Recipe: write and send a press release for your single

What you get: a one-page press release for your single, plus a short list of writers who have each had a personal email about it.

What it costs: nothing but your time if you write and send it yourself, about 8 to 12 hours spread over two to three weeks. The times below are our estimates, not figures from a source.

The timing anchor: your single should already be with your distributor. Spotify says to deliver your music at least 7 days before release so its editors have time to listen; the press push runs in the same window. If you haven't planned the release yet, start with our 14-day single release recipe.

The steps

1. Find your angle (1 hour, free). Ari's Take says the important thing is to present your music's story from the most interesting angle possible, and that a good release leads with accomplishments such as streaming milestones. Write one sentence a stranger would repeat. If you have no numbers yet, the angle is the song's story, not your career.
2. Write the release (2 to 3 hours, free). Aim for 300 to 500 words, per Ari's Take. Prezly's guide lays out the parts: a headline, an opening that says what is announced and why it matters, context such as inspiration or collaborators, a quote, and a closing with links. Put the release date, genre and where you're based in the first paragraph.
3. Add one real quote (20 minutes, free). Prezly says quotes add a personal touch and journalists appreciate them. Say something a writer could lift into a review; avoid "we're so excited".
4. Link, don't attach (1 hour, free). Prezly advises linking to your music and press kit rather than attaching files. Make a private streaming link, a folder of press photos and the cover art, and a page for your electronic press kit.
5. Build a short list (2 to 3 hours, free). Twenty writers who have covered something close to your sound beats two hundred random addresses. Our guide to pitching blogs and radio covers how to find them.
6. Send personal emails, 2 to 3 weeks out (2 to 3 hours, free). One email each, their name, one line on why it fits their beat, the release pasted in the body, the links below it.
7. Follow up once, about a week later (1 hour, free). One short nudge, then stop.
8. Release day (30 minutes, free). Send the live link to anyone who replied, and update your press kit page.

Total: about 8 to 12 hours of your own time and $0, before any optional paid submission service or publicist.

What we think

The press release is the smallest part of this job. Most of the value is in step 1 and step 5: a clear angle and a list of people who actually write about music like yours. A perfect 450 words sent to the wrong inboxes earns nothing; a rough paragraph sent to the right twenty people can earn a reply.

We'd also treat the release as raw material, not a finished product. Writers are busy, so a release built to be quoted from (a clean first paragraph, one usable quote, every link working) makes their job easier, and that is the whole pitch. Spend on paid services only once you've done one free round and know what kind of writer responds to you.