No matter what time of the year you release a new music there will always be pros and cons for each season and you should work on these to your advantage while getting the most out of the quiet periods. So check this article to make sure you pick up the right day and then read our guide "Everything you need to know about selling your music online".
Winter
Unless you are releasing holiday music, the holiday season is certainly one of the worst times of the year to put a lot of effort into a new release. People are generally so overwhelmed with the whole 'end-of-year' chaos that getting any sustainable attention for your music is going to be more difficult. Generally between the beginning of December until the end of January it is going to be a futile time for making a substantial release. However February could be a good month because it is the dark cold heart of winter and getting into new music can be a life saver.
Winter is a good time to hunker down in a cozy work space and make plans for the coming year. You can start getting ready to apply for summer festivals. Work on editing music videos. Write new tunes. It is a good time of the year to play gigs so long as you don't need to travel far in cold weather, especially if you play smaller bar gigs. Also, it is a fantastic time of the year to record your new music because when it is cold outside what better place to be than in a warm music studio or rehearsal space focusing on your creativity.
Spring
As the end of March rolls around many players in the music industry come together in Austin, Texas at the SXSW festival and if you are fortunate enough to be able to go to the festival it is a great opportunity to network. In April, when the sun is coming out again and everything begins to bloom, people just won't want to spend much time in doors or in front of computer screens. However it doesn't mean it is a bad time to release some new music. Springtime touring can also be a good idea and especially if you have a new single out to promote.
From the end of April thru May is a great time to release a single or EP that will draw attention to your summer plans and also perhaps in anticipation for the release of a full length album in the fall. Keep in mind that this is also a good time to begin organizing tour dates for the upcoming fall and also end of summer music festivals.
Summer
If you are going to be playing music festivals over the summer than the beginning of the summer is a good time to release anything new because you will have the chance to promote and sell your new releases at these shows. People also go on vacations during the very end of the summer so it is not a good idea to plan any record release shows for this time of the year, as people will not only be out of town, but also no one wants to go inside on these long warm and cozy summer nights.
This is the best time of year to go busking on the streets. To play outdoor concerts and to shoot outdoor music videos, such as live on a city rooftop or out in nature videos to use for marketing your project during the upcoming months. Also, by mid-summer you should be finalizing and confirming any record release concert or tour dates for the fall.
Autumn
This is definitely the best time of year to release an album and make a big record release show. The days get shorter and winter is coming which means we need new music to survive. Fans will flock to the venues again and the record players will be spinning. Customarily this is the time of the year for going back to school, and school is a great place for new music to proliferate and spread. People are going back indoors and will be more available to access in order to boost promotion of your new music and shows.
Hopefully, you will have some fall tour dates already lined up. You will have music videos with footage of your endeavors of the past year to corroborate with your new release. And you will have a well planned record release show to play just as the leaves are almost all gone, after which you can begin the whole cycle again. It is important to remember that you should plan your release at least one and a half month ahead in order to coordinate digital distribution, PR, video content etc. And the best days of the week to release are Friday (to be featured in New Music Friday playlist) and Tuesday because of the the good opening rate on newsletter.
Ready to get your music out there?
Distribute your music to the widest range of streaming platforms and shops worldwide.
