Spotify launches new Upcoming Releases hub to spotlight future albums
Spotify’s new hub shows you soon-to-be-released albums by artists the platform thinks you’ll love.
Spotify has launched a new feature called the Upcoming Releases hub, aiming to give listeners an easy way to discover albums that haven’t yet been released but match their tastes. The hub shows personalised recommendations based on a user’s listening history and is now live in the mobile app under the Search tab in the “Browse all” section.
The new hub is powered by Spotify’s Countdown Pages. These pages give fans early access to an album’s tracklist, let them listen to already released singles, and explore artist content like video clips and merch. When users pre-save an album, Spotify sends a push notification on release day and automatically adds it to the user’s library.
The platform is also showcasing the top 10 most-anticipated albums globally, using data based on pre-saves. These popular pre-release campaigns appear as “Countdowns” within the hub and are updated regularly to show what’s generating the most excitement.
In its announcement, Spotify said: “Fans can easily pre-save multiple upcoming releases directly from the hub and quickly jump into Countdown Pages to preview the tracklists, stream released singles, watch Clips, find merch, and follow the countdown right up until release.”
Since the launch of Countdown Pages in summer 2024, Spotify reports that 60% of major artists have used the feature, including Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, and Bad Bunny. Now, the Upcoming Releases hub offers an even bigger opportunity to bring visibility to these campaigns, which independent artists can also tap into. Artists with at least 5,000 active listeners over the last 28 days can set up a Countdown Page. If you’re eligible, here’s how to create a Spotify pre-save campaign using Countdown Pages through RouteNote.
To help boost visibility further, Spotify has introduced Countdown Charts. These will be shared weekly on Spotify and Spotify for Artists’ social media accounts, including Instagram, TikTok, and X. Each Wednesday, the top 10 Countdown Pages with the most pre-saves will be featured.
Madeleine Bennett, Senior Director and Head of Global Music Go-to-Market at Spotify, said: “The Upcoming Releases hub is about celebrating what’s next in music, and Countdown Charts bring a whole new level of visibility to releases that fans are most excited about. By ranking the top pre-saved releases globally, we’re giving artists a powerful new way to build anticipation and connect with their biggest fans in the lead-up to release day.”
If you’re releasing new music soon, make sure you’re making the most of Spotify’s pre-save tools and campaign features. Distribute your music through RouteNote to access these features for free and give your upcoming release the best chance of success.