How to Set up a Pre Save Campaign for Your SoundCloud Release

Being an artist in 2025 means getting your music heard. It isn’t about releasing a track and hoping for the best anymore—it’s about taking over the digital machinery that brings your listeners to you at the perfect time.

The most widely spread practice among the most popular methods for creating visibility and listener hype in anticipation of an upcoming drop is likely the pre-save campaign. While often associated with streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, pre-save campaigns on SoundCloud have gained momentum, thanks to improved third-party software and shifting creator-fan dynamics.

A pre-save campaign is basically an RSVP to your release on the internet. It enables fans to pre-save your track or album to their library or playlists before your release, creating a buzz and building momentum early on. 

It’s not a click-and-wait activity, though, but an exercise of building anticipation, getting your superfans hyped, and building momentum from day one. If done right, a good pre-save can fuel your plays, push the algorithm, and increase more organic reach when your release goes live.

In this article, we’ll walk you step-by-step through creating a pre-save campaign for SoundCloud in 2025, what you’ll need, how to promote it, and how to use your pre-save data to make better decisions with each release. Let’s go!

Understanding Pre-save Mechanics on SoundCloud in 2025

Pre-save is not natively supported by SoundCloud but that has not stopped savvy artists from discovering a workaround. Through 2025, artists utilize third-party promotion tools like Hypeddit, Show.co, Linkfire, ToneDen, and Feature.fm to enable SoundCloud pre-save functionality. These sites allow fans to authorize their account so that the song is pre-saved to their SoundCloud “Likes” or included on a specific playlist the instant the release drops.

It’s a hack, I guess—but a useful one. What sets SoundCloud apart is its strong community roots, particularly with independent and experimental artists. 

The listeners are more interactive and more likely to respond if the pre-save campaign is personalized. Pre-saving on SoundCloud can include optional fan data capture, so you can glean email addresses or follow-backs in return for the save.

The secret is to convert your pre-save link into something greater than a transaction. Don’t use “Save my song,” but “First listen of the drop, and help push it to the charts”. 

That change in tone builds trust and engages fans as active players in your release—not merely passive listeners. It gets the messaging and technical pieces correct, and you can use SoundCloud’s open ecosystem to seed viral momentum pre-release day.

Choosing the Right Tools to Power Your Campaign

A successful pre-save campaign on SoundCloud takes roughly the same amount of effort that goes into creating a successful song. As of 2025, Hypeddit, Feature.fm, and ToneDen lead the pack when it comes to customizable pre-save campaigns designed for SoundCloud’s ecosystem. These platforms don’t just get you saves—fan engagement options like email capture, social follows, YouTube subs, and even tip jars are built into them.

Your first decision is free vs. paid features. There’s a pre-save default setup on Hypeddit’s free tier, but if you care about building an audience, you may consider a paid upgrade. 

Paid versions typically let you include pixel tracking, a thank-you page of your choice, or retargeting campaigns—basically making your pre-save page a mini-marketing funnel. Make sure that the tool you select supports SoundCloud API integration, so it will auto-save once your track is live. 

Some tools also allow you to include a custom release countdown timer and gated content—a bonus track or behind-the-scenes video exposed after the track has been saved. This introduces a game element to your campaign, which encourages more interactive participation.

Once you’ve chosen your tool, make the landing page look like your brand. Add cover art, a countdown clock, and write a copy that speaks to your fans. The more personal and professional, the better your conversion rates. This is not just a tech step, it’s your drop’s first impression.

Creating A Pre-launch Timetable That Sparks Excitement

The best pre-save campaigns can’t be dreamed up the day before your song releases. They’re a story arc you build and roll out over days or a week. Think of it as a movie trailer run: you’re attempting to reveal just enough to get people interested without wearing out your audience before the drop.

Start teasing your audience at least 7–10 days in advance. Leave cryptic messages, photos, or teasers in your X posts, TikToks, or stories. Create curiosity first—“Something’s coming”—and then drop the pre-save link. This sets up context and hype, so when the pre-save goes live, it is impactful.

When you do share the link, don’t share it once. Make it a part of your content rhythm: include it in your bio, every post, your link-in-bio solution, and the bottom of your posts or videos. 

