The Best Music Release Strategy In 2024 (Single Vs Album)
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the significance of timing in releasing music, comparing it to the timing of a joke. It explores the evolution of the concept of an album from vinyl to digital formats and questions its relevance today. The speaker advocates for singles to build an artist's momentum and audience before releasing an album, which can be a more strategic move for monetization. The script addresses common concerns about genre expectations, storytelling through albums, and the desire for physical copies, suggesting alternative strategies like releasing singles regularly and offering pre-album sales. It concludes by emphasizing that the decision to release an album should be based on when and why, rather than a blanket yes or no.
Takeaways
- 🎶 The difference between a good joke and a bad one is timing, and the same applies to releasing music; timing is crucial.
- 📀 Traditional album lengths were dictated by vinyl (45 minutes) and CD formats (74 minutes), but digital formats have removed these restrictions.
- 🔄 The terms EP, B-side, and double album have become irrelevant in today's music release cycles due to format flexibility.
- 🎧 Singles allow for speed and agility in music release, making them ideal for building momentum and discovery for up-and-coming artists.
- 💸 Albums are more expensive and time-consuming to produce and promote, and they risk exhausting creative opportunities more quickly.
- 📈 Singles offer the chance for testing and optimization, whereas albums are a complete work released with less room for adjustment.
- 📈 Releasing singles can lead to increased monthly listeners and spins on platforms like Spotify, potentially leading to significant streaming revenue.
- 🎤 Singles are effective for promoting the artist, while the artist's established audience can be leveraged to promote an album.
- 🚫 Releasing an album and then promoting its songs one at a time lacks the impact of a cohesive release and can diminish excitement.
- 🎫 Physical copies like CDs and vinyl can coexist with a singles strategy, offering fans a complete collection before the album's official release.
- 🌟 The decision to release an album should be based on when and why, not just a desire to create an album, and should align with an artist's momentum and audience engagement.
Q & A
What is the significance of timing in releasing music, as discussed in the script?
-Timing is crucial in releasing music because it affects how quickly and effectively an artist can build momentum and reach their audience. It also influences the artist's ability to adapt and optimize their strategy based on the reception of their music.
What was the traditional length of an album as influenced by vinyl records?
-Traditionally, an album was about 44 minutes long, which was dictated by the format of vinyl records, allowing 22 minutes per side.
How did the introduction of CDs change the typical length of an album?
-The introduction of CDs increased the typical length of an album to 74 minutes, enabling more music to be included on a single disc and leading to more experimental music.
What are the advantages of releasing singles over albums according to the script?
-Releasing singles allows for speed and agility, enabling artists to pivot and change strategies quickly. Singles also facilitate building momentum, are less expensive, and offer opportunities for testing and optimization.
What challenges does the script highlight with promoting an album compared to singles?
-Promoting an album is more expensive and time-consuming, and it can lead to exhausting creative opportunities. Albums also offer less flexibility for testing and optimization, and they may not generate as much excitement as new singles.
At what point should an artist consider releasing an album, as suggested in the script?
-An artist should consider releasing an album when they have a significant and engaged audience, such as one million monthly listeners on Spotify, to capitalize on the momentum and traction they have built.
Why might an artist's preference for telling stories be a reason to release an album, as mentioned in the script?
-Artists who prefer to tell stories might opt for an album because it allows them to present a cohesive narrative or theme across multiple tracks, which can be more challenging to achieve with singles.
What is the script's perspective on the importance of audience expectations in deciding to release an album?
-The script suggests that while audience expectations can influence an artist's decision to release an album, it is ultimately up to the artist to dictate the pace and strategy. The focus should be on building momentum and audience engagement rather than solely on expectations.
How does the script address the concern about the need for music for touring purposes?
-The script argues that there is no rule on how fast an artist can release singles, and that releasing music regularly can still support touring. It suggests that artists can release singles frequently to keep the momentum for touring.
