New Music Release Strategies: Singles or Album?

[@ChordsofaMan]

I love the album format and working in batch form, but to stay relevant in the streaming era, my yearly strategy has been: Take finished album and sell it on CD/downloads on day 1. Release each song from it on streaming, one at a time on day 1 of each month of the year (12-1 so they stack in album order on your discographies). Each month market that release as a single (artwork, videos, behind the scenes, etc.). This way, fans get (and buy) the full album without making them wait. Streamers get their monthly release and the full album at the end of the cycle, which keeps you relevant to them, plus, you have new creative content to share with fans on your socials year round. During that release year, work on writing and recording the next album so it's ready to go on day 1 again. Rinse and repeat.

[@tonyvv]

Sounds like a solid strategy.

[@stuzzox]

Bro thank you so much I’m gonna use this strategy this is such a good idea 👐👐👐

[@doctordave151]

@@stuzzox There's a 'concept / narrative' to my forthcoming album and I think this will work for me.

[@MattMendians]

I have two albums for sale on my website but nothing streaming yet. What distribution site do you use so you don’t have to pay more money this way than putting the album out once on streaming? This sounds like a better plan! Thanks!

[@MatthewDFritz]

@@MattMendians I use CD baby for the whole album release (typically one can get a coupon for 10-20 bucks). Then, I use SoundCloud for the monthly single releases. A SoundCloud Pro annual subscription pays for itself if you get roughly 8000 streams per month on the platform. The SC Pro account includes unlimited distribution to all the platforms, so that's where I do the monthly single releases. then at the end of the 12 month cycle, I email SoundCloud support and tell them to remove all my singles. that way all streaming goes through my album release on CD baby, since it's perpetual with no annual subscription fee to keep it alive (in case I ever decide to cancel SoundCloud, or die). I end up covering the whole cost and getting a little more every year with this strategy, but it depends on how many streams you get.

[@773Spair]

If people are buying downloads instead, you could release the singles as they're finished, then release an album that's cheaper per song to keep interest as you make the album, but motivate people to buy the whole album. Once you have enough fans, you could release downloads before streams to make more; and, make some tracks album-only, especially intros, outros, and intermissions.

[@waz3128]

I woke up this morning with a realisation: For nearly 10 years I've been banging my head against a wall doing the same thing expecting different results. One of the problems I've found with doing it the old traditional way is the fatigue that comes with promotion of that whole body of work and having no more cards up my sleeve to continue the momentum. I almost always wind up hating the album, not wanting to go near it again, not even wanting to play the tracks live anymore. I finished production of my next album and am currently waiting on the first track to be mixed. I've decided I'm going to do everything I can for each individual track as soon as they're completed: music video, album cover, posting all over social media etc. Even if it fails, I feel that this could at least be a better method to keep up morale because if the single tanks, I still have the next one to look forward to.

[@DavidWesley]

Unless an album can have a unified experience, it may make sense to stick with singles.

[@tonyvv]

True, though as an artist I would hope your releases -- whether album or single -- all have a somewhat unified sound or vibe to them, otherwise it's really hard to build a fanbase if your music sounds very different with every single release.

[@eddiebaez2093]

I think some work fine on single...and others make a journey like an album

[@CaraMelMusic]

Thank you for breaking this down and basically confirming the method I've been doing this year. I'm taking 2020 to drop singles while I work on my album; however I was wondering about if I was to say add my song Maybelline...if those streams would count as well towards the album; which is good info to know. Also, you answered another question in reference to after the album release; whether or not to drop a single. So, I like that idea about 1 before and 1 single a few weeks after the initial album drop. Appreciate this info/great video. Blessings 🙏🏽

[@warrendoris9669]

Great stuff! Thank you!. Right on time too!

[@stevedavis7477]

Hi Tony, Thanks for your suggestions and the reasoning of your Topics, Lots of appreciation.

[@MaxwellBradshaw]

This was awesome. Right on!

[@Reidar5537]

thanks for confirming my strategy by a PRO

[@crownisheavy]

Great advice, Tony 👍🏽

[@StGlaciers]

thanks

[@amajtheory]

Whatever happened to remixes? Back in the day artist would release one or two singles from the album, then we'd have to wait a few months for the album. After the album was released other song from the album would be played on the radio and remixes of those some would be released.

