As an indie musician, even the smaller aspects of releasing a new album can play a big part in its success. You may have asked yourself what kind of cover art will draw attention, or how you’ll promote your album, but it’s also important to think about what time of year might be best to release it.

There are music producers and labels that say each month could bring different results for an indie musician releasing a new album.

Of course, if you’ve built up a strong following on social media outlets and think you’re ready for a release, go for it—but there may be a specific month that will help you decide.

January is a great time to debut your music because media outlets have more time to cover your new album and the holiday break pumps everyone up for some new tunes once they return.

February, March and the first half of April are tricky times because SXSW holds an extreme presence in the media. We would recommend avoiding these release times.

Anytime between May and August works great for releasing an album for an indie musician. Summer is a perfect time for people to seek out new music, and you won’t have as much competition with other new album releases due to media coverage of summer festivals.

September and especially October are really tough months, and you could lose a lot of potential coverage because it’s a busy time for the media in other areas. Music industry experts would recommend not releasing your music during either of these months.

Somewhat surprisingly, November and December are good months to release your album as an indie musician, as long as you’ve worked hard to promote your music since August.

Keep in mind any potential conflicts such as big holidays or events with widespread coverage that could overshadow your indie album release.

Check out our SongCast blog for more tips on getting your music out there!