Pre-Save Links and Release-Day Promotion

A pre-save link lets listeners save your release to their library before it comes out, so it is waiting for them on release day. Release-day promotion is everything you do around that moment: telling people, making the first day easy to act on and checking that every store shows the right thing. Neither guarantees streams. Done well, they give a release a clean start and give you information to plan the next one.

This guide gives you a six-week plan. It covers how a pre-save link works, how to get one with WBBT, what to prepare and when, the release-day checks that catch the common problems, and how to review what happened. It avoids promises about playlists and numbers, because nobody can honestly make them.

What a pre-save link is, and what it is not

A pre-save link points to a page where a listener can sign in to a streaming service and ask for the release to be added to their library when it goes live. Some services call this a pre-save and others a pre-add, and the details differ by service and by the tool that builds the page. Many tools switch the same page to links for the live release once the music is out.

It is useful because it gives you one address to share, a small first audience that is reminded on the day, and a count of how many people took an action before launch. It is not a guarantee of streams, a playlist feature, or a way to rank on a chart. A pre-save is a statement of interest from a listener, and what they do afterwards is up to them.

Getting a pre-save link with WBBT

When a pre-save link has been created for a release, it appears at the top of the release page in your WBBT account. You can copy it, open it, or turn it into a QR code to print on flyers and merchandise, and the page shows how many people clicked it. Share that one address everywhere, so your count stays in one place.

Availability depends on the release and your account. If you cannot see a link on your release page, ask support, and include the release title, the UPC and the date. Check that the release is submitted and has a confirmed date before you ask people to use it. The step-by-step distribution guide shows where this fits in the release route.

A six-week timeline

When	What to do
6 to 5 weeks before	Fix the release date. Finish the masters and artwork. Claim or check your artist profiles in Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists.
4 to 3 weeks before	Submit the release. Plan the content. Ask support for anything specialist, such as motion artwork or an attribution fix.
3 weeks before	Get the pre-save link and test it on two phones. Start telling your closest listeners first.
2 weeks before	Once the unreleased track appears in your Spotify for Artists dashboard, send the pitch. Request Canvas if your plan includes it.
1 week before	Post a clip with the link every other day. Send your email list the date and the link.
Release day	Check every store page, then announce. Share the live link where the pre-save link was.
1 to 2 weeks after	Review the numbers, say thank you, and note what you would change next time.

The Free plan requires a release date at least 14 days ahead. That is the minimum for submission and a poor basis for a campaign, so plan three to four weeks whenever you can.

Seven steps to a release-day plan

1. Lock the date and submit early. Pick the date, submit the release and read any feedback from the review before you promote it. Do not announce a date before the release is submitted. The metadata and artwork checklist helps you avoid a return that moves your schedule. If you plan in a chat, an assistant connected through WBBT MCP can read your releases and credits to help you draft the content plan, but it cannot submit anything for you.
2. Get your profiles ready. Claim Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists if you have not. Check your photo, bio and links. If a previous release sits on the wrong profile, send support the incorrect link, the correct artist link, the UPC and the ISRCs before you launch.
3. Create and test the link. Open the pre-save link on a phone that is signed in to a streaming service and on one that is not. Check that the title, artwork and artist name are right and that the button works.
4. Prepare a small set of assets. You need the cover, two or three short clips that show the strongest ten seconds, a caption in your own voice and a plain description of the release. If your plan includes Spotify Canvas (the pricing page shows which do), request it from Tools → Spotify Canvas in your account. The request is reviewed and delivered by the team. For Apple Music motion artwork, ask support for the specification before you make the animation.
5. Pitch to Spotify. When the unreleased track appears in your Spotify for Artists dashboard, use the pitch form. Describe the genre, mood, instruments and the story accurately. A pitch is a request, and a decline is not an error. Our Spotify for Artists set-up guide covers the Upcoming tab and the pitch form, and the playlist pitching guide covers what makes a pitch useful.
6. Tell people in order. Start with the people who already care, such as your email list and close followers. Then post publicly. Give one link, one date and one clear action each time, and repeat it in different forms rather than posting identical messages.
7. Do the release-day checks, then announce. Use the list below.

