RELEASE PLANNER BY NXTNOW MUSIC

Your releases, your deadlines, your rollout — all in one place.

The free release management tool built for emerging artists and producers.

Emerging music creators lose releases all the time — not because of bad music, but because of missed submission windows, forgotten playlist pitches, and promo that never got planned. Release Planner, or RPlanner, fixes that. Add your release, pick your distributor, and get your exact submission deadline automatically calculated. Then track every task, milestone, and platform target from the same dashboard, on any device, with deadline reminders that keep you moving when it matters most.

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What is Release Planner?

The RPlanner is NxtNow Music's free release management tool, built exclusively for independent artists, producers, and singer-songwriters who are serious about dropping music the right way.

Most artists manage their releases across a mix of notes apps, DMs, calendar reminders, and spreadsheets. The RPlanner replaces all of that with one clean dashboard that handles every stage of a release — from the first planning session to the day it goes live. Add a release, choose your distributor, and your submission deadline is calculated automatically. A six-stage status pipeline moves each release from Planning through In Production, Mastering, Submitted, Distributed, and Live. Built-in checklists cover the technical work. The Promo Timeline covers the marketing runway. And when a deadline is within 48 hours, you get an email reminder so nothing slips.

Every release you create is tied to your profile and stored in the cloud — not the browser — so your plans follow you across every device you use. No login, no password. Just your name and your dashboard, ready whenever you are.

The RPlanner is built by NxtNow Music and free with every Music Accelerator membership.

Built for Every Type of Music Creator

Whether you're dropping your first single or managing a full album campaign, RPlanner keeps your rollout on track.

Artists & Vocalists

Singers, rappers, and MCs who need to stay on top of submission windows, platform distribution, and promo scheduling across every release.

Singer-Songwriters

Writers and performers juggling simultaneous projects who need a single place to see what's due, what's submitted, and what still needs to happen before drop day.

Producers & Beatmakers

Instrumental creators releasing beat tapes, sample packs, and compilations who want a cleaner way to track deadlines and manage rollouts across multiple drops.

Multi-hyphenates

Artist-producers managing both their own releases and collaborative projects who need every deadline, checklist, and promo milestone visible in one place.

How RPlanner Works

Add a release. Set a deadline. Plan the rollout. Track it to live.

Step 1 — Add your release Hit New Release and fill in the basics — title, artist name, release type (Single, EP, Album, Beat Tape, Sample Pack, or Compilation), and your target release date. Select the platforms you're distributing to across nine DSPs including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Beatport, and Boomplay.

Step 2 — Pick your distributor and get your deadline Select your distributor — DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse, Symphonic, or direct — and RPlanner instantly calculates the exact date you need to submit based on that distributor's lead time requirements. No math, no guessing. Your deadline is on the card.

Step 3 — Update your status in one click Every release moves through six stages: Planning, In Production, Mastering, Submitted, Distributed, and Live. Change your status directly from the release card with a single click — no need to open the full edit view.

Step 4 — Work through your checklist Every new release automatically generates a starter checklist covering artwork, mixing, mastering, metadata, distribution, and promo scheduling. Check items off as you go, add your own tasks, and track your progress through a visual indicator on each card.

Step 5 — Map your promo timeline Open any release to access the Promo Timeline — eight pre-built marketing milestones covering your full rollout runway from cover art reveal to post-release follow-up. Set a date for each milestone, track completions, and see a countdown to every step of the promo schedule.

Step 6 — Let the reminders do the rest When a submission deadline is within 48 hours and your release hasn't been marked Submitted or Distributed yet, Release Planner sends you an email reminder so nothing gets missed at the last minute.

Your release dashboard is ready instantly — every drop tracked, every deadline flagged, every checklist and promo milestone organized in one place accessible from any device.

Everything You Need. Nothing You Don’t.

Automatic distributor deadlines Select your distributor and release date and get your exact submission cutoff automatically. DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse, Symphonic, and direct releases are all supported.

Per-release checklists Every release auto-generates a six-task starter checklist. Add your own tasks, check items off as you complete them, and track progress visually on the card.

Email deadline reminders Get an automated email when a submission deadline is within 48 hours and the release hasn't been marked submitted yet. Turn reminders on or off anytime.

