DAVY AGENCY · FIELD GUIDE
THE 90-DAY RELEASE PLAN
A working calendar for indie artists, labels, and managers planning a single, EP, or album release. What to commission, when to commission it, and what it actually costs. Built from the projects we run at Davy. No fluff, no "build buzz on socials," no checklist culture. Specific deliverables on specific days.
The premise
Most music releases fail at the calendar, not the song. By the time a track lands on Spotify, the campaign should have been running for 90 days, not 9. This is the working calendar we use internally at Davy Agency. Tighten it for a single. Stretch it for an album cycle.
Throughout: every "Day X" references calendar days before release day (Day 0).
Day 90 to Day 75 (Foundation)
Window 1 of 6 · the boring quarter
Decisions to make
- Release date locked. Pick a Friday that does not collide with a major release in your scene or a federal holiday.
- DSP delivery deadline (typically 3 weeks pre-release for editorial pitching).
- Format: single, EP, album, deluxe.
- Physical or digital only. If physical: vinyl, cassette, CD, merch capsule.
- Budget allocated by line item, not by vibe.
Assets to commission
- Final masters delivered to mastering engineer.
- Cover art (front, back if applicable, square plus 3:4 for video formats).
- Visual identity sheet: typeface, palette, photographic register.
Typical Davy spend at Day 90Mastering: $300 to $1,200 per track. Cover art and identity package: $1,500 to $6,000 depending on scope and originality of visual world.
Day 75 to Day 60 (Shoot Week)
Window 2 of 6 · production heavy
What ships out
- Press photos shot. Minimum 8 images, one wide-aspect, one square, one with negative space for press copy.
- Music video or alt visual: full live performance, narrative short, abstract piece, lyric, or visualizer.
- Vertical-format cutdowns commissioned alongside the main video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts).
- If physical: vinyl test pressings approved, merch design files locked.
Typical Davy spend at Day 60Press photos: $1,500 to $5,000 per shoot. Music video: $3,000 (performance) to $25,000 plus (narrative). Visualizer plus cutdowns: $1,500 to $4,000. Merch and vinyl artwork: $800 to $3,000 in addition to manufacturing cost.
Day 60 to Day 45 (Distribution and Editorial)
Window 3 of 6 · the editorial cliff
What moves
- Tracks delivered to DSPs via distributor (DistroKid, CD Baby, AWAL, Tunecore, or label channel). Minimum 21 days pre-release for Spotify editorial consideration.
- Spotify for Artists pitch submitted with one track. Be specific in the pitch box.
- Pre-save link live and shareable.
- Press list assembled. Tier 1 publications (Stereogum, Pitchfork, FADER, Loud and Quiet), tier 2 (blogs in your sub-genre), tier 3 (newsletters, regional radio).
- PR pitches drafted. Embargoes negotiated. Mp3 or private SoundCloud streaming links prepared with watermarks.
Typical Davy spend at Day 45Distribution: $0 to $300 depending on platform and license tier. PR retainer for a release cycle: $1,500 to $7,500. Most projects fall in the $2,500 to $5,000 range for a thoughtful pitch over 6 weeks.
Day 45 to Day 30 (Announce Week)
Window 4 of 6 · first reveal
What goes public
- Announce post: title, art, tracklist (if EP or album), release date, pre-save link.
- First single drops if running a multi-single rollout. Day 30 is also a valid first-single date.
- Press exclusive: one tier 1 publication runs the announce with a first-listen of the lead track. Negotiate this 14 days before drop.
- Newsletter goes out to the artist's direct list. Do not skip this. It is the most engaged audience you have.
- Cutdowns for socials: 4 to 8 short-form pieces tied to the announce, staggered across two weeks.
Typical Davy spend at Day 30Social content production: $1,000 to $4,000 for a batch of 8 to 16 cutdowns. Newsletter design and copy: $300 to $800. Light paid social to amplify announce: $500 to $2,000.
Day 30 to Day 7 (Pre-Release Sustain)
Window 5 of 6 · the long week
What sustains
- Second single if applicable (Day 14 is the typical second-single drop).
- Music video premiere, often at Day 14 alongside the second single.
- Behind-the-scenes content: studio footage, photo dump, lyric breakdowns, gear talk. Whatever fits the artist's voice.
- Playlist outreach for non-editorial Spotify lists, Apple Music station pitches, curated YouTube channels in your genre.
- If touring: tour dates announced 14 to 28 days before release, not after.
- Merch capsule available for pre-order or drops alongside second single.
Typical Davy spend at Day 7Second single rollout doubles the production cost of the first single in cutdowns and amplification. Tour announce assets: $500 to $1,500. Merch manufacturing depends on quantity and process (in-house screen print starts at $4 per shirt at small batch, $2 to $3 at quantity).
Day 7 to Day 0 (Launch Week)
Window 6a of 6 · the visible week
What lands
- Day 7: final pre-release single or video drop if multi-asset rollout.
- Day 3: full track-by-track teaser, deluxe details, tour announce.
- Day 1 (Thursday): launch eve content, ticket links for any release show, final newsletter.
- Day 0 (Friday): release day. Full asset push. Spotify Today's Top Hits and equivalent flagship list outreach already done (pitches submitted Day 21).
- Release show. If you can play live the week of release, do it. Local matters more than streaming volume in launch week.
Typical Davy spend in launch weekPaid social conversion spend: $1,500 to $5,000 across launch week, focused on engaged-fan audiences and lookalike sets built from the pre-save data. Release show production: starts at $1,500 for a small venue (sound, lighting, photo plus video capture).
Day 1 to Day 30 Post-Release (Sustain)
Window 6b of 6 · the part most plans skip
What keeps moving
- Sync pitching to music supervisors. Day 7 post-release is the right time to circulate a clean version of the record to sync agents and music supervisors, with no expectation of immediate placement.
- Tour cutdowns from any release show.
- Algorithmic follow-through: Discover Weekly, Radio, Release Radar all key off of Day 1 to Day 28 engagement. Keep posting through this window.
- Press follow-up: secondary tier interviews, podcast appearances, regional radio sessions.
- If physical product sold out: communicate a restock date or call it limited. Do not leave fans guessing.
Typical Davy spend post-release first 30 daysSync pitching cycle: $2,500 to $7,500 retainer per release. Sustain content for the algorithmic window: $1,500 to $4,000 across the first 30 days.
What the full 90-day cycle costs
Stacking the line items above gives a working range. We see most thoughtful indie releases at Davy land in three rough tiers:
- Lean cycle, $8,000 to $14,000: single, performance video, 8 cutdowns, light press, small paid amplification, modest merch.
- Standard cycle, $18,000 to $32,000: EP or strong single plus B-side, narrative or hybrid video, 16 plus cutdowns, full PR retainer, sync circulation, real paid amplification, mid-batch merch.
- Album cycle, $40,000 to $90,000 plus: album with 3-single rollout, two videos, full visual world, broad PR, sync from Day 14, tour support layer, vinyl manufacturing, sustain content through 60 plus days post-release.
None of these are quotes. Every record is different. Use these as anchors when you scope yours.
The non-negotiables
- Distribute 21 days minimum before release. Editorial windows do not flex for you.
- Newsletter your list. Twice. They are the only audience that does not depend on a platform.
- Capture every fan who engages pre-release into a list you own.
- Do not let launch week be the loudest moment of the cycle. Days 7 to 28 post-release matter more for catalog longevity.
- If you can play the music live during launch week, do it.
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