What to Post Before Releasing a Song: A Two-Week Plan You Can Keep Up

What to post before releasing a song: short clips of the song itself, starting two weeks out. In the first week, post 15 to 30 second lyric teasers of two different sections and see which one people react to. In the second week, focus on the section that wins and add a cover reveal, a pre-save link and a short countdown. On release day, post a lyric video of that same section with "out now," then keep posting new versions of it all release week. The rest of this guide covers how to do each part without losing two weeks of studio time to editing.

I'm Andrew Loya. I make music and I built LYRC, a tool for short lyric videos. This is the schedule I'd text to an artist friend.

What should you post two weeks before a release?

Post teasers of the actual song. Behind-the-scenes posts and "new music soon" graphics are fine extras, but people need to hear the song before they can care about it. A short vertical clip of a strong section, with the words on screen, gives them that.

Here's days 14 to 8:

1. Pick two sections to test. Use the hook and the line you think hits hardest outside the hook, like a verse punchline or the bridge. Keep each one 15 to 30 seconds.
2. Make a lyric clip of each in 9:16 (1080x1920). That's the shape Reels, TikTok and Shorts use. Words on screen let someone scrolling with the sound off still catch the line.
3. Post one a day, alternating sections. Keep captions and posting times similar so the section is the main thing that changes.
4. Let the clip's audio be the sound. On TikTok and Reels, the audio from your post can become a sound other people reuse. A section that works on its own in 15 to 30 seconds is what gets picked up.

If you only have time for one clip a day, that's enough. A pace you can keep for two weeks beats a burst of posting that stops after three days.

How do you test which part of a song works as a sound?

Compare the two sections across several posts each. One post tells you very little because timing and luck swing a single result. Things worth watching:

• Do people watch to the end or replay it?
• Are they saving or sharing it?
• Are comments quoting a lyric back to you?
• Is anyone making their own video with your sound?

If the verse line beats the hook, go with the verse line. Your favorite part and the part that works as a clip aren't always the same.

The mistake to avoid: changing the footage style and the section at the same time. If both change, you can't tell which one people responded to. Keep the look close between the two sections during the test.

What should you post the week before release?

Days 7 to 1 are about the winning section and getting release day ready.

1. Lock the section. Stop testing. Every lyric clip from here on uses the winner.
2. Make several versions with different footage. Same audio, same lyrics, new visuals. This lets you keep posting the sound without people seeing the same video twice.
3. Reveal the cover art. A cover post tells people the release is real and gives them something to recognize on streaming apps. If you don't have one yet, the album cover art generator can make one.
4. Put a pre-save link in your bio if your distributor or link tool gives you one, and mention it in captions.
5. Post one or two phone-shot moments. Recording the vocal, writing the line, playing it in the car. These don't need lyrics or editing.
6. Count down for the last few days. Short clips of the section with "out Friday" or whatever your day is.
7. Export your release-day videos before release day. Don't leave this for release night. If you're editing at midnight on release night, you'll post late or not at all.

On that last point: one artist set their single up in LYRC before release, so the lyric videos were ready to go on release day instead of being built that morning. Do the setup work once, while you still have time.

For distribution, link pages and ads, see this rundown of tools to market your music in 2026.

What should you post on release day?

• The lyric video of the winning section with "out now" in the caption and on screen if it fits the look.
• Your link in bio updated to the streaming link, not the pre-save.
• A story pointing people to the post and the link.
• A reply or two to people who used your sound during the teaser weeks, if anyone did.

If you also want a full-length lyric video on YouTube in 16:9, that's a separate job. LYRC makes 15 to 30 second videos of one section, so for the whole song use a general editor like CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci. Lyric videos are promo, too. Your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby and others) is what actually puts the song on Spotify and Apple Music.

How many videos should you post release week?

Keep going with the same section and new footage. A new clip each day of release week is realistic if each one takes minutes instead of an evening. Switching to a different section every day spreads attention across several sounds, so stick with the one you tested.

Plan release week before it starts so you don't go quiet after release day. Two weeks of buildup followed by silence after release day wastes the attention you built. The fix is the same as last week: have the release-week versions made before the week starts.

Where should the footage come from?

You have a few options, and you can mix them:

• Your own footage. Phone clips of you, your city, your session.
• Licensed stock. Good for mood shots you can't film yourself.
• AI b-roll. Useful when you want a look you can't shoot, like a specific scene or style.
• Clips from other videos. Using clips from films, shows or other people's videos can draw copyright claims or get your audio muted on some platforms. Your own footage, licensed stock and AI b-roll avoid that problem.

Mistakes to avoid before a release

• Teasing the whole song. Give people sections. They should still have a reason to stream it.
• Testing with low-effort clips. If the teasers look rushed, you're testing the edit as much as the song.
• Building release-day content on release day. Export it during the week before.
• Burning out. If posting every day means you stop making music, drop to every other day and keep the same section.

FAQ

How far before release should I start posting? Two weeks is enough for an independent single. It gives you one week to test sections and one week to build toward release day.

Should I post the full song before it comes out? No. Post 15 to 30 second sections. You want people curious enough to stream the full thing.

What if neither section gets a reaction? Try a different section or a different visual style for a few posts, changing one thing at a time. Keep posting either way, since some songs take longer to find their audience.

Can I make a full-length lyric video in LYRC? No. LYRC makes 15 to 30 second videos of one section. For a full-length YouTube lyric video, CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci fit better.

Do I need a paid plan to follow this plan? Building and previewing are free on the Free plan, and your first export comes with a LYRC watermark. Ongoing exports need a paid plan; check current plans and limits.

How LYRC does this

The LYRC lyric video maker makes repeat 15 to 30 second videos of one section with new footage.

1. Upload the song and trim a 15 to 30 second section. For the test week, set up both sections you want to compare. Each section you set up is saved as its own song template, and the Free plan includes one new song a month, so testing two sections or exporting daily needs a paid plan. See current plans and limits.
2. LYRC transcribes the lyrics and times each word, in Quick Sync or Studio-Grade mode. Review it and fix anything it missed. Names, slang and ad-libs are the usual misses.
3. Cut markers land on the kicks and claps so visuals change on the beat. Add, remove or nudge any of them.
4. It saves as a song template. Every new video of that section starts with the lyrics, timing and cuts already in place. The templates tutorial walks through it.
5. Fill puts a clip in every slot from LYRC stock, your own footage, a YouTube or TikTok link, or AI b-roll. Clips from other people's videos can draw copyright claims or muted audio on some platforms. Shuffle, lock the clips you like and shuffle the rest. For release week, Rollout can prepare up to 30 variations at once, and exports still count against your plan.
6. Pick a lyric style, choose 9:16, and export. On paid plans you can also post or schedule to Instagram from LYRC.

Your first video export is free when you sign up. It carries a small LYRC watermark.

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