What Is a Pre-Save?
A pre-save campaign lets fans commit to saving your unreleased music to their streaming library. When the track goes live, it's automatically added to their library and can appear in their Release Radar or New Music playlists.
Pre-saves are one of the most powerful tools for independent artists. When fans pre-save your upcoming release, the track is automatically added to their library the moment it drops. This drives immediate streams on release day — the most critical window for algorithmic placement.
Streaming platforms like Spotify use release-day engagement as a signal for recommendations. If hundreds of fans have pre-saved your track, Spotify sees a burst of saves and plays on day one, which can land you on Release Radar, Discover Weekly, and other algorithmic playlists.
Pre-saves also give you a direct connection to your fans. Many pre-save platforms (including Artlink) collect email opt-ins, so you can notify fans when the track drops and build your mailing list at the same time.
How Artlink Powers Your Pre-Save Campaigns
- One-click pre-save setup for Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal
- Fans receive an email notification when your track goes live
- Track is automatically added to their library on release day
- Lifetime pre-save subscriptions — fans auto-save every future release
- Built-in analytics track how many fans pre-saved and from which channels
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pre-saves really help with Spotify algorithms?
Yes. Pre-saves generate immediate library additions and plays on release day. Spotify's algorithm weighs early engagement heavily when deciding which tracks to recommend in Release Radar and Discover Weekly playlists.
How many pre-saves do I need?
There's no magic number. Even 50-100 pre-saves can make a difference for independent artists by creating a burst of day-one activity. The key is that pre-saves convert at a much higher rate than regular promotional links.
Is a pre-save the same as a pre-add?
Functionally, yes. Spotify calls it a 'pre-save' while Apple Music calls it a 'pre-add.' Both accomplish the same thing — adding unreleased music to a fan's library before the release date.