A music release plan, dated backwards from release day
Enter your release date and NextDrop places every step before and after it: songwriter registration, splits, artwork, ISRC codes, distributor, Spotify pitch and press. You see what to do this week and what is overdue.
Plan my releaseOne project free, no credit card.
Nuit Blanche
Sortie le 6 décembre
- J-49Œuvre déclarée à la SACEM
- J-28Envoi au distributeur
- J-21Pitch aux éditeurs Spotify
- J-14Mails aux médias
- J0Sortie
Every step, dated for you
The plan by period, with the countdown and what to do now. Example with Lou Nova, a fictional artist.
What the release plan does
A plan for your format
Single, EP or album: the plan follows a release path for an independent artist.
"Do now" on top
Overdue tasks and the next 7 days come first, with a countdown and a progress bar.
Move the date, the plan follows
Push the release and the open tasks are re-dated automatically.
Each step linked to the tool or official site
Contract template, link page, media hub, Spotify for Artists: one click from the task.
An example plan, backwards from release day
- 01
7 weeks out
Register the works with your rights society (the plan names SACEM) and sign splits with co-writers and beatmakers.
- 02
6 to 3 weeks out
Final artwork, ISRC and UPC codes, checked metadata, then the Spotify editorial pitch 3 weeks out.
- 03
2 weeks out to after
Updated press kit, press release, outreach to media and curators, teaser, release day, then neighbouring rights and a first-week review.
Why start from the release date
Most delays come from steps found too late: a distributor needs 4 to 6 weeks, a Spotify pitch must go in at least 7 days before release, and songwriter registration needs your co-writers. Dating each task backwards makes you see them now.
The plan is not general advice. Each task has a deadline, critical steps are flagged and, where possible, there is a button that does it.
Heads-up: built around the French system
The playbook is written for artists in France: the registration step names SACEM and the after-release rights step names ADAMI, SCPP and SPPF. If you are in the US or UK, steps such as artwork, ISRC, distributor timing and the Spotify pitch apply as they are, but you will register with your own PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS) and The MLC yourself. The app is in French for now.
Free, and what NextDrop+ adds
- Free: one dated release plan (1 project).
- NextDrop+ (€6.90 a month): unlimited release plans, to line up projects.
Frequently asked questions
- How far ahead should I plan a release?
- Ideally 7 weeks. The plan starts with rights registration and splits about 7 weeks out, then artwork, ISRC codes and the Spotify pitch in the weeks after.
- When should I send a single to my distributor?
- Allow 4 to 6 weeks before release day, to leave time for the platforms and the editorial pitch. The plan tells you.
- Does it work for an EP or an album?
- Yes. You pick single, EP or album and the path adapts.
- What if I move the release date?
- Change the date on the project and the open tasks are re-dated.
- Is it free?
- One release plan is free. NextDrop+ unlocks unlimited plans.