A pre-order allows fans to purchase your music before its official release date. Instead of waiting until release day, eligible stores can display your upcoming release in advance, giving listeners an opportunity to secure their purchase early.
During the pre-order period, fans may be able to see information such as your release title, cover artwork, track listing, and release date. The full release then becomes available on its scheduled release date.
Why Use a Pre-Order?
Pre-orders can be useful when you're actively promoting an upcoming single, EP, or album. They give you somewhere to direct fans before release day and can help turn early interest into purchases while your promotional campaign is underway.
A pre-order works especially well when paired with announcements, social media content, music videos, email campaigns, press coverage, or other promotion leading up to your release.
Which Stores Support Pre-Orders?
Pre-orders are currently supported through select download stores, including:
- iTunes / Apple
- Amazon
- Traxsource
- Beatport
Note: Pre-order availability ultimately depends on the individual store. Beatport currently allows a maximum pre-order period of 28 days.
When Should I Set My Pre-Order Date?
Your pre-order date is the date your release becomes available for advance purchase. This is separate from your release date, which is when the full release officially becomes available.
We recommend submitting your release well in advance. As a general rule, your requested pre-order date should be at least two weeks after you submit your release. This provides time for delivery, processing, and ingestion by participating stores.
For larger release campaigns, submitting even earlier is recommended.
Pre-Order vs. Pre-Save
A pre-order and a pre-save are not the same thing.
Pre-order: A customer purchases a release from a supported digital download store before its release date.
Pre-save: A listener saves an upcoming release to their account on a streaming platform so it can be added to their library when it becomes available.
Depending on your release strategy, you may use both pre-orders and pre-saves as part of the same campaign.
Can Fans Receive a Song Before the Full Release?
Some releases may support an instant-gratification track, which allows a customer who pre-orders a release to receive one or more selected tracks before the complete project is released.
Availability for these features varies by store and release.
Planning Your Pre-Order
If you're using a pre-order, don't treat the pre-order date as an afterthought. Consider it the beginning of your release campaign. Your pre-order period can be used to introduce the artwork, announce the project, share singles or previews, and begin directing listeners toward the upcoming release.
Remember: Setting a pre-order date does not guarantee that every music service will offer your release for pre-order. Pre-orders are only delivered to and displayed by participating stores that support the feature.