Holiday music has a short, intense season, and most of the work happens before it starts. Here is a worked timeline for a fictional independent artist releasing an original Christmas single. Adjust the weeks to your own release date.
The setup
- Artist: a singer-songwriter with an engaged but small audience.
- Song: an original holiday track plus an acoustic version.
- Goal: get the song into seasonal listening habits this year and build a catalogue track that can return every December.
12 weeks before release
Finish the master and the acoustic version. Book a simple photo shoot with winter or festive styling. Decide whether the song is family-friendly, romantic, or melancholy; that decides which playlists and outlets fit.
10 weeks before
Deliver both versions to the distributor so editorial pitching is possible. Holiday programming at playlists, radio and stores is planned ahead of the season, so late deliveries miss it.
8 weeks before
Pitch the lead version through Spotify for Artists and other platform tools. Draft a short press note: who the artist is, what the song is about, and why it fits the season.
6 weeks before
Contact seasonal playlist curators, local radio and community stations, and blogs that run holiday features. Plan three short videos: the story of the song, a stripped performance, and a festive behind-the-scenes clip.
Release week
Post the videos over several days. Thank everyone who shares or adds the song.
After the season
Note which outlets supported the song. Next year, the same track is pitched again with a fresh asset, such as a live version or a duet.
Holiday campaigns reward early planning more than any other release. For a team that runs dedicated seasonal campaigns, see this page on Christmas music promotion.