Apple Music now has the equivalent of pre-saves, and CD Baby will help you easily launch a “pre-add” campaign!

Apple Music recently announced a pre-save feature (which they’re calling “pre-add”).

They say:

Any album that is available for pre-order in iTunes with at least one instant gratification track will be available to listeners to pre-add to their Apple Music Library.

 

On the sales start date, the album will automatically be available in the listener’s Apple Music Library.

What is the value of a pre-add/pre-save?

For your fans on Apple Music, they’ll now be able to make sure they hear your whole album the moment it’s released (plus listen to a track or two immediately).

For you, this gives you a greater window in which to market your music in advance of the drop date AND drive specific action on Apple Music while you’re doing it. Just like with pre-saves on Spotify, all the interest your fans express during the pre-add period will help your new music make a bigger impact on the day of its release, spiking your first day stream count.

How to create a pre-add on Apple Music

With CD Baby, it’s easy to set up a pre-add for an album on Apple Music.

During the distribution signup process for your new music, just opt in for an iTunes pre-order (pre-sale) with at least one instant gratification track.

Note: Apple Music’s criteria for pre-adds currently disqualifies singles from the feature, so right now it’s only going to work at scale with pre-sale albums that have an instant gratification track.

The album will become available for pre-add on Apple Music the moment it’s available for pre-order on iTunes, and any instant gratification tracks will be streamable as well.

An Apple Music pre-add gives you one more way to let your fans take concrete action ahead of your new music’s release. We’re excited that CD Baby can support the new Apple Music feature without any extra hoops or hurdles for you.

If you try it out, let me know how it goes!