How far before release to send promos

What the lead time is for

The weeks between the promo and release day have three jobs. DJs need time to listen, test the track in a set and say what they think. Radio and press need time to plan a play, a premiere or a review. And you need time to read the feedback, pick the mix to lead with and report to the artist before the release goes out.

So work back from the release date: when do you want the first plays, and what do you need to know before release day?

A timeline for a club release

Several weeks is common for club music. A label with a small, close list can work with less; a bigger release with radio and press campaigns often starts earlier. The order matters more than the exact numbers.

Too early or too late

• Too late (a few days before release): DJs have no gigs left to test it, radio can't fit it in, and the feedback arrives after the decisions are made.
• Too early (months ahead): the promo sinks under newer ones, people forget it by release day, and the track has longer to leak before it can be bought.
• About right: early enough for each DJ to play it at least one weekend before release, and late enough that release day is still close when they do.

Who gets it first

1. Radio and press who plan ahead or want a premiere.
2. Your closest DJs and VIPs, so their support and comments come in early.
3. Everyone else on the list, a few days to a week later, with notes that can use what the first round said.

Sending in rounds also spreads the work: replies and questions come in smaller batches, and you can leave out people a release doesn't fit after you see the first round's feedback.

Which day and time

• Many labels send from Monday to Thursday, so the promo is in front of DJs before they plan the weekend.
• Avoid Friday evening and the weekend, when many DJs are travelling or playing.
• Send in the morning of your main listeners' time zone. If your list is spread across time zones, send rounds at different times.
• Avoid the busiest release weeks in your genre if you can, when inboxes are fullest.

Reminders on the timeline

Plan reminders as part of the timeline from the start. A first reminder a few days after the promo reaches people who missed it; a second a week or so later is the last call before release. Send both only to people who haven't opened the promo, and follow up once with people who listened but didn't answer. More than that brings unsubscribes.

After release day

A promo doesn't have to stop on release day. Late feedback still helps the artist, and some DJs only get to the promo after the release. Many labels keep promos open for a few weeks and then end them, so old links stop working. If a promo leaks or plans change, you can end it at any time. How to protect promos from leaks covers the end date and the other settings.

Timing in Dubsend

Each promo can be sent now or scheduled up to 90 days ahead, and you can edit it until it goes. Send in rounds lets you send to part of your list first, for example your VIPs or radio, and to the rest on later dates: each round has its own filter, date and time and subject line, and you can change or cancel a round before it goes. Send to more people adds late requests after the promo went out, and only people who haven't had it yet get it.

Reminders go after 3 and 10 days by default, counted from each person's own promo, so later rounds get their reminders later too. You can change the days or turn reminders off for each promo, also after it went out. With the nudge, nobody gets more than 3 emails per promo. A promo can have an end date, and you can withdraw it at any time. More in the FAQ.

Questions