheet or keep them open side by side. The Verified column tells you when each email was last checked, so start with the most recent ones.

The timeline, week by week

Each list in the kit has its moment. Work through them in this order and every contact hears about the track while it still matters to them. If you need exact dates, the release plan generator builds them from your release day.

6 to 4 weeks before release: labels

Open the label file first. Filter by your genre and look at the Demo policy column. Start with labels marked open, and use the Submission link when a label has one, because many labels delete demos that arrive any other way. Send one or two tracks, never a folder of ten.

If a label signs the track, the release moves to their schedule and the rest of this plan becomes theirs. If nobody bites within three to four weeks, you release it yourself as planned, and the label replies you did get are worth keeping for the next record.

3 to 2 weeks before release: playlist curators

Spotify gives a clear reason to pitch editors early: "If you pitch an unreleased song at least 7 days before release, we'll add it to your followers' Release Radar playlists." (Spotify for Artists). Send that pitch from your artist profile, then open the curator file.

Pick curators whose playlists fit your sound. Listen to the last few tracks they added before you write. A short, well-matched list gets more adds than a long mailing to everyone in the file.

Release week: repost channels and DJs

Repost channels work best while the track is new and the streaming services are watching how people react. Check the Followers column and the channel's recent reposts, then agree on the terms directly with the owner. Some channels repost for free when they like a track. Many charge a fee.

If your kit has DJs, send the promo the same week with a download link and a short note on where the track works in a set. DJs who play it often reply with feedback you can quote later.

After release: follow up and keep the sheet

Send one follow-up to anyone who has not answered, in the same thread, with the live link. Thank every curator who added the track and every channel that reposted it. Then look at your sheet: who replied, who added, who passed. That record makes the next release faster.

What to write

Keep every email short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Use the contact's name, say in one line why the track fits them, and give the link.

Subject: [Track title] for [Playlist name]

Hi [Name],

I'm [artist name], a [genre] artist from [city]. [One song they added] is close to the sound of my new single, "[Track title]", out on [date].

Private link: [link]

If it fits the playlist, I'd be glad to see it there. Either way, thanks for listening.

[Name]

For labels and DJs, swap the middle line: tell a label the track is unsigned and why their catalog fits it, and tell a DJ where the track works in a set. The pitch email generator writes a first draft for each list if you want a starting point.

Mistakes that waste a kit

• Sending the whole file in one go, with the same email to labels, curators and DJs.
• Pitching curators after release day, when most playlists for that week are set.
• Attaching WAV or MP3 files to cold emails instead of a private link.
• Following up three times. Once is normal. After that, move on.
• Ignoring the Demo policy column and pitching labels that closed their inbox.

Kit or Release Pass?

A kit fits one release: you pay once and work through the files over a few weeks. If you put out music every month, or you run a small label, the Release Pass gives you every list for your genre in one file and sends a fresh, re-verified version each month. New contacts come in, dead emails go out, and you can cancel any time.

Not sure yet? Every list page has a free sample, so you can see the columns before you buy. Browse the Release Kits to compare what each one holds.