How Prepared Are You for Q1?

The first quarter, more popularly referred to as Q1, is defined as the period between January 1st and March 31st and is one of the most important times of the year for independent artists. It is the least crowded window to release music in the calendar year, and often times major labels will put more emphasis trying to break newer acts, rather than pushing their superstars.

This gives independent artists are relatively clear moment to drop and provides an opportunity to stake their claim on the year. Specifically, DSP curators and tastemakers are not as inundated with requests, as they will come April, allowing them to pay attention to up and coming artists.

This is the uniqueness of Q1 and why you should always be ready to take advantage of it.

And now I know what you're thinking: "Ok this is great, but how do I take advantage of Q1?"

Here are some of our best tips and practices to make sure you're set up for success:

1. Have an idea of what songs you want to release before the year starts.

You don't need to know everything, but have some idea and plans. We understand that creativity can spark at any time, and you might have a whole new slate of songs ready to release by the end of next month. But that doesn't mean don't have some kind of idea.

2. Create a loose calendar

Once, again you don't have to be so rigid, but you should have an idea of when you want to drop. If you're thinking about putting something out in Mid-Feb make note of that. You don't need exact dates, but give yourself an idea of timing.

3. Get your marketing strategy in order

Each song you release is an opportunity to be seen and heard by both fans and tastemakers alike. If you do not position your releases properly you're missing out on getting proper visibility and gaining new fans.

4. Choose a trusted marketing partner