There’s no denying that the music business has changed dramatically over the last few years. CD sales have dropped even among A list artists and traditional radio has to struggle for listeners and advertising. The launch of download services like iTunes has created a dent in the CD sales market. Why buy the whole CD if I can just download the songs I want for a lot less? Now even downloads are losing their luster. Streaming is the new buzzword in the music industry. Internet radio and streaming services are popping up everywhere and gives listeners more control over what they hear. So with all of this in mind, should you really record an entire album for release? Should you only release singles? Is there a different strategy to releasing singles vs albums? Let’s take a look at the benefits of releasing a full album versus releasing singles.
Benefits of Releasing an Album
- Full meal vs. snack or appetizer for your listeners
- More songs drive better streaming revenue. You’ll get more streams with a collection of songs in an album format that random songs.
- Allows listeners to build their own catalog of your songs
- The average listener is not a playlist creator. They like to “set it and forget it”. So the album for them is a “done for you” playlist of your songs.
- It’s hard to sell a single at a performance.
- An album release is a newsworthy event.
- There’s more perceived value in an album than a song. Album download rates are not declining as fast as the rate of song downloads.
- Genres (i.e. country, Americana, traditional Gospel) that draw older audiences need CDs
- Albums can make an artistic statement in context
- Need only one cover
- Provides deeper experience to turn a casual listener into a fan
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Benefits of Releasing Singles
- Costs less
- Takes less time to produce and release to the market
- Allows you to focus on one song at a time.
- Helps you feel a sense of accomplishment that helps you to keep going.
- Can engage with fans on a more regular basis around your songs rather than “disappear” while you’re creating your album.
- Streaming is geared more to singles than albums
- Don’t have to worry about making the album sound cohesive or have an overall theme
- Saves costs for a genre that isn’t tied to a physical product (electronic dance music, hip hop). There’s no need to replicate CDs.
- Can experiment with something different
Whichever you decide to release, album or singles, make sure your songs are great! If the song sound too much like all your other songs (this is called the Chinese Water Torture effect) or like a filler, make some changes or set it aside for now until you come up with some other ideas. Also it helps to think about where you sell most of your music. If most of your sales come from downloads, then singles might be a good way to go. If most of your sales come from live performances, then the album release would be better for you.
Ask yourself: What do your fans want?
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