What alternative does the script propose for artists who want to sell physical copies like CDs or vinyls?
-The script proposes that artists can sell physical copies like CDs or vinyls of singles or upcoming albums, creating a sense of exclusivity and demand, which can be a powerful marketing tool.
What conclusion does the script draw about the decision to release an album?
-The script concludes that the decision to release an album is not a simple yes or no but depends on when and why it is done. It should be based on the artist's momentum, audience size, and the potential for monetization and success.
Outlines
🎵 The Evolution and Impact of Album Releases
This paragraph discusses the historical context of album lengths, influenced by vinyl and CD formats, and how the modern music industry has moved away from these constraints. It introduces the debate on the relevance of albums in today's music landscape, where artists like Taylor Swift can release extensive albums or multiple singles. The speaker emphasizes the importance of timing in music releases, drawing a parallel between joke timing and the strategic release of music. The paragraph also touches on the shift from physical media limitations to digital freedom, leading to a reevaluation of terms like EP, B-side, and double album.
🚀 Singles vs. Albums: Strategies for Artist Growth
The second paragraph delves into the pros and cons of releasing singles versus albums. It argues that singles offer speed and agility, allowing new artists to quickly build momentum and optimize their strategies based on performance. The speaker suggests that singles are better for discovery and artist promotion, while albums are more challenging to promote and can lead to creative exhaustion. The paragraph also addresses the misconception that audiences expect albums and the idea that albums are necessary for storytelling, countering that good music is what audiences truly seek. It suggests that artists should focus on building traction and momentum before releasing an album to avoid frustration and ensure a return on their investment.
🌟 The Optimal Time to Release an Album
The final paragraph summarizes the discussion by stressing that the decision to release an album should be based on when and why, rather than a blanket yes or no. It suggests that artists should have a substantial audience and momentum before releasing an album to maximize its impact and monetization potential. The speaker also addresses common concerns about genre expectations, the desire to tell stories through albums, and the need for music for touring purposes. The paragraph concludes by encouraging artists to consider their goals and the market dynamics before deciding on an album release, highlighting that for some, the desire to create an album may outweigh commercial considerations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Album
💡Single
💡Timing
💡Momentum
💡Format
💡EP
💡Streaming
💡Monetization
💡Creative Exhaustion
💡Genre Expectations
Highlights
The importance of timing in releasing music, akin to telling a joke, is emphasized.
Taylor Swift's new album release strategy is critiqued for its ambiguity.
The historical context of album lengths, from vinyl to CDs, is discussed.
The relevance of traditional music release formats like EPs and double albums in today's digital age is questioned.
The debate between releasing singles versus albums is introduced.
The author expresses a personal preference for albums but acknowledges the importance of timing in their release.
Advantages of releasing singles include speed, agility, and the ability to build momentum.
The concept of 'exhausting the creative' in album promotion is introduced.
The financial implications of releasing albums versus singles are touched upon.
The idea that singles promote the artist while the artist promotes the album is presented.
The author suggests that artists should release an album when they have a substantial and engaged audience.
The misconception that genres inherently demand albums is challenged.
The role of storytelling in album creation and its impact on the decision to release an album is discussed.
The practicality of releasing singles frequently to maintain momentum and engagement is suggested.
The potential of physical copies like CDs and vinyls to coexist with a singles release strategy is explored.
The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their thoughts on the album versus singles debate.
