What Is a Apple Music Pre-Add?
An Apple Music pre-add lets fans add your upcoming release to their Apple Music library before it drops. On release day, the full track automatically becomes available in their library.
Apple Music's pre-add works similarly to Spotify's pre-save but through Apple's ecosystem. When a fan pre-adds your release, it appears in their library with a 'pre-added' label. On release day, the full track replaces the placeholder and they receive a notification.
Pre-adds on Apple Music help with editorial playlist consideration. Apple's editorial team looks at pre-add numbers as one signal of fan demand when curating playlists like New Music Daily and genre-specific spotlights.
Since Apple Music and Spotify together represent the majority of streaming, running pre-save campaigns across both platforms ensures you're not leaving any fans behind. Most pre-save tools (including Artlink) let fans choose their platform from a single page.
How Artlink Handles Apple Music Pre-Adds
- Single pre-save page supports both Spotify pre-saves and Apple Music pre-adds
- Fans choose their platform with one click — no confusion or separate links
- Automatic library addition on release day across all platforms
- Combined analytics show pre-save totals across Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal
- Email notification on release day reminds fans to listen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a pre-add the same as a pre-save?
Functionally, yes. 'Pre-save' is Spotify's term, 'pre-add' is Apple Music's. Both let fans add unreleased music to their library before the release date, with the track becoming available automatically on drop day.
Can fans pre-add for free?
Yes. Pre-adding is free for fans on Apple Music. They just need an Apple Music subscription. As an artist, you need a platform like Artlink to create the pre-add campaign.