Important music industry dates to note in 2023: Mark Your Calendar!

A selection of Important dates, observances, holidays, and dates to avoid that will be useful for anyone in the music industry to know.

from Spotify For Artists

Get out your planner, open your calendar app, and take note of these dates of interest for anyone in the music world. Plus, check out related actions you can take to drive your career forward throughout the year.

March: Women’s History Month in the U.S. (International Women’s Day is March 8). Explore Noteable’s Created by Women playlist, then listen to women from all over the world on Spotify’s EQUAL hub.

March 8: Tune in to Spotify’s 2023 Stream On event as we share the latest product innovations, and new tools, to help more artists chart their pathways to success, get discovered by new audiences, build an engaged community, and connect with fans worldwide.

March 10-19: SXSW. The music festival portion of this annual Austin, Texas confab is March 13-18.

April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Read about how to make show spaces safer with artist Shawna Potter’s book, Making Safer Spaces, and explore Calling All Crows’ resourcesto fight sexual harassment and assault in the music industry.

April 14-16; 21-22: Coachella kicks off the U.S. festival season.

April 15: Record Store Day. Also a good moment to review and update your merch offerings since fans’ minds will be on buying music today.

April 18: U.S. tax deadline (due to Emancipation Day in D.C.). Here are some tips to help you get ready.

April 22: Earth Day. Here are some do’s and don’ts for sustainable touring.

May: Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The API Heritage hub spotlights API artists, podcasts and stories.

May 14: Mother’s Day in the U.S. and many other countries. Read about how a selection of artists balance music and motherhood.

June: LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and Black Music Month. Turn up the volume on Spotify’s LGBTQIA+ Pride hub and Frequency hub celebrating Black creators.

June 18: Father’s Day in the U.S. and Canada. Read about how singer-songwriter Adam Cohen produced his legendary dad Leonard Cohen’s final masterpiece.

June 21: Solstice. This marks the official first day of summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. If you’re headed out on tour, let fans know with a new Artist Pick, then check out some tips from five fellow artists on what essentials to pack.

July 4: American Independence Day. Right after the holiday, consider a mid-year review. How are you tracking on the metrics you chose to focus on this year?

September 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. begins and runs through October 15. It’s a great moment to blast the Viva Latino playlist.

September 15: Band Shirt Day. Launched by Spotify and MerchFriends, this year is the second annual iteration of this holiday dedicated to celebrating band tees and charitable giving. Any artist can participate by offering a special tee or merch deal on their Spotify profile. 

October 10: World Mental Health Day. Here are some tips for managing your mental healthas an artist, plus a look at the science of musician mental health.

Early fall: Before Wrapped pops up toward the end of the year, take a beat to revisit Your Wrapped Soundcheck once we update the site so you can be sure you’re set up to get the most of 2023 Wrapped. 

November 23: American Thanksgiving. Cue up the holiday music playlists.

November 24: Black Friday. Review and update your merch offerings for this huge shopping day.

November 28: Giving Tuesday. Add or update your Fan Support link to reflect a cause that’s important to you this season.

Late fall: Keep an eye out for 2023 Wrapped! 

December: The holiday season is here, including Hanukkah December 7-15, Christmas on December 25, and the start of Kwanzaa on December 26. As mentioned in our piece about making the most of Canvas, if there’s synergy between your music and a holiday, you can update your Canvases to celebrate.

December 31: New Year’s Eve. Time to make some new resolutions!