Transcripts
what's the difference between a good
joke and a bad joke timing and the same
can be said for releasing music timing
is everything now Taylor Swift has just
released her new 31 track album or maybe
it was one track released 31 times I
couldn't really tell but this prompts
the question what even is an album and
does that even matter and more
importantly when should you put out an
album now an album used to be 44 minutes
that was dictated by The Format of vinyl
22 minutes per side then when CDs were
introduced it was 74 minutes so you
could get more music on so you got more
experimental music happening but it
would roughly stick to around about 12
Songs per album but now the format
doesn't dictate the length or how much
music you can release in one go so
phrases like EP or bside or double album
these are irrelevant phrases in today's
release Cycles but the single versus the
album debate now this is very relevant
now if you've been watching my channel
for some time you might think that I am
not a fan of the album and that's
actually not true I'm a massive fan of
albums and of artists releasing albums
but as we found out from the start of
this video timing is everything you see
there are pros and cons with releasing
both singles and albums and before we go
into those pros and cons let me just say
before I get a lot of stuff in the
comments saying this is about art and
you should do what you want to do for
your art I agree if the purpose is for
you to make art then well done congrat
congratulations you've already done it
but if the purpose here is to get people
to listen and consume your art then this
becomes very relevant and for everyone
who says just put your music out and if
it's good enough it will get through
yeah maybe but that's also like me
saying go for a run let's see how fast
you can run 100 m maybe you can do it in
sub 11 seconds but the chances are if
you want to get to a sub 11 seconds
you'll probably going to need to work on
everything from diet and strategy and a
lot of practice to be able to hit that
achievement so without out of the way
let's look at Singles now when it comes
to releasing a single you have Speed and
Agility on your side you can pivot you
can change your strategy as you are
going which leaves you light on your
feet and for me this is a very good
strategy when you are an upand cominging
artist now with single releases you can
get your music out quickly and then you
can build momentum a single builds the
artist not vice versa then you can
promote for free you can get good
discovery which builds momentum and then
you can find Opportunities off the back
of that momentum now where we are at
with music promotion you can promote for
free you can get free discovery which
builds momentum and that allows you to
build opportunities off the back of the
momentum and then you can optimize
because if you're putting a single out
you can see what it's doing and you can
react when it comes to writing or
recording your next single or the
promotion of your next single now
comparing singles with albums albums are
expensive and timeconsuming assuming
they're also harder to promote you get a
thing called exhausting the creative now
what that means is if you're putting a
single out how many times can you get on
radio or blogs or podcasts or interviews
or TV Etc the answer is maybe a few
maybe you'll get 30 40 50 opportunities
from that single now if you put an album
out will you get more opportunities than
you did with a single the answer is no
probably the same but when you're doing
single after single after single you can
repeat the process the exting the
creatives the creatives will grow single
after single whereas with an album
you're trying to go back in time yes
I've put the album out but now I'm
promoting this song which has already
come out and that isn't as exciting for
most people who want to help you push
your music you also have no testing or
optimization when it comes to album with
a single you put something out you say
I'm not sure that worked let's try
something else and go again with an
album you put out the entire piece of
work hoping for the best and if it
doesn't work what are you going to do
now this all sounds very very negative
for albums and it shouldn't be because
there is a time when you should release
an album let's say for example you have
one million monthly listeners on Spotify
which let's say probably will be about 3
to 4 million spins across tracks
depending on how many tracks you have on
Spotify maybe a million maybe three or
four million now if you put out an album
of let's say 12 tracks that million
monthly listeners will probably start to
expand but more importantly the the
monthly spins will expand because you
have a bigger Library if that starts to
expand by say two or even three times
your three or 4 million spins a month is
now 8 n 10 million spins a month you
start getting up into the tens of
millions of spins and you're dealing
with $40
$50,000 per month just from streaming on
one platform alone so for me singles and
albums have a different purpose singles
are fantastic for discovery for building
momentum for building you as an artist
and getting opportunities and as you do
that and start to grow this audience and
start to get people who know who you are
and want to listen to your music and
give you those opportunities that's the
time to drop the album because at this
point you've got the traction you've got
the momentum and now you can collect the
