How to Promote a Mixtape: A Four Week Plan

A mixtape gets one week of attention

A mixtape has a shorter runway than an album and far less budget behind it. Most of the attention lands in release week, so the work is lining everything up to hit that week at once.

Four weeks out: lock the date and the assets

• Pick the release day. Friday is the default and the most crowded. Tuesday has far less competition.
• Avoid November 1 to early January, when the majors stack their biggest releases
• Deliver to your distributor and pitch the strongest single through Spotify for Artists. Spotify's minimum is 7 days, and it recommends 4 to 6 weeks
• Shoot the cover, two landscape press photos and three short vertical clips

Three weeks out: book the press that runs on a date

Pitches go out three to four weeks before release. Anything with a guaranteed publication date gets booked now so it lands in release week. A $50 press release stays live for 30 days, so timing it a few days before the drop covers the whole release window. A permanent Music Section article on AllHipHop is $100 and goes live in 24 to 48 hours.

Two weeks out: send the pitches

Send twenty to forty targeted pitches, each under 200 words with one streaming link and one credential. If your guaranteed article is already scheduled, it is the credential. The email itself is in our guide to submitting your music to blogs.

Release week: put everything out at once

• The article goes live and the link goes in your bio
• Post the vertical clips over the first five days
• Send the article link to every outlet you pitched
• Add the newsletter promo or a homepage feature if the budget allows

The 30 days after

Most mixtapes stop being promoted the week they come out. Keep posting clips, send the coverage link to playlist curators and bookers, and put the article in your EPK. That is the part people keep using long after release week.

FAQ

How do I promote a mixtape with no budget?

Lock a date, pitch twenty to forty targeted outlets three to four weeks out and post short clips daily in release week. Expect a low reply rate on free pitches.

When should I start promoting a mixtape?

Four weeks before release. Spotify recommends pitching 4 to 6 weeks out, and press pitches go out three to four weeks before release day.

Is a press release worth it for a mixtape?

A $50 AllHipHop press release stays live for 30 days, so it covers the release window. For a permanent page, book the $100 Music Section article.