Post-Release Checklist

How to keep an album alive long after release day

Release day isn’t the finish line — it’s the starting line. Your album deserves more than one big moment. Here’s how to keep the momentum going after release day with a long-game strategy built for indie artists and labels.

Why Releases Fade… and How to Keep Yours Alive

For most indie artists and labels, release day feels like the finish line. After months of writing, recording, promoting, pressing vinyl, building pre-orders, and submitting to press… it’s easy to believe that the hard work is over once the album hits streaming platforms.

But that’s not how it works.

Release day isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line.

Everything you did before release—planning music videos, lining up press, launching your pre-order—is training. The real campaign starts on release day and should stretch months, not days, into the future.

Think of it like this:

All that pre-release energy? That was you training for the marathon. Release day is Mile 1.

And you don’t start a new race the day after your marathon begins.
You stay in the same shoes. You keep moving forward.

Why Albums Lose Momentum After Release Day

Let’s be honest: most albums disappear from the conversation within 72 hours of their release.

Here’s why that happens:

All your content was front-loaded. You released the best video, the behind-the-scenes, and the interviews before release day.
You moved on too quickly. You started teasing your next project or tour instead of building on the current release.
You treated release day as the finish line.

But the reality is this:

A release campaign is more like a marathon.
The months leading up to your album release—writing, recording, pressing vinyl, building pre-orders, teasing videos—those were all part of your training.
Release day is Mile 1.

If you want your album to have staying power, you need a long-tail plan.

The Post-Release Mindset: Keep the Campaign Going

Here’s how to approach the post-release phase with intention:

Create and save content to be used after release day.
Don’t launch something brand new—stay in the world of your current album.
Extend the story of your release with thoughtful follow-up content.
Keep fans engaged with evolving experiences—live sessions, alternate versions, commentaries, and merch drops.

The best album campaigns last 6 to 12 months, not 6 to 12 days.

Promo Content Timeline: Your Post-Release Schedule

Below is a promo content schedule designed to keep your album relevant for a full year. Adjust the frequency based on your capacity—but staying consistent is key.

Free Post-Release

Checklist

How to Promote Your New Release

Here’s a few things to keep in mind when trying to extend the life of your record label’s most recent release.

Tip #1: Take inventory!

Make a list of everything that can be used to promote the new release. This can include things like music videos, behind-the-scenes content, pre-release singles, b-sides, tour dates, etc.

Make this list as big as you can!

Tip #2: Schedule Your Content!

Now that you know what you have to work with, make a plan for how you release each piece of content! No matter how small, or seemingly insignificant! Share things like the album title, release date, new press photos, and artwork!

Check out this chart to help give you an idea on how often you should share content related to your new release…

Tip #3: Keep Creating!

It is also important that your artists keep creating. Their prolific activity will help keep. the momentum going for their latest release!

Encourage them to keep writing songs, posting on social media, sharing their tour experiences, live shows, and have them provide a commentary on their latest release!