Share it once a day in a new way—one day include a graphic, the next, a fan response. Your followers need to see the link multiple times across many touchpoints, but in fresh creative energy. 

In addition, align your pre-save campaign with your collaborators. If you’ve got a featured artist, producer, or visual designer backing you, have them promote the link to their fans.

Pre-save campaigns are most effective with network effects, and a coordinated launch is stronger than going solo. Leverage this time not just to ring up clicks but momentum and buzz.

Building a Landing Page That Converts Fans into Action Takers

Your pre-save link is only as valuable as the experience it directs to. In 2025, your users expect beautiful, seamless landing pages and not generic, default templates. Your landing page must look like a branded destination, not a waystation. It’s where the save or bounce happens, so don’t make it an afterthought.

Start with great cover art that immediately sets the tone of the song—dark, bright, raw, or glossy. That has to be followed by a descriptive benefits-driven headline, not the title of the song. Headlines like “Be the first to hear the drop,” “Exclusive early access,” or “Join the Day One crew” are more effective at tapping fan psychology than a simple “Save now.”

Under the title, add a short paragraph explaining what the fan gets. Is it just early access? Or will they be part of a merch giveaway, receive a bonus song, or get shoutouts on release day? Here you want to make the pre-save seem like a gift, not a favor.

Use bold, readable, and frictionless CTA buttons. Don’t make too many steps—simple is best on SoundCloud. 

Optional next steps (YouTube subscribe, email join, etc.) should follow after the save, not ahead of it. Most of all, your page needs to feel purposeful, real, and built for conversion—not desperate or cluttered.

Sharing Your Pre-save Link Everywhere Through Snippets and Images

There is an effective pre-save plan that exists beyond the link, which is made alive with content. In the day of multi-platform living, you’re going to require more than a static post. 

Use video trailers, visual loops, and behind-the-scenes content to get eyes back to your pre-save page. Each piece of content should be a sneak peek at a moment your audience will not want to miss.

For Instagram and TikTok, share 15–30 second teasers made of hooky lyrics, suspenseful build-up, or even you recording yourself, reacting to your own song. Add text overlays like “Dropping soon,” “Pre-save now,” or “Link in bio to get early access.” If possible, add countdown timers or create a timeline that tells fans exactly when it’s coming.

Threaded storytelling on X (hereafter Twitter) is perfect. Narrate how you produced the track, what inspired you, and why it matters to you. Then, drop the pre-save link at the end with a clear emotional call to action. This creates narrative tension and gives your listeners a reason to care about you.

Don’t forget to use visuals too—animated graphics, graphic art, or lyric-driven reels will get people sharing your posts. With each share, your reach is increased beyond your followers. And with each post, you get another chance to get that fan who hasn’t saved it yet, but will once it resonates with them.

Collaborating with Social Media Influencers and Fans to Share the Pre-save 

One of the most powerful pre-save campaign drivers is collaboration—specifically, with micro-influencers, superfans, and peers in your genre. These are the types of people who can get your song in front of entirely new listeners with trust already established.

Start by discovering 5–10 artists that are similar in tone to your message or aesthetic. They don’t have to be professional artists—all artists with 1,000 to 10,000 engaged fans will be more likely to reply and have a core fanbase. 

Reach out to them directly with a special preview of the song and a simple ask: would you post the pre-save link, or best of all, make a mini video from the snippet?

You can also mobilize your own fans. Provide early access, promo codes, or special content to fans who share your link in posts, stories, or group chats. Make it a movement, not a campaign. Folks want to be part of a “drop crew,” and if you position it like “Let’s chart this together”, they’ll be more likely to go all-in. Use tools like Linktree or Koji to track how many saves are being made by certain users or posts. 

This gives you insight into who your highest promo partners are—even if they’re not pro influencers. The more promos are crossed, the more your pre-save campaign is a community event, as opposed to an artist plug.

Monitoring Your Pre-save Success – What Metrics to Track

Your campaign doesn’t end on release day, it keeps expanding. After launch day has passed, it’s time to dive into your analytics and find out what did work, what didn’t, and how you can improve even more next time around. What you can learn from your pre-save campaign can influence everything from future track promotion to tour routing and merch drops.

Start with basic pre-save metrics: how many people pre-saved the song before release? Where were they from? Which devices or platforms performed best? Good pre-save software should be able to show link performance by source—Instagram Stories vs. TikTok vs. email, etc.

