Finished Your Recording, Now What?
Finished Your Recording, Now What?
Bill Sayre
8/31/20251 min read
Finishing a studio recording is huge, but it’s really just the start. Getting your music out there is about distribution, visibility, and connection. Here’s a roadmap you can follow after you walk out of the studio with your finished tracks:
🎶 Step 1: Finalize Your Masters
Make sure your songs are properly mixed and mastered.
Double-check metadata (song titles, artist name, ISRC codes if possible).
Create high-quality WAVs (for distribution) and MP3s (for promo/sharing).
🌍 Step 2: Distribute Your Music Online
Use a digital distributor so your music gets on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music, and more. Popular services:
DistroKid (fast, flat annual fee, unlimited releases)
CD Baby (one-time fee per release, good for physical + sync licensing)
TuneCore (annual per-release model, also strong)
These platforms handle royalties, publishing options, and playlist pitching.
📲 Step 3: Build Your Online Presence
Social media: Share behind-the-scenes from your studio, teasers, and clips.
YouTube/Shorts & TikTok: Post song snippets, lyric videos, and performance clips.
Website or Linktree: Have a central hub with links to your music, shows, and merch.
📢 Step 4: Promote Your Release
Create a pre-save campaign (Spotify, Apple Music).
Pitch your music to blogs, playlists, and internet radio (SubmitHub, IndieMono, local college stations).
Send press releases or EPK (electronic press kit) to local media.
🎤 Step 5: Play Live & Network
Gig locally — even open mics help you connect with listeners.
Collaborate with other musicians on shows, remixes, or features.
Record live performance videos for YouTube.
💰 Step 6: Monetize
Streaming royalties (small but add up).
Bandcamp (great for direct-to-fan sales).
Sync licensing (TV, film, ads — CD Baby Pro or Songtrust can help).
Merch (shirts, CDs, vinyl, even USB drives with your album).
🔄 Step 7: Keep Momentum Going
Release singles before/after the full album to stay visible.
Collect emails for a fan mailing list (still powerful).
Keep creating content between releases (covers, jams, tutorials, stories).
👉 The key is consistency: one great recording won’t blow you up, but steady music, connection with fans, and smart promotion will.