Should you release music in December?

What the distributors say about December

In November and December, we expect iTunes, Spotify, and all other stores to take longer to ingest your release. Please expect delivery delays through mid-January.— TuneCore help: Holiday Season Release Scheduling

DistroKid says it "experiences reduced staffing, particularly during the Thanksgiving work week, the work weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday, as well as New Year's day", and that "uploading 3-4 weeks prior to your release date will guarantee that your delivery date is met." Both distributors list a delivery deadline for each Friday. Sources: TuneCore and DistroKid, read on 16 October 2026.

December 2026 Fridays at a glance

Wrapped week

Spotify published "2025 Wrapped is here" on its artist blog on 3 December 2025 (Spotify for Artists). We have not seen a 2026 date from Spotify as of 16 October 2026, so the picker treats the first week of December as likely Wrapped week. Our reasoning: that week, listeners and artists post their year-end numbers, and a new release competes with all of it. Use the week to share your own Wrapped for Artists story and release on the next Friday.

Christmas songs: release before December

If the song is a Christmas song, December is late to start. Count back from the release: about four weeks of upload time, more over the holidays; a Spotify pitch at least 7 days before release; an Apple Music pitch at least 10 days before. Our reasoning is that a Christmas song needs the whole season to be found, so release it in early or mid November and pitch it the day it shows in Spotify for Artists. The picker shows which November Fridays still clear every deadline from today.

The week between Christmas and New Year

Christmas Day and New Year's Day are public holidays in the US and the UK, and in 2026 both fall on a Friday. DistroKid works with reduced staffing around both, and TuneCore expects delays into mid-January. Our reasoning: press, curators and many listeners are away that week, so replies slow down and a release has less help. If you are choosing between late December and January, a mid-January Friday gives the run-up time to land after the holidays.

A December plan that works

• Release: Friday 11 December 2026, with DistroKid as the example.
• Upload by Friday 13 November (four weeks out); DistroKid's own holiday deadline for this date is 4 December.
• Pitch Spotify editors as soon as the release shows in Spotify for Artists, and by Friday 4 December at the latest.
• Ask your distributor to send the Apple Music pitch by Tuesday 1 December, 10 days out.
• Announce the date and share the pre-save link four weeks out, as for any release.