If you're about to release your first single and you don't have a marketing team behind you, the question isn't what to do — it's what to do first. Every week that passes is one less week of algorithm, and the TikTok, Reels and Spotify algorithms scrutinize the first 14 days closely.
This is the roadmap we give artists who come to Add Music with a single ready but no idea how to activate it.
Week 1: content before the release
Don't wait for release day. Post 3–4 pieces of content to TikTok and Instagram Reels using an 8–15 second fragment of your song's hook, two weeks ahead. They don't have to be music videos: they can be behind-the-scenes from the studio, a personal story about the lyrics, or a clip of you listening to the finished track in the car.
The goal isn't virality — it's training the TikTok algorithm to learn who your sound resonates with before day-of arrives. When you upload the official audio, there's already a primed audience.
Week 2: the Spotify pitch (not optional)
Spotify accepts editorial pitches up to 7 days before release. If you distribute with a serious platform, your dashboard includes this form. Always fill it out.
The pitch doesn't guarantee an editorial playlist, but it does guarantee your song enters Release Radar for your current listeners — and that's the first 1,000–5,000 organic streams without lifting a finger. If you skip it, Spotify treats you like an artist who isn't interested in their own release.
Week 3: release day
Time: Friday 00:00 local time in your main market (LatAm: 00:00 Bogotá/CDMX time). Not US midnight — Spotify counts the release day by the artist's timezone.
Minimum action: post the TikTok clip now with the official audio, tag your distributor and Spotify, and proactively comment on the first 50 stories or reels where your song appears.
Measure engagement per minute in the first 3 hours. If the ratio is low (fewer than 1 comment per 1,000 views), the algorithm isn't pushing it — rework the piece before 24 hours pass.
Week 4: pivot or double down
If within 7 days you're at ≥ 5,000 organic streams with no paid spend: double down — invest in a small Meta Ads campaign (~USD $100) targeting lookalike audiences of your listeners.
If streams are flat: don't invest in ads. The problem isn't reach — it's resonance. Adjust the copy on your posts, try a different fragment of the track on TikTok, and plan the next single for 4–6 weeks later with what you've learned.
Doing music marketing in LatAm as an independent artist isn't magic — it's week-by-week discipline. If you want a personalized plan for your next release, let's talk.