Presave Setup

how to set up presaves for your music release.

Every presave is a guaranteed Day 1 stream and a fan email you own forever. Set them up 3 weeks before release. Let them compound.

TL;DR

A presave page captures fan emails and saves your release to their library before it drops. Every presave is a Day 1 stream and an algorithmic signal. Set it up 3-4 weeks before release, share the link everywhere, and let it work for you.

What Presaves Do

presaves turn anticipation into algorithmic fuel.

A presave is a fan committing to your release before it's out. When the track drops, it's automatically saved to their library and shows up in their Release Radar. That's a guaranteed Day 1 listen.

More importantly, presaves capture fan email addresses. This is first-party data you own. An email list doesn't disappear when an algorithm changes or a platform shuts down.

The compound effect: presaves boost Day 1 streams, Day 1 streams signal the algorithm, the algorithm pushes to more listeners, more listeners save the track. One presave can cascade into hundreds of streams.

Setup

create your presave page before the release exists on streaming platforms.

You don't need your track to be live on Spotify to set up presaves. You need: your release title, release date, and cover artwork. That's it.

Create a presave page with these details. When fans visit, they enter their email to get notified on release day. Some presave tools also connect to Spotify and Apple Music to auto-save the track to their library when it goes live.

Set this up 3-4 weeks before release. The longer the presave window, the more emails you collect.

create a presave page →

Distribution

put the presave link everywhere. bio links, stories, email signatures.

Your presave link should be the only link you share in the lead-up to release. Replace your bio link on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Add it to your email signature. Pin it in your Discord.

Create 3-5 short-form videos teasing the release and include the presave link in every caption. The goal is not one viral video. The goal is consistent presence over 3-4 weeks.

Every presave is a fan who already decided they care. These are your highest-value listeners.

Release Day

presaves convert to streams automatically. the page flips to a smart link.

On release day, two things happen automatically: fans who presaved get an email notification that the track is live, and the presave page converts to a smart link page with all streaming platform links.

No manual work. No new link to share. The same URL that was a presave page yesterday is a smart link page today.

This is why the presave link should be the one you share everywhere. It's permanent.

see how the presave-to-smart-link flip works →

frequently asked questions

How many presaves do I need to make a difference?

Even 20-50 presaves from real fans matter. The algorithm cares about the ratio of saves to listeners in the first 24 hours. 50 real presaves from engaged fans beats 500 from a bot service.

Can I set up presaves without a distributor?

Yes. You need your release title, date, and artwork. The presave page captures emails and notifies fans on release day. The Spotify/Apple Music library save happens separately through your distributor's presave integration or through the streaming platform link.

When should I start promoting my presave link?

3-4 weeks before release. Earlier than that and momentum fades. Later than that and you miss the window for building up email captures.

What happens to the email addresses I collect?

You own them. Use them to notify fans about future releases, tour dates, or merch drops. An email list is the only audience you fully control. Build it with every release.

set up presaves now.

get started →