diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 86c9be008..5eca11e08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -147,22 +147,17 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v1
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
-      - name: zip binaries
+      - name: upload binaries
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
         run: |
+          pip install githubrelease
           chmod +x lbrynet-macos/lbrynet
           chmod +x lbrynet-linux/lbrynet
           zip --junk-paths lbrynet-mac.zip lbrynet-macos/lbrynet
           zip --junk-paths lbrynet-linux.zip lbrynet-linux/lbrynet
           zip --junk-paths lbrynet-windows.zip lbrynet-windows/lbrynet.exe
           ls -lh
-      - name: upload binaries & publish
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
-        with:
-          draft: false
-          files: |
-            lbrynet-mac.zip
-            lbrynet-linux.zip
-            lbrynet-windows.zip
-          fail_on_unmatched_files: true
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          githubrelease --no-progress asset lbryio/lbry-sdk upload ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/} \
+            lbrynet-mac.zip lbrynet-linux.zip lbrynet-windows.zip
+          githubrelease --no-progress release lbryio/lbry-sdk publish ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index f94c3652e..3a46675dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 name: slack
+
 on:
   release:
     types: [published]
@@ -8,10 +9,14 @@ jobs:
     name: "slack notification"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: send message
-        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v1.14.0
+      - uses: LoveToKnow/slackify-markdown-action@v1.0.0
+        id: markdown
         with:
-          payload: '{"type": "mrkdwn", "text":"Hello, *World*!"}'
+          text: "There is a new SDK release: ${{github.event.release.html_url}}\n${{ github.event.release.body }}"
+      - uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v1.14.0
         env:
+          CHANGELOG: ${{ toJSON(steps.markdown.outputs.text) }}
           SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: ${{ secrets.SLACK_RELEASE_BOT_WEBHOOK }}
+        with:
+          payload: '{"type": "mrkdwn", "text": ${{ env.CHANGELOG }}}'
 
diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index 539910fa2..6a217807e 100644
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -151,19 +151,21 @@ def release(args):
     for pr in gh.search_issues(f"merged:>={previous_release._json_data['created_at']} repo:lbryio/lbry-sdk"):
         area_labels = list(get_labels(pr, 'area'))
         type_label = get_label(pr, 'type')
+        pr_url = f'[#{pr.number}]({pr.html_url})'
+        user_url = f'[{pr.user["login"]}]({pr.user["html_url"]})'
         if area_labels and type_label:
             for area_name in area_labels:
                 for incompat in get_backwards_incompatible(pr.body or ""):
-                    incompats.append(f'  * [{area_name}] {incompat.strip()} ({pr.html_url})')
+                    incompats.append(f'  * [{area_name}] {incompat.strip()} ({pr_url})')
                 for release_text in get_release_text(pr.body or ""):
                     release_texts.append(release_text)
                 if type_label == 'fixup':
-                    fixups.append(f'  * {pr.title} ({pr.html_url}) by {pr.user["login"]}')
+                    fixups.append(f'  * {pr.title} ({pr_url}) by {user_url}')
                 else:
                     area = areas.setdefault(area_name, [])
-                    area.append(f'  * [{type_label}] {pr.title} ({pr.html_url}) by {pr.user["login"]}')
+                    area.append(f'  * [{type_label}] {pr.title} ({pr_url}) by {user_url}')
         else:
-            unlabeled.append(f'  * {pr.title} ({pr.html_url}) by {pr.user["login"]}')
+            unlabeled.append(f'  * {pr.title} ({pr_url}) by {user_url}')
 
     area_names = list(areas.keys())
     area_names.sort()