reward you can start to monetize off the
back of what you've already built in
very simple terms singles promote the
artist but the artist promotes the album
so therefore you need to have the
audience to be able to promote the album
otherwise you're going to exhaust the
creative very very quickly and be very
frustrated that all of your hard work
and effort and money that's gone into it
isn't going to get the payback that you
deserve now I have had this conversation
with many many artists about releasing
singles versus albums and I know what
comes back when it comes to statements
and questions one of those is you don't
really understand my genre in my genre
the audience does expect an album no
they don't they don't expect expect an
album they expect good music they expect
to enjoy the music that's coming out but
you are in charge of dictating the pace
it's up to you whether you give people a
single or an album and if it's working
and you've got that momentum putting an
album out is fine but until that point
this is not about the audience expecting
anything this is about you building up
traction and momentum by giving people
something that is good that they will
want more of another statement is when
people say hey but I can still put out
the album and promote the Les one at a
time why can't I just do that well you
can but it doesn't have the same punch
when it comes to pitching when it comes
to excitement people don't have the same
excitement for music that has been
released already people really like the
anticipation and they really like new
things new shinies so therefore why
would we say it's already out but now
I'm going to promote something that you
can already have at any moment a lot of
artists like to tell stories so many
artists will say I can't really tell a
story with a single but I can tell
stories with albums and that's why I
prefer an album great but you're
releasing it for you you're not
releasing it for anybody else this is
Art all of a sudden and if you're making
something which is for you and it's
artistic that's fine the problem only
occurs if you are unhappy with the
results if you're saying why aren't
people listening to my art then this is
the issue now what about touring
opportunities artists say well hang on
if I want to go on tour I need music out
in the world before I can go on tour
well yeah great well put more music out
I don't understand the correlation
because there's no rule on how fast you
can release singles you can release
singles every week or every two weeks
and still get all of the stuff we're
talking about still put out music
quickly still get into some kind of
routine whilst you're getting the
benefits of putting singles over an
album Now imagine if you are releasing
music with a routine every week I'm
going to put out a new song well for a
start you are really going to benefit
Spotify the data and your release radar
because people are going to get used to
it they're going to say hang on if I'm
going to get another one every week I
don't want to miss out so I'm going to
hit the follow button on Spotify which
is a very very difficult thing to do
that's a big benefit same thing goes for
socials all of a sudden there's more new
stuff coming maybe I should hit the
follow button cuz new stuff is coming
same thing for playlists you're starting
to build relationships I'll have another
one next week if you don't like this one
you'll like the one next week all of a
sudden you are building momentum now
another thing I hear artists say is
about physical copies my audience likes
physical copies and so therefore I need
an album out so I can sell a CD or a
vinyl but I don't see how the two uh
can't coexist exist why can't you put a
single out you could still promote an
album and say hey if you want the album
before it's even been released then you
can buy the CD or the vinyl that way you
are now monetizing and you've got the
supply and demand you've got something
even more powerful it's not even out and
you've heard that single imagine if you
buy the next album with 12 songs on it
to me that's much more powerful you
don't necessarily in this day and age
have to release the album to print a
th000 or 2,000 or five 5,000 CDs to me
all of these statements and questions
are more excuses to deal with someone's
ego yeah I really want to put out an
album and if that's the case put an
album that's great if you want to put an
album out and you love working with
albums and more importantly you can
afford it and you're not going to worry
so much about the numbers then the
album's the right thing to do for you
the issue only arises if you're putting
an album out and saying this isn't
working and that's the bit setting those
expectations Taylor Swift has shown with
this release that if you get enough
momentum and speed you can do whatever
you want you can be as self-indulgent as
you want you can put out as many songs
as you want and you are monetizing off
the back of it the issue here is it
takes a long time to get that much
momentum in order to monetize off the
back of it so the answer to releasing an
album is not yes or no it's when and why
so leave your comments below I will try
and comment back as much as possible and
I love this topic because I am not
against albums and I am quite happy to
debate this until the cows come home so
whatever your thoughts are leave them in
the comments below thank you for
watching and I'll see you again soon
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