Pre-Release
Build Hype Leading Up to New Releases By Re-Engaging Your Existing Fans And Attracting New Ones
Artist Example:
Laufey - “Madwoman” Music Video Roll Out
Lip Sync Shorts
2026.04.01 - 2026.04.06
MV Collaborators Revelation
2026.04.06 - 2026.04.09
Official Video Trailer
2026.04.10
Lip Sync Shorts with all Collaborators
2026.04.11
‘Madwoman’
OMV Premiere
2026.04.13
Post-Release Shorts
2026.04.16
In the week leading up to the release of the “Madwoman” music video, Laufey’s Shorts received over 12M views*.
*Internal YT Data, April 6-12, 2026
Pre-Release Strategy Checklist
Build your strategy from left to right: start with the essentials, then add on next-level steps as your release strategies grow.
Getting Started
Beginner
All artists start here
Promotion
Preparation
-
CHANNEL OPTIMIZATION - Update channel banner, release links, bio, and layout; set trailer as Featured Video
Stepping it Up
Intermediate
Add these steps if you’re ready for the next level
Promotion
-
PREVIEW - Deliver, tease upcoming music, and inspire creation on Shorts
Preparation
-
COMMUNITIES - Set up to announce release and interact with fans
-
PLAYLISTS - Organize release-related content
-
CONCERT TICKETS - Connect BandsinTown
-
COLLABORATIONS - Invite featured artists to maximize audience
Superstar
Advanced
Add these steps if you’re looking to maximize exposure on YouTube
Promotion
-
SHORTS - Encourage fans to create Shorts using your Preview
-
TOP FAN EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS - Notify top fans of an upcoming release
Preparation
-
LIVE STREAM - Plan before or after your music video Premiere
-
LIVE REDIRECT - Connect your audience from your live stream to your Premiere, or vice versa
-
CHANNEL OPTIMIZATION - Optimize thumbnails or run A/B tests
PRO TIP
If you haven’t put out music in a while, give yourself more time to post teasers and content to re-engage your fans. Remind them of what made them fans of your music, but also get them excited for what’s next.
*Internal YT Data, April 6-12, 2026
Why Take Action Before A Release is Out?
Turn anticipation into action. This is the perfect time to engage your community and inspire fans to start creating content with your new music, galvanizing a community ready to support and amplify your release.
Building Anticipation and Awareness
Let fans know about your upcoming release across YouTube. By building a visual world and vibe around your new music and teasing it bit by bit, fans can become more familiar and anticipate your release enough so they tune in on release day.
Ramping Up Channel Engagement
YouTube’s personalized recommendations are based on fans’ engagement history, interests and the content’s performance. Make sure fans are already engaging with your content so they can be the first to know when your new release is out.
Inspiring Creation and Amplification
When fans hear your song or watch your pre-release content repeatedly, they can be inspired to create their own content with the track. When fans and creators use your music in their content, this can create a ripple effect and amplify your release and create momentum before it’s even out.
Gaining Dedicated Fans
YouTube has the fan infrastructure designed to turn casual listeners into a dedicated community. The earlier you bring them in, the more opportunities they have to support your upcoming releases.
DID YOU KNOW:
According to a Luminate study, 4 out of 5 superfans use YouTube to engage with music content and/or artists, more than any other online platform.
Shorts
Tease Your Release with a Variety of Shorts
We recommend creating multiple types of Shorts to promote your new release:
Tease Your Release with a Preview
A Preview is a clip of a song that is available on Shorts before the song is officially out. TINI used the Preview of her song, Universidad to create a lip-sync teaser Short.
Encourage and Inspire Fans to Create
Create Shorts that invite fans to start creating using your upcoming track
PRO TIP
Use your Preview audio when uploading Shorts before release day. All content using the song will appear on a dedicated song library page and carry over once the song is officially out. A ‘Notify-Me’ button will also appear for fans to tap in order to get notifications on release day.
