Why Musicians Should Release as Many Singles as Possible

As a fellow musician, I get it. You want to put out a full-length album—a cohesive project that showcases your entire vision. You’ve likely spent years writing and recording this stuff, and you want it to feel as big as possible.

But in today’s streaming-first music industry, focusing on singles can often be the better move, especially for independent artists or those working with smaller budgets. Releasing singles allows you to take advantage of streaming algorithms and keep your audience engaged. Would you rather release a full-length record and let the hype die out after a couple of weeks, or do all in your power (with what you already have) to get it in front of as many people as possible? If you answered with the latter, then let’s talk about how we can get the most of your next single release. If you still need some convincing on why singles are the way to go, keep reading.

First, let me clarify. I’m not saying you can never release an album. I mean quite the opposite. The best way to maximize your music’s reach is to release a majority of your full-length as singles leading up to the album release. When my band put out Points in Parallel, 7 out of the 12 songs on the record had already been released as singles. I didn’t hear “oh I’ve already heard this… SKIP!” from one person. As a matter of fact, I read a lot of comments saying how people were excited to hear the full record because they’d been listening to the handful of singles for months already. On day one of the album’s release, we had about 100,000 streams already racked up from the singles we put out in advance. This gave us a lot more momentum in the weeks following than we would have had if we just put everything out at once.

1. Maximize Exposure with Streaming Algorithms

When it comes to growing your audience on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc., the key lies in understanding how these platforms promote music. Their algorithms are built to favor consistent releases and reward artists who keep feeding the system with new content. This is where singles have a huge advantage over albums. The more you can feed them good data, the better your chances at landing on algorithmic and editorial playlists on each service.

Releasing a single every few weeks gives you multiple opportunities to trigger the algorithm and land in popular playlists like Spotify’s Release Radar and Discover Weekly. When you release an album, you only get one chance to pitch a song for playlist consideration through Spotify for Artists. In contrast, each single you release can be submitted individually, increasing your chances of playlist placement and algorithmic boosts.

Moreover, streaming services use your listeners’ data to recommend your music to similar fans. If you release singles regularly, you’re giving Spotify more data points to work with, helping it understand your sound and audience better. This leads to more accurate recommendations and greater visibility across the platform. Think of it like content on a social media platform. Each time you release something, it gives you a chance to show up on someone’s feed.

Another factor is the impact of save rates and engagement on streaming algorithms. With singles, listeners are more likely to save, like, or add the song to their own playlists—actions that signal strong engagement to the algorithm. This can lead to increased visibility and a better chance of your song being pushed out to new listeners. Albums, on the other hand, often see listeners skipping through tracks or only engaging with a few songs, which can dilute the overall engagement metrics and hurt your chances of being recommended. And if you’re going to put out a record, don’t save the best song for last.

In short, releasing singles helps you play into the strengths of streaming platforms, giving each track the spotlight and maximizing your chances of reaching new listeners.

2. Stay Consistent and Keep Listeners Engaged

One of the biggest advantages of releasing singles is the ability to maintain a consistent presence. With an album, you might get a burst of attention during the release, but the buzz can quickly fade after a few weeks. By releasing singles every 4-6 weeks, you keep your name in front of listeners and stay top of mind.

This steady stream of new music also helps build anticipation for your next release. Instead of waiting a year or more for a full album, your audience gets fresh content regularly. This kind of consistency is crucial in today’s crowded music landscape, where fans are constantly bombarded with new releases.

Singles also give you more chances to experiment with different sounds, styles, or marketing approaches, helping you learn what resonates most with your audience before committing to a larger project like an album. You can use each of these releases as an opportunity to learn what your fans like, and how best to engage with them. I’d never suggest that you should change your music based on what people like—I’m a firm believer that authenticity is the most important thing in standing out—but you can learn from they ways you promoted your music. Did you have a standout post? Did you run any successful ads? Were there any cool collaborations between you and another artist either on the track or a part of the art/videos?

3. Boost Social Media Engagement with Each New Track

Releasing singles offers you multiple opportunities to create buzz on social media. With each new song, you can build anticipation through teasers, share behind-the-scenes content, and start conversations with your fans. This kind of ongoing engagement is difficult to achieve with an album release, which typically gets one major promotional push.

Singles also give you more targeted marketing opportunities. You can create specific ad campaigns for each track, tailoring your approach based on the song’s style, theme, or target audience. This can help drive traffic to your streaming platforms and encourage listeners to engage more deeply with your music.

If you’re unsure how to maximize your social media strategy for single releases, check out my marketing services for tailored support.

Conclusion: Why Singles Make Sense for Independent Artists

For most musicians, especially those navigating the DIY route, singles offer a more flexible, efficient, and effective release strategy. By focusing on one song at a time, you’re giving yourself the best chance to leverage streaming algorithms, engage your audience consistently, and streamline your release process. It’s a smart way to build your presence, grow your fanbase, and make the most of your marketing efforts.

If you’re ready to start releasing singles and want help with planning your strategy, running ads, or maximizing your streaming potential, check out my marketing services. Together, we can create a plan that helps your music reach its full potential.