Album vs Single: What’s the Best Release Strategy
- Oren Sharon
- Sep 19
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 26
You’ve been grinding away in the studio, sweating bullets over guitar tones, layering vocals, and tweaking drum fills until your ears went numb. Finally, you’ve got a whole collection of songs that slap. Your first thought? Drop the entire album next Friday, let people binge it, and wait for Spotify to make you famous.
Bad idea.
I know, I know. It feels like the ultimate rock move to throw the whole record out there all at once and watch the world go crazy. But if you are serious about growing, getting noticed, and actually triggering Spotify’s algorithm, you need to slow your roll.
Streaming is all about strategy, timing, and feeding the algorithm piece by piece. Let’s talk about why dropping everything at once can actually hurt you and how to flip the script so your music gets the love it deserves.
By the way, this article refers only to Spotify. Other streaming platforms, like Apple Music, Deezer or Tidal, work differently.
The Harsh Reality: Spotify Doesn’t Care About Your “Big Moment”
Spotify is not a fan club. It is a giant machine that runs on data. It does not care that you recorded your album in your uncle’s garage or that it’s a concept record that has to be heard from start to finish. All Spotify cares about is how listeners react to each individual song.
Do they play it all the way through?
Do they save it to their library?
Do they add it to their playlists?
Do they come back and listen again?
That’s what Spotify wants. Those signals tell the algorithm, “Hey, this track is legit. Show it to more people.”
Here’s where most artists mess up. When you drop ten tracks on the same day, you’re cutting your own legs out from under you. Every song is competing with the others for attention. Streams get spread out. None of them get the numbers they need to get the algorithm excited.
The Secret Sauce: The 6–10 Day Window
This is where timing comes in. The Spotify algorithm needs about 6 to 10 days to decide if your song is worth pushing to more listeners through Release Radar, Discover Weekly, and other algorithmic playlists. That first week is the make-or-break moment.
And here’s the part nobody likes to talk about: you need some real numbers to make it happen. Usually somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 streams in those first days to have a real shot at catching the algorithm’s attention.
Imagine trying to hit those numbers on ten songs at once. Not happening. If you focus on one track, though, all your streams, saves, and shares pile up on that one song. The algorithm gets a clear signal, and boom, you actually have a shot at organic growth.
Drip Feeding Singles: The Smart Rocker’s Move
Instead of dropping your whole album and praying, you should be drip-feeding your music standalone tracks. Here’s why this works better:
Each song gets its own spotlight. Your fans can focus on one banger at a time.
You get multiple shots at playlists. You can pitch individual tracks through Spotify for Artists before release day.
You keep the hype alive. Every new single is another excuse to post, email, and talk about your music.
You learn what works. Feedback is an important thing. If one song pops off, you know what sound people are vibing with and can lean into it.
Spotify's algorithm is getting to know you. Once the algorithm has recognized your previous single and landed it on algorithmic playlists, the next single will have more chances of hitting the algorithm. Once they kick in, more streams will be generated without any promotion needed.
By the time you get to the full album release, your audience is primed and ready. They are not just casual listeners anymore. They are fans who have been following your journey for months.
But Wait, What About the “Album Experience”?
Some musicians and artists argue that an album is a piece of art meant to be experienced all at once. And yeah, for classic records like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, sure. But let’s be honest, most people today are not sitting down with headphones to listen to your entire album from start to finish on release day. Listeners are not listening to a full CD or vinyl, mostly they are just looking for great songs.
Most listeners will check out the first track or two and then get distracted by a cat video or whatever TikTok is trending. The rest of your record might not even get played. That’s just how streaming culture works.
If you really care about the album as a whole, you can still give people that experience later. Put out your singles first, build some buzz, and then drop the full record. Now fans are excited and way more likely to sit through all 10 songs because they already know and love a few of them.
The Step-by-Step Game Plan
Here’s a simple blueprint to make this work:
Pick your best single first. Not your weirdest, most experimental track. The one you think has the best chance of catching ears.
Pitch it on Spotify for Artists. You only get one shot per song, so do it early.
Promote the song like crazy for 6 to 10 days. Music submissions are the easiest and fastest way to get on playlists. From the moment it's released, aim for that 6K to 10K stream range so the algorithm has real data to work with.
Push it everywhere. Share on social media platforms, send to your mailing list, use Reddit and ask to place the song on playlists, and get some Spotify music promotion going to boost numbers.
Drop another single every 4–6 weeks. Each release keeps you relevant and keeps feeding data to Spotify.
Drop the full album after a few singles. Now you have momentum, fans, followers, and a reason to celebrate.
This approach lets you stay top of mind for months instead of burning all your material in one weekend.
Playlist Placement: Your Secret Weapon
Getting on playlists is one of the fastest ways to hit that 6K to 10K stream mark early. Playlists not only give you streams, they send a strong engagement signal to Spotify. That is why playlisting plus smart promotion is so powerful.
Tools like One Submit and other music promotion services make this easy. You can run a campaign and send your track to Spotify playlist curators, blogs, YouTube music channels, and even TikTok influencers. And if you really want to go hard, their Combo Plan mixes playlist submissions with Meta ads so you hit both organic discovery and paid reach.
This is not about “buying streams.” It is about getting real people to hear your music during that crucial first week so the algorithm knows it should push your track out wider.
Keep the Hype Train Rolling
Another big benefit of releasing singles is that you get more content. Every release gives you something to talk about.
Behind-the-scenes clips from the studio
Acoustic versions or live sessions
Lyric videos and music videos
Stories about the meaning behind the song
This keeps fans engaged between releases. It also tells Spotify that you are active and not just a one-and-done artist. Active artists get more algorithm love because Spotify wants users to follow artists who will keep putting out music.
Patience Pays Off
Dropping singles first might feel slower, but it is actually how you build a long-term career. Every track becomes a stepping stone that gets you closer to bigger playlists, press coverage, and fans who stick around.
When you finally release the album, it will not just be another random upload. It will be an event. People will actually care, share it, and play the whole thing through.
The Quiet North Case
The Quiet North, an artist from Norway, has started releasing his music single by single. His first single hit the algorithmic playlists after running a campaign on One Submit. He landed 34 playlists within 10 days and managed to generate 8,000 streams within the first 10 days.
If he had released an album, he would not have been able to pull it off like he did.
The Big Picture
You worked hard on your new music. Do not bury it by releasing everything at once. The music industry is a saturated place, you need to give each song its moment. Focus on the 6- to 10-day window after release and push for that 6K to 10K stream sweet spot. Build your fanbase one track at a time until you are ready to drop the whole album with a bang. Record labels are following this practice recently, so there isn't a reason why independent artists will act differently.
Rock music is about energy, connection, and momentum. Play the game right, and your music will not just get heard, it will spread.
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