The release-day checklist

1. Search for the release in each store you care about. Is it live, in the right place, and on the right artist profile?
2. Check the title, version, artwork, credits and © and ℗ lines on each page.
3. Play each track in full on a phone, for the first and last ten seconds in particular.
4. Open the pre-save link again. Does it send people to the live release?
5. Check that Canvas or motion artwork has appeared if you requested it. Do not announce it until it is confirmed.
6. If something is wrong, send support the store link, the correct profile link, the UPC and the ISRCs. Do not upload the music again, because a duplicate release makes the problem bigger.
7. Post the live link, and pin it where people look first.

What to share

People respond to specific things more than to announcements. A few ideas that work for most genres:

• The hook. A ten to fifteen second clip of the part you most want people to hear, with the cover on screen.
• The story. One honest sentence about why the track exists, or what went into it.
• The process. A short clip of the session, the instrument or the sample that made the sound.
• The ask. A direct, kind request to save or listen, with the link in the first line.
• The thank-you. A reply to everyone who commented or shared on release day.

Short clips travel further when the music is the first thing people hear. Read how your music reaches TikTok and Instagram for the video side. If you want to be found through Instagram or Facebook music libraries, ask support about artist mapping and send your release identifiers and profile link. Availability depends on the platform rules.

Paid promotion, carefully

Advertising can help once the release is live and the link works, but start small and measure. A modest test with a clear audience and a single goal will teach you more than a large budget spent in a hurry. Work out what each test costs per follower or per save. The Spotify Discovery Mode guide shows how to set a baseline and measure a trade-off before you opt in.

Do not buy streams, followers or playlist placements. They are the most common route to removed streams and damaged accounts, and no service can promise a store’s decision. If you suspect artificial activity on your release, stop any paid promotion, keep screenshots and links, and tell support. The guide to artificial streams and what to do sets out the steps.

After release day

Look at what happened with a clear head. Compare how many people clicked the link, how many saved the release, and how many came from each channel. In the first weeks, listeners, saves and follower growth tell you more than raw stream counts. Remember that audience figures and earnings are separate measures: royalties follow monthly reporting cycles after the stores’ reports are processed. Royalty splits and payouts explains how money moves, and how Spotify recommends music shows how to read the Source of Streams report.

Write down three things: what you would repeat, what you would drop and what you would start earlier next time. Plan the next release before the attention fades, because a steady cadence gives people a reason to keep following you.

Mistakes to avoid

• Announcing a date before the release is submitted and confirmed.
• Sharing a link you have not tested on a real phone.
• Posting the same message ten times instead of giving people something new.
• Pitching to Spotify with vague or inaccurate information.
• Promoting a feature, such as Canvas or motion artwork, before it has been confirmed.
• Uploading the release again to fix a store problem.
• Buying streams or playlist placement.
• Measuring success only by stream counts in the first 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

How early should I create a pre-save link?

Once the release date is confirmed and the release has been submitted, which is usually three to four weeks before release. A link created earlier has to be shared for longer, and a link created later leaves little time for anyone to use it.

Do pre-saves make Spotify promote my song?

There is no published rule that says so, and nobody outside the store can promise it. A pre-save is useful because it tells people about the release and sends them to it on day one. Treat any result beyond that as a bonus rather than a plan.

Does a pre-save link work for every store?

Not always in the same way. Features differ by tool and by streaming service, and some services use their own wording, such as adding a release to a library in advance. Test the link on a phone for the services your fans use.

What if I need to move my release date?

Tell the fans who have already used the link, update the date everywhere, and make sure the link and the release agree before you post again. Do not announce a date you have not confirmed in your account.

Can I buy streams or playlist placement on release day?

No. Services that promise guaranteed streams or playlist spots often rely on artificial activity, which can lead to removed streams, adjusted earnings or a removed release. See the WBBT FAQ on suspected artificial streams. Spend on content and honest advertising instead.

Can WBBT guarantee a playlist or Spotify feature?

No. WBBT delivers your release and helps with profile and mapping questions, but stores and playlist editors decide placement. A pitch is a request, and it can be declined without explanation.

Next steps and further reading

When your release is ready, submit your music and set your date. For the rest of the route, read how to distribute music to Spotify and Apple Music. The Spotify for Artists service page explains profile claims and mapping, and the Spotify for Artists set-up guide covers the profile work that sits behind a release. The stores publish their own guidance at Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists. Features and eligibility change, so confirm the details for your own release.