diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 130c9834..b171119e 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ release_npm:
   script:
     # release to NPM
     - echo "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=$NPM_TOKEN" > ~/.npmrc
-    - for f in artifacts/*.tgz; do npm publish ./$f; done;
+    - for f in artifacts/*.tgz; do npm publish --tag beta ./$f; done;
     - rm -f ~/.npmrc
 
 release_github:
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ release_github:
     - sudo apt install gh
 
     # release in Github
-    - gh release create v${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME:1} ./artifacts/* --target $CI_COMMIT_SHA --repo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY
+    - gh release create v${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME:1} ./artifacts/* --prerelease --target $CI_COMMIT_SHA --repo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY
 
 release_cdn:
   artifacts:
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ release_cdn:
   only:
     - /^v[0-9]+\..*/
   needs: ["release_github"]
+  id_tokens:
+    CI_JOB_JWT:
+      aud: $CICD_VAULT_ADDR
   script:
     # authenticate and release to CDN
     - creds-helper init && eval $(creds-helper aws --eval aws:v1/o11y-infra/role/o11y_gdi_otel_js_web_releaser_role)
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f1166e6c..3ee355a0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ If the version of Open Telemetry is unspecified for a version, then it is the sa
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+## 0.18.0-beta.0
+
+* `@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder`
+  * Switch from using otlp/protobuf to otlp/json. This removes dependency on protobuf.js, allowing the library to be ran on sites where unsafe-eval is blocked via CSP and reducing the bundle size by half ([#765](https://github.com/signalfx/splunk-otel-js-web/pull/756))
+
 ## 0.17.0
 
 | Open Telemetry API | Core    | Instrumentations & Contrib |
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index b541e4c1..4128dab1 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.18.0-beta.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
-      "version": "0.17.0",
+      "version": "0.18.0-beta.0",
       "workspaces": [
         "packages/web",
         "packages/session-recorder"
@@ -17571,7 +17571,7 @@
     },
     "packages/session-recorder": {
       "name": "@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder",
-      "version": "0.17.0",
+      "version": "0.18.0-beta.0",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@babel/runtime": "~7.22.6",
@@ -17598,7 +17598,7 @@
         "rollup-plugin-polyfill-node": "^0.12.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
-        "@splunk/otel-web": "^0.17.0"
+        "@splunk/otel-web": "^0.18.0-beta.0"
       }
     },
     "packages/session-recorder/node_modules/type-fest": {
@@ -17614,7 +17614,7 @@
     },
     "packages/web": {
       "name": "@splunk/otel-web",
-      "version": "0.17.0",
+      "version": "0.18.0-beta.0",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@babel/runtime": "^7.22.6",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c87b007..f6627d51 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@splunk/otel-web-dev-root",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.18.0-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 ad119c27..f823ad72 100644
--- a/packages/session-recorder/package.json
+++ b/packages/session-recorder/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@splunk/otel-web-session-recorder",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.18.0-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": "^0.17.0"
+    "@splunk/otel-web": "^0.18.0-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 49481296..3abde088 100644
--- a/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts
+++ b/packages/session-recorder/src/version.ts
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 // this is an autogenerated file, see scripts/version-update.js
-export const VERSION = '0.17.0';
+export const VERSION = '0.18.0-beta.0';
diff --git a/packages/web/package.json b/packages/web/package.json
index 9dbfa1c9..556611ae 100644
--- a/packages/web/package.json
+++ b/packages/web/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@splunk/otel-web",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.18.0-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 49481296..3abde088 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/version.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/version.ts
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 // this is an autogenerated file, see scripts/version-update.js
-export const VERSION = '0.17.0';
+export const VERSION = '0.18.0-beta.0';