Album announcement template: a tracklist poster and when to post it

A simple announcement order

This is our suggested order, not a platform rule. It gives fans one new thing to react to each time, instead of everything in one post.

1. The date and the cover. Say the title, the release date and where to pre-save. This is the announcement itself.
2. The pre-save push. Repeat the link in your bio, Stories and mailing list while the release is still weeks away.
3. The tracklist poster. Post the full tracklist with lengths and credits. It gives fans song titles to talk about.
4. A first listen. A single, a clip or a short live take of one track.
5. Release day. Post the same poster again with "out now" in the caption, so the design people saw before now leads to the music.

Timing it around the pre-save and the pitch

CD Baby's guide to releasing a single advises setting the release at least 6 weeks out and announcing at least 4 weeks in advance. Spotify asks you to deliver your music at least 7 days before release so its editors have time to listen, and you can pitch only one song at a time. That means the tracklist poster usually lands in the middle of the run-up: after the announcement, before release week.

For albums and EPs, Spotify also offers Countdown Pages. Spotify says you need at least 3,000 monthly active listeners, only new and original albums and EPs are eligible, and the option to create the page shows within 72 hours of your distributor delivering the release. Deliver early if you want that link ready for the announcement. The release planner works out every one of these dates from the Friday you pick.

What to put on an album tracklist poster

• Release title and artist name, big enough to read in a feed at a glance.
• Every track in order, with lengths if you have them final. Leave lengths blank if the edits are not locked.
• The release date, written out. The card prints it in your page's language.
• A credits line for producers, features and mixers, so collaborators can share it too.
• Your own cover art. If it is not final yet, the poster style draws a ring pattern instead.

After release

Once the album is out, the first numbers to watch are listeners and saves. The save rate calculator reads them from your Spotify for Artists figures. If your release lands near the end of the year, the Wrapped clip planner has the year-end video message checklist and a thank-you script for fans.