No label required · from $69
Music promotion for independent artists
You do not need a record deal to run a real release campaign — you need the same three levers a label pulls, at a budget that fits an independent artist. That is what Elevate does, one release at a time.
What labels actually do on release week
Strip away the mythology and a label's release week is three coordinated actions: get the song onto playlists, put paid media behind it, and generate social content around it. Everything else — press, radio, sync — supports those.
None of the three requires a label. They require someone doing the work: a curator network to pitch to, a media buyer to run ads properly, and creator relationships in markets that matter. Buying those separately as a solo artist is where most budgets get wasted.
Elevate packages the three into one campaign per release. You keep your masters, your publishing and your rights, and you pay once — no retainer, no royalty split, no contract.
A realistic independent release plan
If you are releasing a single in the next month, this is the order of operations we recommend.
- 4+ weeks out: deliver to your distributor so the song is eligible for editorial pitching
- 3 weeks out: pitch editorial yourself in Spotify for Artists (free, and only you can do it)
- 2 weeks out: book your campaign so pitching and creative are ready for release day
- Release week: playlist pitches go out, ad flight launches, creator videos start posting
- Weeks 2–4: ads optimise toward the audiences converting, placements accumulate
- After 30 days: review the report, then apply what worked to the next single
Who this is and is not for
A good fit if…
- Unsigned artists releasing singles regularly
- Artists with a budget between $69 and $1,500 per release
- Anyone who wants to learn what works from a clear report
Not a fit if…
- Artists looking to buy streams or monthly listeners
- Anyone expecting a campaign to substitute for a finished, competitive song
- Artists who want representation or management
Recent independent campaigns
Independent artist
Pop single, release-week campaign
- 19 playlist adds in one 30-day campaign
- 181,000 combined playlist followers reached
- Paired with a Meta ad flight during release week
Independent artist
Pop single, playlist + creator push
- 9 playlist adds
- 168,000 combined playlist followers reached
- Creator videos ran alongside the playlist push
Independent artist FAQ
- Do I need a distributor first?
- Yes — your song must be on Spotify (or have a confirmed release date) before a campaign can run.
- How much should I budget?
- Most independent artists start between $200 and $600 per single. Concentrating that on one release beats spreading it thin across three.
- Will you take my rights?
- Never. You keep 100% of your masters, publishing and royalties.
- How soon do results appear?
- Playlist adds and ad data start within the first week; the full picture arrives in your 30-day report.
Find your song and launch your campaign
Search your track, choose the campaign that fits your budget, and your rep emails you within 24 hours.
Start campaign