I Waterfall Released My Debut Album. Here's What Happened.

Summary

In this video, an independent artist discusses their experience using the waterfall release strategy for their debut album. They explain releasing singles, then EPs, and finally the full album, analyzing Spotify data and sharing key takeaways. Despite some misconceptions about data stacking, the strategy proved beneficial for streams and playlist placements. The artist concludes that singles and albums are crucial for growth, emphasizing the importance of successful songs before an album release. They also note the need to pitch new songs to Spotify for better visibility.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The artist used a 'waterfall release system' for their album, releasing songs incrementally and re-releasing them as part of an EP and then as a full album.
• 🔄 They released 8 singles from their 10-song album, followed by 2 EPs, and finally the full album, resulting in a total of 17 releases for the songs.
• 📈 The waterfall strategy was intended to stack data on Spotify for each song, using the same ISRC code for all releases to accumulate streams and other metrics.
• 🤔 Contrary to expectations, the artist found that saves and playlist data did not carry over between releases, with each release having its own unique URI and popularity score on Spotify.
• 🎯 The artist discovered that the popularity scores for their top songs were reset to zero after the full album release, which initially led to a decrease in daily streams and listeners.
• 🚀 However, a 'Discover Weekly' feature on Spotify helped to boost the album's popularity scores and streams, suggesting that full album releases may indeed compound data over time.
• 💡 The artist concluded that singles are effective for catalog growth on Spotify and should continue to be released, but with new songs included in future waterfall strategies to maintain algorithmic opportunities.
• 💽 Releasing albums is still beneficial, as the artist's first album cycle has shown positive signs for their career, despite initial challenges.
• 🏆 Having successful songs before an album release can significantly enhance the album's impact, as these songs can lift the album's performance on platforms like Spotify.
• 🔄 The artist suggests that the waterfall release strategy can work, but it requires careful planning, particularly ensuring that new songs are included in releases to maintain momentum and visibility.
• 👀 For those unfamiliar with the waterfall release strategy, the artist recommends watching a previous video they made that explains the process in detail.

Q & A

What is the waterfall release system mentioned in the script?

The waterfall release system is a strategy where an artist releases songs incrementally, starting with one song and then releasing additional songs in subsequent releases, potentially culminating in an album release. It's designed to build anticipation and maintain listener engagement over time.

Why did the artist choose to use the waterfall release system for their album?

The artist chose the waterfall release system to stack all of their data on Spotify, theoretically allowing streams, saves, and other metrics to accumulate on the same root file for each song, thus potentially increasing the visibility and success of the tracks.

How many songs were released individually before the album release according to the script?

The artist released eight songs from their 10-song album as individual singles on Spotify before the album release.

What were the two EPs released by the artist, and how did they fit into the waterfall strategy?

The artist released two EPs, 'dark' and 'light', as part of the waterfall strategy. The 'dark' EP was released using a forward waterfall strategy, starting from the top of the album, while the 'light' EP was released in reverse order.

How many times has the song 'Hero' been released according to the script?

The song 'Hero' has been released six times as part of the artist's waterfall release strategy.

What was the artist's initial understanding of how the waterfall release strategy would affect playlist placements and algorithmic opportunities?

The artist initially believed that the popularity score, which determines eligibility for algorithmic and editorial playlists, would carry over from one release to the next, maintaining the song's momentum on platforms like Spotify.

What did the artist discover about the waterfall release strategy after implementing it?

The artist discovered that while streams did accumulate on the root ISRC code, the popularity scores did not carry over between releases. Each release had its own unique URI, affecting the song's eligibility for playlists.

What unexpected outcome did the artist experience after releasing the full-length album?

After releasing the full-length album, the artist noticed that the popularity scores for their top songs tanked and reset to zero, which they initially thought would negatively impact algorithmic opportunities.

How did the artist's experience with the waterfall release strategy affect their future release plans?

The artist learned that singles seem to be more beneficial for overall growth on Spotify and that having successful songs before an album release can help boost the album's performance. They also learned the importance of always having a new song to push within a release to maintain visibility.

What was the impact of the Discover Weekly feature on the artist's album after its release?

The Discover Weekly feature gave the artist a significant boost in streams and listeners about 10 days after the album release, suggesting that the data might compound for a full-length album release, contrary to the initial belief.

What advice does the artist give for other independent musicians considering a waterfall release strategy?

The artist advises to always include a new song in each release to maintain pitchability and visibility, to continue releasing singles for growth, and to ensure having successful songs before an album release to enhance its impact.