The best day to release music is Friday. That part of the answer is settled across the industry, and the data from our own platform agrees: 80% of the 957 releases sent to DJs on PromoLink came out on a Friday. But for an electronic release, the release day is not the date that decides how far the record travels. 78% of DJ downloads happen before it. This is why Friday, what the exceptions are, and the date to plan first.
Why Friday is the release day
Friday is the global release day for new music. Streaming services refresh their new-music playlists on Friday, Spotify's New Music Friday and every listener's Release Radar among them, and the main charts count a week from Friday to Thursday, so a Friday release gets a full first week.
Electronic labels follow the same rhythm. On PromoLink, release days fall like this:
- Friday: 80.2%
- Wednesday: 11.4%
- Thursday: 4.5%
- Tuesday: 1.9%
- Saturday, Monday and Sunday together: under 2%
Most of the Wednesday releases come from a single label's own schedule, not from a trend. Friday is the day; another day is an exception that needs a reason, such as a release tied to an event or a holiday.
The time of day does not matter
You do not need to choose an hour. The stores and streaming services set the release time themselves. What you control is the date, and the work that happens before it.
For DJs, release day is late
78.1% of DJ promo downloads on PromoLink happen before the release day. Only 2.8% happen on the day itself, and 19.1% after it.
- more than two weeks before release: 33.5% of downloads
- in the last seven days before release: 21.3%
- on release day: 2.8%
- after release: 19.1%
That is the nature of DJ promo: a DJ wants a record before it is everywhere, to play it first and to chart it in the release week. A promo that reaches DJs on release day has already missed most of its audience. For an electronic release, the date that decides the most is the date the promo goes out.
Stop guessing. Start measuring.
PromoLink gives you real analytics for every promo campaign - opens, plays, downloads, feedback. Free to start.
Try PromoLink free
Send the promo two to three weeks ahead, at least
Send the promo at least two to three weeks before release, and to the top names earlier. On PromoLink, the median promo goes out 11 days before release, and nearly half go out less than two weeks ahead.
The earlier sends did a little better. Promos sent four or more weeks before release converted at 6.2% downloads, against 5.3% for promos sent less than two weeks ahead and 4.9% for promos sent after the release. Earlier sending gives the cascade room: the top names first, about five weeks out, then a second wave three to four weeks out that names the DJs who already supported the track. At IAMT the promo goes out right after the release is sent to distribution.
Plan backwards from the Friday
Pick the Friday, then work back from it:
- Five weeks or more out: deliver the release to your distributor and pitch it to Spotify's editorial team, filling in every field.
- Right after delivery, about five weeks out: promo to the top names who fit the sound.
- Three to four weeks out: the second wave to the wider list, naming the early supporters.
- The week before: collect the support, the DJ charts and the videos, for the release-day posts.
- Release Friday: launch the ads, post everywhere, check the Canvas on Spotify, ask friends to add the track to their playlists, register the track with your collecting society.
Most of the work that makes a release land is done before the Friday.
The days DJs listen
DJs download promos through the working week. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday each carry about 17% of downloads, Monday and Thursday about 14%, Saturday 11.9% and Sunday 9.2%. By hour, downloads peak between 14:00 and 17:00 UTC, the European afternoon.
This matters for when a promo wave lands, not for the release day. A wave sent early in the week has its first, busiest days on working days, when DJs are digging for new music.
FAQ
What is the best day to release music? Friday. Streaming playlists refresh on Friday and the charts count a week from Friday to Thursday. On PromoLink, 80% of electronic releases come out on a Friday.
What time should I release my music? It does not matter. The stores and streaming services set the release time themselves.
Can I release music on a day other than Friday? You can, when there is a reason, such as a release tied to an event or a holiday. Without a reason, Friday gives the record its full first week.
How far before release should I send promo to DJs? At least two to three weeks, and the top names earlier, around five weeks. 78% of DJ downloads happen before the release day.
Is release day the most important day for DJ support? No. Only 2.8% of DJ promo downloads happen on release day. Most DJ support is built in the weeks before it.
What day of the week do DJs download promos? Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, each about 17% of downloads. Sunday is the quietest day.
Pick your Friday and send the promo to DJs on PromoLink weeks before it: to your own list, to the DJ pool, or both, with the top names first. Your first 20 releases go to the DJ pool free, and the release timeline from this article is below as a PDF.
Get the full playbook (PDF)
The full version of this article as a downloadable playbook, with tables, checklists, and step-by-step templates you can use today. Free - enter your email and we send it over.