diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 5f53f56e..72e3758c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ release_npm:
     script:
         # release to NPM
         - echo "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=$NPM_TOKEN" > ~/.npmrc
-        - for f in artifacts/*.tgz; do npm publish ./$f; done;
+        # January: remove --tag beta
+        - for f in artifacts/*.tgz; do npm publish --tag beta ./$f; done;
         - rm -f ~/.npmrc
 
 release_github:
@@ -105,8 +106,8 @@ release_github:
         - sudo apt update
         - sudo apt install gh
 
-        # release in Github
-        - gh release create v${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME:1} ./artifacts/* --target $CI_COMMIT_SHA --repo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY
+        # January: remove --prerelease
+        - gh release create v${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME:1} ./artifacts/* --prerelease --target $CI_COMMIT_SHA --repo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY
 
 release_cdn:
     artifacts:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f575826d..56c9fc2a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 
 If the version of Open Telemetry is unspecified for a version, then it is the same as in the previous release.
 
+## 0.20.0-beta.0
+
+* `@splunk/otel-web`
+  * feat: added `persistence` config parameter. 
+    The session state can now be persisted to local storage instead of cookie. ([#900](https://github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-js-web/pull/900), [#904](https://github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-js-web/pull/904))
+  * feat: added `_experimental_longtaskNoStartSession` config parameter. 
+    When enabled, `longtasks` spans will not start the new session when previous expired. 
+    They will be simply ignored. ([#899](https://github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-js-web/pull/899))
+  * internal: session management improvements. Session state contains now `expiresAt` field 
+    and cookie age is set to 4 hours (session duration). Session is only extended/created when span
+    is emitted. The 1-minute periodic interval is removed. Thanks to that the session start time matches the first 
+    span time and the session will not contain blank time at the beginning. ([#899](https://github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-js-web/pull/899))
+
 ## 0.19.3
 
 * `@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder`
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 5c4db375..5c5ca6d4 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
 	"name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
-	"version": "0.19.3",
+	"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 	"lockfileVersion": 3,
 	"requires": true,
 	"packages": {
 		"": {
 			"name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
-			"version": "0.19.3",
+			"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 			"workspaces": [
 				"packages/web",
 				"packages/session-recorder"
@@ -18284,7 +18284,7 @@
 		},
 		"packages/session-recorder": {
 			"name": "@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder",
-			"version": "0.19.3",
+			"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 			"license": "Apache-2.0",
 			"dependencies": {
 				"@babel/runtime": "~7.24.7",
@@ -18311,7 +18311,7 @@
 				"rollup-plugin-polyfill-node": "^0.12.0"
 			},
 			"peerDependencies": {
-				"@splunk/otel-web": "^0.19.0"
+				"@splunk/otel-web": "^0.20.0-beta.0"
 			}
 		},
 		"packages/session-recorder/node_modules/type-fest": {
@@ -18327,7 +18327,7 @@
 		},
 		"packages/web": {
 			"name": "@splunk/otel-web",
-			"version": "0.19.3",
+			"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 			"license": "Apache-2.0",
 			"dependencies": {
 				"@babel/runtime": "^7.24.7",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a6872a12..691f5754 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
 	"private": true,
-	"version": "0.19.3",
+	"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 	"--workspaces": "Hardcoded so npm runs workspaces commands in order",
 	"workspaces": [
 		"packages/web",
diff --git a/packages/session-recorder/package.json b/packages/session-recorder/package.json
index fe48a7a6..2a9c2527 100644
--- a/packages/session-recorder/package.json
+++ b/packages/session-recorder/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder",
-	"version": "0.19.3",
+	"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 	"description": "Splunk distribution of rrweb for recording session",
 	"repository": "github:signalfx/splunk-otel-js-browser",
 	"scripts": {
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 		"type-fest": "^4.0.0"
 	},
 	"peerDependencies": {
-		"@splunk/otel-web": "^0.19.0"
+		"@splunk/otel-web": "^0.20.0-beta.0"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
 		"@babel/plugin-transform-runtime": "^7.22.9",
diff --git a/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts b/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts
index 95513fdf..09751ad4 100644
--- a/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts
+++ b/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@
  */
 
 // this is an autogenerated file, see scripts/version-update.js
-export const VERSION = '0.19.3'
+export const VERSION = '0.20.0-beta.0'
diff --git a/packages/web/package.json b/packages/web/package.json
index 75c7cd56..7b4a15ba 100644
--- a/packages/web/package.json
+++ b/packages/web/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@splunk/otel-web",
-	"version": "0.19.3",
+	"version": "0.20.0-beta.0",
 	"description": "Splunk distribution of Open Telemetry for browser environment.",
 	"repository": "github:signalfx/splunk-otel-js-browser",
 	"scripts": {
diff --git a/packages/web/src/version.ts b/packages/web/src/version.ts
index 95513fdf..09751ad4 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/version.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/version.ts
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@
  */
 
 // this is an autogenerated file, see scripts/version-update.js
-export const VERSION = '0.19.3'
+export const VERSION = '0.20.0-beta.0'