- Don’t have a Preview? Use the same Shorts audio snippet for all content uploaded before release day to gather all videos using the sound in one place
and encourage fans to follow your lead.
- How? Tap the song chip in the bottom right corner of your Short → Use this sound → Record or upload your Short.
*Internal YT Data, Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2026
Long-Form Video
Upload A Trailer Or Teaser For Your Upcoming Release
WHY: Begin world building around your song through
visual storytelling.
WHEN: About two weeks before your release.
- Fresh content for new fans coming to your channel
- Build anticipation for your upcoming release.
Link to Youtube Video (visible only when JS is disabled)
PRO TIP
Make sure your new trailer is set up as the Featured Video on your channel and as the trailer on your music video Premiere watch page.
Set Up a Collaboration to Maximize Exposure
HOW TO
During the upload process, look at:
the “Details” section under “Audience,” click Show more.
Under “Collaboration,” click Invite a collaborator and search the channel(s)
Based on an internal study conducted in February 2026, US and UK channels that used Collaborations with:
a similar subscriber base as their collaborators experienced a
25%
UPLIFT IN VIEWS IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS
a slightly smaller subscriber base as their collaborators experienced a
60%
UPLIFT IN VIEWS IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS
*on average, comparing their Collaboration videos to their non-collaboration videos of the same format published within 5 months
Set Up a Premiere for Your Official Music Video Release
Premieres allow you and your fans to watch and experience your music video together with a live chat.
- Watch pages are live as soon as Premiere is set up, allowing you and fans to interact before the release date
- Tell fans to set reminders to tune into Premiere
- Build hype for your premiere by promoting the link on socials.
Link to Youtube Video (visible only when JS is disabled)
Live
Plan a live stream before or after your music video Premiere to build momentum around the release with direct fan interaction
If you plan to go live on release day, set up Live Redirect between your Premiere and live stream so fans are seamlessly taken to the next stream as soon as one finishes.
Before you plan your pre-release strategy make sure to check these:
Channel Optimization
- Update your channel banner to reflect your latest release
- Add your pre-save link to your channel
- Set a trailer or teaser as your featured video
- Customize your channel layout
Organize your channel to highlight the new release. If the new release is part of an upcoming album, make a playlist and feature it towards the top.
Shopping
Connect Your Store to YouTube
- Connect one or more supported platforms or retailers with YouTube, via both mobile and desktop.
- Make sure store is connected so you can push products live upon release.
- If you already have merch available, start tagging products in your content to push sales.
Concert Tickets
Connect your BandsInTown account to YouTube
Keep upcoming shows front and center for fans as they watch your content.
Communities
Communities are a dedicated space for you and your fans can make posts, interact and connect further.
PRO TIP
Create posts to announce and count down until release day to start the conversation and encourage fans to tune in.
How to turn on your Community:
- On the YouTube App, go to your channel page
- Tap Create
- Turn on My Community
Posts
Think of Posts as your ‘social posts’ on YouTube with photos, gifs, links, videos and more.
- Posts will appear in both the Posts tab and Community section of your channel.
- Take it a step further: Prompt fans to engage with posts by using polls and quizzes.
Pre-Saves
Set up a pre-save campaign to allow fans to automatically save your release once it’s out and increase streams on release day.
It’s time to plan your content strategy
Now that you’re familiar with the suite of tools available, start planning what your release rollout will look like on YouTube, ahead of release day.
Customize your strategy to fit you, your release and your audience.
Here are some thought starters to help get started:
-
Visual Storytelling
What visual storytelling videos will anchor my release strategy?
When will I upload these videos to make sure I maintain engagement with my release, even beyond release day? -
Shorts
What is an achievable Shorts upload cadence I can follow to stay consistent?
What are a few different kinds of Shorts I can try to make to test what resonates with my audience? -
Other
How do I plan to connect with fans throughout the release cycle? Are there tentpole moments or regular touchpoints?
How will I amplify my YouTube content across other socials and digital platforms?
