The Best Day to Release Music on Spotify (Data Study)
Last updated:
Friday releases see 20–25% more streams overall, but Tuesday and Wednesday drops often give indie artists more visibility with less competition.
Most artists assume Friday is always the best day to release music on Spotify. While Friday has industry momentum, data shows that independent artists may find more success on less crowded days.
The Friday Phenomenon
Since 2015, the global industry standard has been Friday release day. Spotify reinforced this with its massive New Music Friday playlists, which drive significant discovery.
Recent data from MIDiA and Chartmetric indicates that Friday releases average 20–25% higher first-week streams compared to tracks dropped on other weekdays. This is partly because editorial playlists and Release Radar refresh on Fridays, creating a natural boost.
But high averages hide the competition problem.
The Competition Problem
Statistics
The Best Day to Release Music on Spotify (Data Study)
Last updated:
Friday releases see 20–25% more streams overall, but Tuesday and Wednesday drops often give indie artists more visibility with less competition.
Most artists assume Friday is always the best day to release music on Spotify. While Friday has industry momentum, data shows that independent artists may find more success on less crowded days.
The Friday Phenomenon
Since 2015, the global industry standard has been Friday release day. Spotify reinforced this with its massive New Music Friday playlists, which drive significant discovery.
Recent data from MIDiA and Chartmetric indicates that Friday releases average 20–25% higher first-week streams compared to tracks dropped on other weekdays. This is partly because editorial playlists and Release Radar refresh on Fridays, creating a natural boost.
But high averages hide the competition problem.
The Competition Problem
On any given Friday, over 100,000 new tracks are uploaded across platforms, with Spotify alone averaging 28,000–35,000. Your indie release may sit next to Taylor Swift, Drake, or Beyoncé—and curators only have so much bandwidth.
The result: even excellent independent tracks often get buried in Friday’s flood. Major label campaigns dominate visibility, leaving little space for emerging artists.
The Mid-Week Advantage: Tuesday–Thursday
Analysis of indie release data shows that Tuesday and Wednesday drops can outperform Fridays for smaller artists. Why?
Less competition: Fewer new releases mean curators and fans have more time to notice.
Playlist refresh cycles: Many editorial and algorithmic playlists update mid-week, so your track can gain traction before Friday’s reset.
Early momentum: By Thursday, strong engagement can set you up to ride into Friday with existing traction.
Thursday is often the sweet spot: close enough to Friday hype, but without being drowned in it.
Seasonal Strategy
Release timing also depends on the time of year. Industry data shows:
January–February: Post-holiday lull, low competition, great for indie visibility.
March–May: Peak release months with summer singles in play, expect higher competition.
September–October: Strong season for independent releases; labels return from summer slowdowns.
November–December: Dominated by superstar and holiday drops. Best avoided unless your track is seasonal.
Algorithm Priorities Over Calendar Dates
Spotify’s algorithm doesn’t care what day you release—it cares about engagement signals.
Release Radar: Refreshes Fridays for followers, but only if you pitched your track at least 7 days in advance.
Discover Weekly: Updates Mondays. Placement depends on early listener activity, not release date.
Save Rates: Tracks with save-to-stream ratios above 25–30% are far more likely to trigger algorithmic recommendations within 10–14 days.
In short: Spotify rewards engagement quality more than release timing.
The Pitching Factor
Pitching through Spotify for Artists is critical no matter the release day. This ensures:
Your song appears in your followers’ Release Radar
Eligibility for editorial playlists
Metadata accuracy (genre, mood, instruments) for algorithmic placement
Skipping the pitch window removes one of the strongest tools indie artists have.
When Friday Still Works
Friday releases remain optimal for:
Major label artists with marketing budgets
Acts chasing chart positions
Campaigns tied to coordinated PR pushes
Artists with large, engaged fanbases already primed for the drop
For these cases, Friday visibility outweighs the noise.
The Bottom Line
There’s no universal “best day” to release music on Spotify.
Friday brings the highest raw traffic, but brutal competition.
Tuesday or Wednesday often helps indie artists stand out and build momentum.
Thursday balances anticipation with reduced competition.
Your best bet: experiment across multiple releases and track your own data in Spotify for Artists. If your audience engages most on Wednesdays, lean into that.
The winner isn’t the day of the week—it’s the strength of your engagement.
Today: $600 Ad Credit Welcome Bonus
Join the smartest music marketers
Launch multi-ad-platform campaigns in minutes, not hours.
On any given Friday, over 100,000 new tracks are uploaded across platforms, with Spotify alone averaging 28,000–35,000. Your indie release may sit next to Taylor Swift, Drake, or Beyoncé—and curators only have so much bandwidth.
The result: even excellent independent tracks often get buried in Friday’s flood. Major label campaigns dominate visibility, leaving little space for emerging artists.
The Mid-Week Advantage: Tuesday–Thursday
Analysis of indie release data shows that Tuesday and Wednesday drops can outperform Fridays for smaller artists. Why?
Less competition: Fewer new releases mean curators and fans have more time to notice.
Playlist refresh cycles: Many editorial and algorithmic playlists update mid-week, so your track can gain traction before Friday’s reset.
Early momentum: By Thursday, strong engagement can set you up to ride into Friday with existing traction.
Thursday is often the sweet spot: close enough to Friday hype, but without being drowned in it.
Seasonal Strategy
Release timing also depends on the time of year. Industry data shows:
January–February: Post-holiday lull, low competition, great for indie visibility.
March–May: Peak release months with summer singles in play, expect higher competition.
September–October: Strong season for independent releases; labels return from summer slowdowns.
November–December: Dominated by superstar and holiday drops. Best avoided unless your track is seasonal.
Algorithm Priorities Over Calendar Dates
Spotify’s algorithm doesn’t care what day you release—it cares about engagement signals.
Release Radar: Refreshes Fridays for followers, but only if you pitched your track at least 7 days in advance.
Discover Weekly: Updates Mondays. Placement depends on early listener activity, not release date.
Save Rates: Tracks with save-to-stream ratios above 25–30% are far more likely to trigger algorithmic recommendations within 10–14 days.
In short: Spotify rewards engagement quality more than release timing.
The Pitching Factor
Pitching through Spotify for Artists is critical no matter the release day. This ensures:
Your song appears in your followers’ Release Radar
Eligibility for editorial playlists
Metadata accuracy (genre, mood, instruments) for algorithmic placement
Skipping the pitch window removes one of the strongest tools indie artists have.
When Friday Still Works
Friday releases remain optimal for:
Major label artists with marketing budgets
Acts chasing chart positions
Campaigns tied to coordinated PR pushes
Artists with large, engaged fanbases already primed for the drop
For these cases, Friday visibility outweighs the noise.
The Bottom Line
There’s no universal “best day” to release music on Spotify.
Friday brings the highest raw traffic, but brutal competition.
Tuesday or Wednesday often helps indie artists stand out and build momentum.
Thursday balances anticipation with reduced competition.
Your best bet: experiment across multiple releases and track your own data in Spotify for Artists. If your audience engages most on Wednesdays, lean into that.
The winner isn’t the day of the week—it’s the strength of your engagement.
Today: $600 Ad Credit Welcome Bonus
Join the smartest music marketers
Launch multi-ad-platform campaigns in minutes, not hours.