[@KikoJonesUSA]

The only formula that works is whatever dynamic you have established with your fans. If you have fans with shot attention spans, who might forget you in 2 months, then you need to pump music out like a factory. But if those who consume your music consider it special and look forward to your next release, then albums are STILL the way to go. Of course, YMMV.

[@tonyvv]

I have news for you... ALL fans have short attention spans nowadays and need to be reminded from time to time that you exist and are still putting out music.

[@KikoJonesUSA]

@@tonyvv: I'm sorry, but that's a blanket statement. Not *all* fans need to be constantly reminded of an artist's work. Unless they treat their music consumption like a disposable lighter or something, then, of course. And frankly, if you have to be in a constant rat race of putting out material every 2 months or something, to keep awareness up, you don't have fans, you have consumers who aren't particularly loyal to your work. (Hence, my factory analogy.) Artists with fans, not just simple consumers of their music, keep their fans engaged on social media between releases and those who enjoy the music will seek it out. But I will concede that the majority today are not music fans but simple music consumers. And yes, there's a difference. A significant one.

[@tonyvv]

@@KikoJonesUSA You're not necessarily wrong. But as an emerging artist you'll want to have a constant presence among your fans by releasing music on a regular basis.

[@makijoy]

Your dog is like “nobody is there who are you talking to?”

[@jenniferstephane6337]

Very helpful

[@shieldoffaith6147]

thanks thats a good strategy

[@lithalo1799]

First, I want to say I highly recommend Disc Makers, I have used them in the past and I will use them again very soon. However, in my opinion, the idea of releasing a full album no longer makes logical sense. We as artists, are now held hostage to the way the audience listens to music. They no longer buy albums/CD/ ect, they stream. Not only do the stream, they stream by having access to all music; all at the same time. The future, IMO, is not releasing albums, but to release singles and EP's only. Not only that, but release them more frequent. Think quality over quantity and( ABRM) "Always Be Releasing Music". This is now my strategy. Good Luck with your projects!

[@tonyvv]

If that works for you, go for it. The album means something different today than it did before the streaming era... I guess because as a fan you don't have to invest cash in buying it. BUT... some artists feel that putting together a whole album is a good representation of who they are at a certain point in time, and many fans enjoy listening to an album's worth of an artist's music. So there's still a role for the album.

[@hujan_ringan]

thank you

[@redturtle2333]

Single EP Album

[@joshuaafrifa8134]

Dua Lipa, Adele & Lady Gaga are some of the few that still release music traditionally. They all release debut single well in advance of the album release. Then after the album release they release more singles (intended to promote interest in the album). I love this method because we are not rushing through an era. Like her debut album, Dua's sophmore effort Future Nostalgia was jam packed with potential singles (just more cohesive). She n her team capitalized on that put out 4 singles to US radio, and a 5th from the Moonlight (Deluxe) edition; with ALL of them hitting the top 10 on Top 40/Pop radio! (We're Good officially peaked at #11 but I'm stubbornly counting it as top 10 😑 because I believe it hit #10 on Mediabase...idc). So I hope she follows this traditional route. Of course unless ur name is Adele or Taylor Swift (who has fallen off the traditional wagon, with reason based on demand 🙄) when ur releasing ur 3rd or 4th single it'll need a to be remix (from a rapper if it's pop track), I.e Levitating ft/Da Baby or "E.T." Ft/ Kanye West or Bad blood ft/ Kendrick Lamar, or "Girls like you" ft/Cardi B. And AC radio will play the original album version.

[@victorrasicci7819]

Singles

[@wmrg1057]

Glad to see you now have the mandatory animal in the video.

[@shieldoffaith6147]

So do you think its a good idea to press just one song or should it be more 3,4,5 songs

[@tonyvv]

If by "press" you mean release on physical media, it doesn't make much sense to do one song. You should at minimum do a 4 or 5 song EP. If instead you mean release digitally, you should be releasing a stream of singles throughout the year.

[@Burdleisyum]

Im a rapper but im only care about the dog so cute 😀

[@paintthemoon2310]

And then later the next step will be to just release playlists.

[@tonyvv]

Already happening... follow any hip hop?

[@WeAreTheEggmen22]

It doesn't really apply to you if you have a crappy duo with someone you met in 4th grade