Light and dark mode Work in the theme that suits your setup. Your preference is saved and remembered every time you come back.

Six-stage status pipeline Move releases through Planning, In Production, Mastering, Submitted, Distributed, and Live with a single click directly on the card — no modals, no extra steps.

Promo Timeline A dedicated eight-milestone rollout planner maps your full marketing runway — from announcement to release day social posts — with individual countdowns and completion toggles per milestone.

Cross-device access Your releases are stored in the cloud and tied to your profile — not your browser. Pick up on your phone exactly where you left off on your laptop.

Free with membership Included with every NxtNow Music Accelerator membership. No credit card, no password, no extra signup required.

Built to Replace the Spreadsheet

9

DSPs supported across Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Beatport, and Boomplay

6

Release types tracked — Singles, EPs, Albums, Beat Tapes, Sample Packs, and Compilations

Free

With every NxtNow Music Accelerator membership

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Release Planner is a free web-based release management tool for independent artists and producers. It tracks upcoming music releases, automatically calculates distributor submission deadlines, moves releases through a six-stage status pipeline, and organizes per-release checklists and promo timelines — all from one dashboard.

  • Yes. Release Planner is completely free with a NxtNow Music Accelerator membership, which is also free. No credit card is required. Sign up for your free Accelerator membership, access the hub, and launch Release Planner directly from there.

  • No password needed. When you open Release Planner for the first time, you enter your artist or producer name — that's it. Use the same name on any device to access your releases from anywhere. No email signup is required to get started.

  • Select your distributor and your target release date and Release Planner calculates your exact submission cutoff automatically, based on each distributor's lead time requirements. DistroKid requires 7 days, TuneCore 10 days, CD Baby 14 days, Amuse 10 days, and Symphonic 14 days. If you're releasing directly, no deadline is shown. When a deadline is within 7 days, a warning appears on the release card. When it's within 48 hours, an email reminder is sent if notifications are enabled.

  • Release Planner tracks Singles, EPs, Albums, Beat Tapes, Sample Packs, and Compilations — each on their own release card with type-specific styling.

  • Every release moves through six stages: Planning, In Production, Mastering, Submitted, Distributed, and Live. You can update the status directly from the release card with a single click, or change it inside the full release edit view. Both methods save instantly.

  • The Promo Timeline is a dedicated rollout planner inside every release. It contains eight pre-built marketing milestones — cover art reveal, single announcement, pre-save link launch, press release, playlist pitch submission, smart link go-live, release day social posts, and post-release follow-up. Set a date for each milestone, mark them done as you go, and track a countdown per milestone so you always know what's next on the promo schedule.

  • When a release's submission deadline is within 48 hours and the release status is not yet Submitted or Distributed, Release Planner sends an automated email reminder to the address on your Accelerator account. Reminders are sent once per deadline — no duplicate emails. You can enable or disable reminders from the settings at any time.

  • Release Planner supports nine DSPs per release: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Beatport, and Boomplay. Select as many or as few as apply to your distribution plan.

  • Yes. Your releases are stored in the cloud and tied to your profile name — not your browser or device. Enter the same name on any device and your full release dashboard loads exactly as you left it. If you clear your browser data, you can re-enter your profile name to restore access.

  • Absolutely. Beat Tapes and Sample Packs are both supported release types. The distributor deadline calculator, checklist, promo timeline, and platform targeting all apply the same way regardless of release type.

  • A spreadsheet doesn't calculate submission deadlines, flag urgent deadlines in real time, send email reminders, or organize promo milestones with individual countdowns. Release Planner does all of that automatically — so you're managing your release, not managing the tool that helps you manage your release.

  • Release Planner was built by NxtNow Music, founded by Carlton Boyd, Josh Whyte, and Charles Shaw. NxtNow Music operates the Music Accelerator platform, which provides free tools, databases, submission portals, and educational resources to help independent creators navigate the modern music industry.

Ready to Drop Like You've Got a Team Behind You?

Join thousands of emerging artists and producers who use NxtNow Music to grow their careers. Create your free account, access the Music Accelerator, and launch RPlanner in under 60 seconds.

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