My First Release: The Journey Behind Another Love Song
Releasing music for the first time is equal parts exciting and overwhelming. I’ve written songs my whole life, but until recently, I had never gone through the full process of recording, distributing, and promoting one. On August 15th, I released my debut single, Another Love Song. This is the story of how it came together: what I learned, what surprised me, and what I’m carrying into my next releases.
Writing
I wrote Another Love Song while I was studying abroad in Italy. There was a piano on campus that I kept going back to, and over a few days the song came together there.
Like I mentioned, I’ve been writing songs pretty much my whole life, but this one felt different. I liked the mix of an indie vibe with pop-style lyrics. I felt like it sounded like the kind of song I wanted people to hear from me first.
Recording
Writing music was a process I was used to. Recording, on the other hand, was completely new. Before this song, I had never gone through the full process of building a track beyond rough demos.
For Another Love Song, I recorded a simple piano-and-vocal demo and sent it out to more than ten different producers, just to see who might be interested in working with me and helping me shape the song. Every part of the process, from talking through the vision to figuring out how to layer sounds, felt unfamiliar at first. But it was also exciting! This was the first time I could hear my music move from an idea in my head into something that sounded like a real record.
Pre-Release
If I thought recording was new, pre-release was the part I really didn’t know how to handle. The first step was figuring out distribution, how to actually get my song onto streaming platforms. After a lot of research, I decided to go with DistroKid. For new artists, it’s one of the most straightforward distributors: you pay a yearly fee, upload your song, and they make sure it shows up on Spotify, Apple Music, and dozens of other platforms. For me, it felt like the easiest and most affordable way to get started.
Once I knew how the music would reach listeners, the bigger question became: how do I actually get people to listen? I knew social media would be important, so I went all-in. I posted daily on TikTok, which helped me gain a few hundred new followers, and I used Instagram to keep friends and early listeners updated. I also shot a low-budget music video to give the release some extra content. It was a lot of work, and honestly, I didn’t realize just how time-consuming social media promotion would be. I quickly learned how tough it can be to find the right audience and keep their attention.
Since this was my first release, I decided not to put much money into promotion and instead save funds for future projects. Looking back, I think next time I’d want to use marketing platforms to help me reach not just more people, but the right people. There are many companies that help artists reach listeners who are actively searching for new music they’ll connect with. Remix Growth wants to find and learn more about these kinds of companies, because they can make a real difference for artists like me.
I chose to release the song on Friday, August 15th, the industry’s main release day, and about two weeks before, I submitted it through Spotify for Artists to pitch for editorial playlists. Even though I knew the odds of landing one were small, it felt like an important step in taking the release seriously.
Release
Release day was less about a big celebration and more about making sure I had a plan. I scheduled posts across TikTok and Instagram, sent the link directly to friends and family, and tried to build momentum right from the start. My goal wasn’t just to announce that the song was out, but it was to create different entry points for people to discover it, whether that was through a short-form video, a story update, or a direct message.
I also paid close attention to how listeners engaged in the first 24–48 hours. Streaming platforms track early traction, so I wanted to make sure anyone who had been following along with my posts actually pressed play. For me, release day became about testing what strategies worked, what didn’t, and how I could better prepare for the next one.
Released
After the song was out, I felt satisfied with how it did. Of course, I want to keep building momentum and excitement around my music, but I’ve realized that takes time, and more importantly, it takes creating more music. That’s what I’m in it for anyway.
Post-release, I kept pushing on socials to make sure people knew the song was out. At the same time, I became more aware of how important it is to reach the right listeners, not just anyone scrolling by. It’s easy to blast content everywhere, but much harder to connect with the people who will actually listen.
Next
My next step is simple: make more music. I think the best way to grow is by writing and releasing consistently. I’ve probably read every corner of the internet on “the best way” to promote music, and honestly, everyone says something different. The one thing that stays the same is that it takes time.
I think what matters is figuring out what works for you and your listeners. That’s what this first release was for me, putting out a song I was proud of and learning how to market it, how to get people to listen, and what to improve next time. It wasn’t the track that skyrocketed my career, but it was the start.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, the hardest part of this process wasn’t writing or recording, it was marketing and promotion. Next time, I want to focus more on finding help in those areas, so I can make sure my music reaches new people while also growing a real community of listeners.
That’s also why I believe in what Remix Growth is doing. Independent artists like me don’t just need tools to release music, we need support to build sustainable careers. If the industry can create better systems for discovery, promotion, and growth, then more artists will be able to share their music with the world and actually build a future doing what they love.
