- Title: MUSIC-RELEASE DAY Record industry brings in new music global release day
- Date: 10th July 2015
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BPI DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, GENNARO CASTALDO, SAYING ABOUT NEW MUSIC FRIDAYS: "But it was felt that we should listen to the fans again, lots of research was actually commissioned and what they were telling us was that they want new music ready for the weekend. So, Friday going into Saturday, Sunday, that's when they socialise a lot around music, i
- Embargoed: 25th July 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3AE4QHY2FVM9IIH23MENACSBT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Singles and albums will be released on Friday from now on, harmonising when fans around the world can purchase new music.
In a borderless business that has grown increasingly digital as artists promote their music on social media platforms, singers, record labels and retailers are aligning distribution, with July 10 marking "New Music Fridays".
Music release days have varied across countries -- Mondays in Britain and France, Tuesdays in North America, Wednesdays in Japan and Fridays in Australia, Germany and Ireland, according to music trade body British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Now singles and albums will come out at 00.01 local time in more than 45 countries.
The move is also aimed at fighting music piracy. Charts will also likely change to take in a full week's sales and streaming, with such a switch from Sunday to Friday in Britain.
"Yeah, there's been a huge consultation that's taken place worldwide. Obviously, there's been discussions as to which day it should actually be but broadly everybody is very supportive. They certainly agreed on the idea of a Global Release Day because it also harmonizes differences between digital and physical releases and in fact one upside of it is that it helps to narrow the window on piracy as well because if a fan is desperate to get a piece of music and even though they might not want to download illegally if they're desperate enough they might think, 'well, I need to get this track now.' So, if music is coming out on the same day that should actually reduce that window, which is fantastic news," said BPI spokesman Gennaro Gastaldo.
He went on to explain why Friday was chosen as the day for releasing new music.
"It was felt that we should listen to the fans again, lots of research was actually commissioned and what they were telling us was that they want new music ready for the weekend. So, Friday going into Saturday, Sunday, that's when they socialise a lot around music, it's their leisure time, it's when they get paid sometimes, it's when all the big reviews come out as well. So, it just kind of made a great deal more sense. So, we felt, yeah, Global Release Day all around the world, harmonised, and it should be a Friday."
Among the first albums released on Friday under the shift are electronica trio Years & Years' debut album "Communion" and "Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone" by various artists. British all-girl band Little Mix release their single "Black Magic" and Nick Jonas' single "Chains" also comes out.
Years & Years helped launched "New Music Fridays" at the London entertainment retailer HMV store, where long queues formed to make the first purchases under the change.
"When we first started, there were a lot of people talking about us on blogs in the USA, Germany, Indonesia," Emre Turkmen of Years & Years said. "So it makes sense that record releases follow that trend -- the globe rather than nations."
The band have been widely lauded by UK critics, who crowned them as winners of the BBC Sound of List 2015. Their single 'King' went to number one in the UK earlier this year, and the group have just released another track in the form of 'Shine'. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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