Pre-order start date
The day from which fans can “reserve” the releaseOptional and primarily a marketing date – known mainly from iTunes.
The pre-order start date is the day from which listeners can save or buy a single, EP or album in advance, before the release officially comes out. On the release day, the platform then automatically makes the title available or delivers it to them.
What a pre-order is for
- A marketing kick-off – fans reserve the title long before the release, and on the big day it lands in their library by itself.
- Gauging demand – the number of pre-orders signals to the platforms, and to you, how much interest there is in the release.
- A better starting position – on some platforms, pre-orders count towards the first day of release, which helps in the charts and in recommendation algorithms.
- Room for promotion – between the start of the pre-order and the release you have a window of time that is ideal for singles, lyric videos, interviews and other content.
How the date fits in logically
The pre-order start date must be before the live date on platforms. The pre-order period usually ranges from one to six weeks – a shorter window is not worth promoting, while a longer one tends to lose the audience’s attention.
You submit the release for distribution in its release detail. Allow plenty of time – the pre-order can only start once the release has been processed on the platforms (see When to send your music to distribution and how long it takes).
Fans can “save the release in advance”. You launch the campaign, send out the link and share it on social media.
The pre-order ends and the release automatically becomes available to everyone who bought it.
Full pre-orders (with a purchase) are supported primarily by iTunes / Apple Music. Spotify and other streaming services work with the concept of a pre-save, which works similarly but is technically different and has nothing to do with the pre-order date. From the STANDARD plan upwards, you can generate a Pre-Save link yourself in Album links as soon as the release has been delivered to the platforms.
With us, this date is optional – if you do not want to deal with a pre-order, simply leave the field empty and the release will go ahead as standard.
When to consider a pre-order
- Bigger releases (album, EP) with a planned campaign – a pre-order gives you room to reveal the content gradually.
- An active fan base – if you have a reach where people respond, a pre-order gives them a clear call to action: “Click now, get it on release day.”
- A planned single tied to an album – an album pre-order with a single released in parallel as an instant gratification track is a proven model.
Try the interactive guide to release dates – it takes you through your specific scenario and makes sure the dates make sense.