diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index 13a8201cc4..faa8d237ef 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@
 - Robustness and quality
   - [ ] Ensure that all tests are passing, this includes:
     - [ ] unit
+  - [ ] Publish a release candidate to npm
+    ```sh
+    # Minor prerelease (e.g. 0.24.1 -> 0.25.0-rc.0)
+    $ npx aegir release --type preminor -t node -t browser --preid rc --dist-tag next
+
+    # Increment prerelease (e.g. 0.25.0-rc.0 -> 0.25.0-rc.1)
+    $ npx aegir release --type prerelease -t node -t browser --preid rc --dist-tag next
+    ```
   - [ ] Run tests of the following projects with the new release:
     - [ ] [js-ipfs](https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs)
 - Documentation
@@ -20,22 +28,30 @@
   - [ ] Ensure that all the examples run
 - Communication
   - [ ] Create the release issue
+  - [ ] Take a snapshot between of everyone that has contributed to this release (including its subdeps in IPFS, libp2p, IPLD and multiformats) using [`name-your-contributors`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/name-your-contributors). Generate a nice markdown list with [this script](https://gist.github.com/jacobheun/d2ff479ca991733c13cdcf688a1317e5)
   - [ ] Announcements (both pre-release and post-release)
     - [ ] Twitter
     - [ ] IRC
     - [ ] Reddit
     - [ ] [discuss.ipfs.io](https://discuss.ipfs.io/c/announcements)
   - [ ] Blog post
+  - [ ] Copy release notes to the [GitHub Release description](https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/releases)
+
+# ❤️ Huge thank you to everyone that made this release possible
+
+In alphabetical order, here are all the humans that contributed to the release:
+
+- ...
 
 # 🙌🏽 Want to contribute?
 
 Would you like to contribute to the libp2p project and don't know how? Well, there are a few places you can get started:
 
 - Check the issues with the `help wanted` label at the Ready column in our waffle board - https://waffle.io/libp2p/js-libp2p?label=help%20wanted
-- Join an IPFS All Hands, introduce yourself and let us know where you would like to contribute - https://github.com/ipfs/pm/#all-hands-call
+- Join an IPFS All Hands, introduce yourself and let us know where you would like to contribute - https://github.com/ipfs/team-mgmt#all-hands-call
 - Hack with IPFS and show us what you made! The All Hands call is also the perfect venue for demos, join in and show us what you built
 - Join the discussion at http://discuss.ipfs.io/ and help users finding their answers.
-- Join the [⚡️ⒿⓈ Core Dev Team Weekly Sync 🙌🏽 ](https://github.com/ipfs/pm/issues/650) and be part of the Sprint action!
+- Join the [⚡️ⒿⓈ Core Dev Team Weekly Sync 🙌🏽 ](https://github.com/ipfs/team-mgmt/issues/650) and be part of the Sprint action!
 
 # ⁉️ Do you have questions?