Distribution Lead Times

Getting your music live on streaming platforms takes time. This guide explains how far in advance to submit your releases for the best results.

Why Lead Time Matters

Submitting your release early unlocks important opportunities:

Benefit	Why It Matters
Editorial playlists	Spotify and Apple Music curators need time to discover and consider your music
Pre-save campaigns	Fans can save your release before launch, boosting day-one streams
Store processing	Each platform needs time to ingest, encode, and quality-check your content
Marketing coordination	Gives you time to plan social posts, press outreach, and launch events
Error correction	If there’s an issue, you have time to fix it before release day

Tip: The most successful releases are planned weeks or months in advance, not days.

Recommended Timelines

Minimum: 7-10 Days

At absolute minimum, submit your release 7-10 days before your intended release date.

What 7-10 days gets you:

Basic store processing across major platforms
Eligibility for Spotify Release Radar (requires 7-day minimum)
Time to catch and fix any metadata or audio issues

Ideal: 3-4 Weeks

For the best results, submit your release 3-4 weeks in advance.

What 3-4 weeks gets you:

Everything above, plus:
Full consideration for editorial playlists
Time for pre-save/pre-order campaigns
Buffer for any unexpected delays
Specialist store eligibility (Beatport, Juno)

Album Releases: 4-6 Weeks

Albums require more processing time and benefit from longer campaigns.

What 4-6 weeks gets you:

Everything above, plus:
Time for staggered single releases
Maximum pre-order window
Press and media lead time

Lead Times by Platform

Different platforms have different processing speeds and requirements.

Major Streaming Platforms

Platform	Typical Processing	Notes
Spotify	2-5 days	7-day minimum for editorial playlist consideration
Apple Music	2-5 days	Supports pre-orders up to 366 days in advance
Amazon Music	2-5 days	Syncs with Amazon store listings
Deezer	2-5 days	Standard processing
Tidal	2-5 days	Hi-res audio processing may take slightly longer

Note: “Processing time” means the time from approval to appearing live on the platform. Submit at least 7 days before release to account for our review time plus platform processing.

Video Platforms

Platform	Typical Processing	Notes
YouTube Music	3-7 days	Content ID registration adds time
TikTok	2-5 days	Sound becomes available for user videos
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)	2-5 days	For Stories and Reels audio

Specialist Stores

These platforms have longer processing times and specific requirements.

Platform	Typical Processing	Notes
Beatport	3-7 business days	Chart eligibility requires 4+ weeks advance
Juno Download	3-5 business days	Similar to Beatport
Bandcamp	2-3 days	Faster than most specialist stores

Important: Beatport has specific charting requirements. To be eligible for the weekly Beatport charts, releases must be submitted at least 4 weeks before the desired chart entry date.

Platform	Typical Processing	Notes
SoundCloud	1-3 days	If SoundCloud distribution is enabled
Peloton	5-10 days	Fitness content licensing requirements

Note: Shazam recognition is handled automatically through our content fingerprinting partners (Gracenote, ACRCloud) - it’s not a separate distribution outlet.

Pre-Order and Pre-Save Setup

Pre-orders and pre-saves require extra lead time.

Pre-Save (Spotify)

Timeline	Requirement
Minimum	Release must be submitted and approved before pre-save links work
Recommended	2-3 weeks before release to maximize fan engagement

Pre-Order (Apple Music/iTunes)

Timeline	Requirement
Maximum	366 days before release date
Recommended	2-4 weeks for singles, 4-6 weeks for albums

Tip: Pre-saves convert to actual streams on release day, boosting your algorithmic ranking.

Rush Releases and Same-Day Options

Sometimes you need music live urgently. Here’s what to expect.

Standard Rush (2-3 Days)

If you submit a release with a release date 2-3 days away:

Major streaming platforms will likely make it
Specialist stores (Beatport, etc.) will miss the date
No editorial playlist consideration
Pre-save campaigns not possible

Same-Day Release

Same-day releases are possible but not recommended.

What happens:

Your release enters our review queue immediately
If approved quickly, it goes to platforms
Most platforms take 24-48 hours minimum to process
Result: Your release may go live 1-2 days after your “release date”

Warning: Same-day releases miss nearly all promotional opportunities and may result in your release appearing late.

When Rush Makes Sense

Rush releases are appropriate for:

Time-sensitive content (news, events)
Correcting live releases
Catalog restoration

They’re not recommended for:

New singles or albums
Any release you want to promote
Music you want on playlists

Holiday and Peak Season Timing

Processing times increase during busy periods.

Holiday Blackout Periods

Major platforms have slower or frozen processing around:

Period	Dates	Impact
Christmas/New Year	December 20 - January 3	Limited processing, no editorial
Thanksgiving (US)	Late November	Slower US platform processing
Summer	July-August	Reduced editorial staffing

Recommendation: For holiday releases, submit 4-6 weeks in advance.

High-Volume Periods

These periods see increased submission volume:

New Music Friday prep (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Month-end (royalty reporting cutoffs)
Award season (eligibility deadlines)

Planning Your Release Calendar

Single Release Timeline

Weeks Before	Action
4+ weeks	Finalize audio, artwork, and metadata
3-4 weeks	Submit release to LabelGrid
2-3 weeks	Release approved, share pre-save links
1-2 weeks	Ramp up social media promotion
Release day	Announce, share links, engage fans
Week after	Monitor streams, pitch for playlists

Album Release Timeline

Weeks Before	Action
8+ weeks	Finalize all tracks and artwork
6-8 weeks	Submit album, plan single releases
4-6 weeks	Release lead single, begin pre-order
2-4 weeks	Release second single, build anticipation
1-2 weeks	Final promotional push
Release day	Album launch

EP Release Timeline

Weeks Before	Action
5-6 weeks	Finalize EP and artwork
4-5 weeks	Submit to LabelGrid
3-4 weeks	Approved, begin pre-save campaign
2 weeks	Optional: release focus track
Release day	EP launch

Tips for Better Timing

Do

Submit early - Earlier is always better
Plan for delays - Add buffer time for unexpected issues
Coordinate marketing - Align release with promotional activities
Check platform requirements - Especially for specialist stores
Monitor delivery status - Track your release through LabelGrid

Avoid

Last-minute submissions - Limits your promotional options
Holiday releases without planning - Processing slows down
Changing release dates - Requires redistribution (2-7 days)
Ignoring specialist stores - Beatport/Juno need extra time

Troubleshooting

My release isn’t live on release day

Possible causes:

Not enough lead time - platforms still processing
Release stuck in review - check your LabelGrid dashboard
Metadata issues - fix and resubmit

What to do:

Check delivery status in LabelGrid
Wait 24-48 hours for processing to complete
Contact support if still missing after 48 hours

I need to change my release date

Changing a release date after submission:

Resets the release to DRAFT status
Requires resubmission and new approval
Triggers redistribution (2-7 days)

Tip: If your new date is less than 7 days away, consider whether you have enough time for redistribution.

My release is on some stores but not others

Platforms process at different speeds. If it’s been:

Less than 7 days: Normal - keep waiting
More than 7 days: Contact support with specific missing stores

Creating a Release - Start your release
Advanced Date Settings - Territory-specific timing
Supported Stores - Available distribution outlets

Questions about timing? Contact our support team