In addition to raw save counts, examine conversion rates. If you’re seeing 5,000 clicks on the link but only 500 pre-saves, something is wrong with the page or the message. High bounce rates could indicate that the landing page does not meet audience expectations or is loading too slowly.

Also, see what happens after release. Did you get a spike in SoundCloud plays in the first 48 hours? How many of your listeners returned to listen to it multiple times? Do your new listeners follow you or put the song in their playlists? Those are measures of whether the pre-save campaign you did created real hype or just short-term interest. 

The true goal is to improve with each drop. If you truly dissect your results, you can transition from merely releasing music to premiering data-driven experiences that connect more meaningfully each time.

Formulating Long-Term Strategy – Translating Pre-save Campaigns into Fan Funnels

A successful pre-save campaign isn’t a one-release phenomenon, it’s an opportunity to build your ecosystem. Any fan who pre-saves your song is a fan you can retain, re-engage on subsequent releases, and turn into a member of your core audience. 

The smartest artists of 2025 are using pre-saves to build automatic fan funnels that pay dividends well past release day. To accomplish this, incorporate email marketing or SMS follow-up into your pre-save experience. Third-party tools primarily allow you to capture emails after the fans have approved the save. 

Don’t let the addresses go to waste. Send follow-up thank-you messages, sneak peeks, merch drops, or exclusive demos. These micro-interactions build loyalty and cement the relationship.

You can also retarget fans with ads on platforms like Meta or TikTok Ads Manager if your pre-save link has pixel tracking. This allows you to build custom audiences of users who showed interest, then retarget them with subsequent ads for tour dates, new releases, or special content.

Think of each pre-save campaign as a brick in the foundation of your artist brand. Instead of dropping singles into the void, you’re building a multi-leveled system that captures attention, repays loyalty, and fosters repeat business. In the end, that’s how you build from up-and-coming to household name.

Preparing for Release Day – How to Engage Your Fans at the Right Time

Release day is the payoff on your pre-save campaign, but it’s also the beginning of the next chapter. Your most successful artists make it an event, not a post. Having built up anticipation over days or weeks, it’s now time to get your fans hyped to stream, share, and party.

Get your song live and made public on SoundCloud playlists, your profile, and embeds first, before you go ahead and send out that initial email or post. Then, overwhelm your audience with content drops in stages: drop a reel, update your X banner, Instagram live, or post a reaction video to your track.

Share a story to put the release into context. Instead of “It’s out now,” maybe say “This is the song I made when I came close to leaving music” or “This one is dedicated to all the people who’ve been with me since I started.” That personal anecdote gives someone else a reason to care—and to share.

Also, engage with early listeners at large. Thank them, retweet their tweets, and comment on their comments. The more interactive and thankful you are, the more your fans will feel that they are in the moment. And if your campaign was successful, this moment will be a win for all, not merely a song drop.

Don’t forget to send out a post-release e-mail or social post that summarizes your numbers, thanks your backers, and hints at what’s coming next. This continues the energy after day one, and makes every release part of a bigger story.

Conclusion – SoundCloud Pre-saves as the New Indie Power Move

SoundCloud doesn’t offer a natively integrated pre-save option in 2025, but that’s not deterring DIY artists from making the tactic a grassroots phenomenon. Armed with the right tools, game plan, and consistent follow-through, a pre-save campaign can accomplish far more than it gets early clicks. It can rally your fanbase, signal to algorithms, and pave the way for long-term success.

Another thing that distinguishes SoundCloud from other platforms is that it’s open and community-oriented. That means, your campaign isn’t suppressed by corporate gatekeeping or rules. You can experiment, be real and personal. 

Whether you’re releasing new or expanding your audience, the pre-save experience becomes a way of seizing control of your release experience as opposed to using chance or viral lottery.

As a musician, your job is no longer merely making great music—it’s about making systems that make your music unstoppable. One of those systems is a well-run pre-save campaign. If done well, it turns your release from another drop into a digital event that people recall, engage with, and pass on to other people. 

So the next time you’re gearing up for a new drop on SoundCloud, don’t just upload and share—launch. Make your song an experience, and let the pre-save campaign be the trigger that ignites it!