Your music can go live as early as 7 days after submission on any plan — but this is a minimum, not a typical timeline. Here's what actually happens, and why submitting earlier matters.
1.9.1 Quality review
Most releases clear review within a few hours. Releases with complex content (cover songs, AI-generated music, flagged artwork) may take up to 24 hours.
1.9.2 Why earlier submission matters even with a 7-day minimum
Spotify's own playlist pitching documentation requires delivery at least 7 days before release date specifically for editors to have time to listen — this is the same 7-day window, not additional time. In practice, submitting 3–4 weeks ahead leaves real buffer for quality corrections and a stronger pitching position, since pitches submitted further ahead of the 7-day minimum are not penalized and give editors more lead time.
1.9.3 If your release isn't live after the expected window
Check your dashboard status. If it shows Live but the release isn't visible on a specific platform, see 4.15 for staggered-ingestion explanations before contacting support.
Source: MadDesk article 1.9 (1-9)