As an artist, the way in which you current and distribute your music can impression success as a lot because the songwriting itself. That’s why it’s essential to know easy methods to leverage every sort of launch format to construct and have interaction your viewers.
On this weblog, we’ll break down the variations between a single, EP, and album that can assist you determine how and when to launch every. We’ll focus on causes to think about each format and offer you some actionable tricks to optimize your launch technique.
Why launch format nonetheless issues within the streaming period
Streaming could have modified how followers uncover and eat music, however the way you bundle your releases nonetheless issues.
As we speak’s listeners uncover and take heed to music in additional fragmented methods. From creating sharable playlists of disparate singles to discovering hooks by way of short-form video content material, it’s a stark distinction to the times of taking an opportunity on a brand new CD or vinyl and listening by way of on one sitting.
Buying new followers and constructing momentum requires a mixture of launch codecs—utilizing singles to seize consideration, open up alternatives and construct momentum, then utilizing EPs and albums to deepen the connection and strengthen your fanbase. Understanding the variations between every format helps you launch and promote your music extra successfully.
What’s a single?
A single consists of 1 to 2 tracks (often only one) and runs underneath 10 minutes complete. It’s the oldest format for distributing music. First offered on wax cylinders and brittle shellac discs and finally on sturdier vinyl. This was merely out of necessity, as the bounds of early disc-cutting know-how prevented distributors from printing a couple of music per facet.
It was the rock revolution of the Fifties that solidified the 45 rpm (revolutions per minute), 7-inch single’s standing in music historical past. After the format’s introduction by RCA Victor in 1949, the shortly rising teenage demographic started snapping up 45s at a gentle clip as a consequence of their portability.
Why launch a single?
Singles are an effective way to check new materials, have interaction your fanbase, and construct momentum towards a bigger launch. Singles are additionally an effective way to realize an algorithmic enhance, by staying lively with extra frequent releases.
Ideas for releasing a single:
Releasing a single could seem simple, however with a lot new music hitting platforms day-after-day, it pays to be intentional. Listed below are some key ideas to assist your single stand out, attain the proper listeners, and construct momentum for future releases.
Make every single really feel like an occasion:
- Cowl Artwork: Create a number of codecs of your cowl artwork for merch, social posts, and a movement model for Spotify Canvas or Apple Movement Artwork.
- Story: Establish the story inside your single that makes it stand out. Whether or not it’s concerning the writing course of, the lyrics, or the instrumentation, create a story which you could reference in press pitches and inside your up to date bio.
- Video: Document a music video on your monitor. Assume past the long-form, conventional music video to incorporate short-form content material as nicely.
- Premiere: Set up a cross-channel premiere for the day your monitor goes stay. Purpose to debut your monitor in a number of codecs, from an in-person launch present to a Q+A article about your monitor.
Optimize your metadata for discovery:
- Observe title: Create a singular and memorable title on your monitor so followers can simply discover it
- Style: Present correct genres/subgenres in addition to “seems like” references (if relevant) to assist platforms place your music.
- Paintings: Together with your title and monitor title in your cowl artwork could make it extra memorable and findable for followers.
Pitch to playlisters and journalists:
- Pitch to Spotify Playlists: Spotify has a variety of official playlists with hundreds of thousands of devoted followers. You may pitch your launch for consideration with at the least 7 days discover.
- Pitch to Unbiased Curators: Apart from official playlists, Spotify has a powerful group of impartial curators who’re all the time on the lookout for extra underneath the radar music. However watch out to keep away from fraudulent playlists!
- Pitch to journalists: Create a press launch with an up to date artist bio and images to pitch journalists on premiering and/or reviewing your single.
What’s an EP?
An “prolonged play” launch (EP) consists of 3-6 songs and runs between 10-Half-hour. Whereas it’s extra cohesive than a set of singles, an EP remains to be shorter than an album. Since their introduction in 1948, the EP has seen intervals of decline and resurgence all through historical past.
Why launch an EP?
An EP is a brilliant, versatile launch format that serves a number of functions. For rising artists, it’s a pure subsequent step after releasing a single: lengthy sufficient to showcase your sound and attraction to at the moment’s short-attention span listenership, whereas being extra inexpensive than an album. For established acts, an EP can bridge the hole between full-length tasks, providing followers B-sides, remixes, or unreleased tracks to remain engaged. And since there are not any strict guidelines, an EP additionally provides you area to experiment, whether or not that’s stay recordings, collaborations, or songs that didn’t match on an album however nonetheless need to be heard.
Ideas for releasing an EP:
An EP is a wonderful follow-up to a single launch. With a shorter runtime than an album, it retains the eye of latest listeners whereas leaving followers wanting extra – in a great way. Listed below are a number of ideas for releasing your subsequent EP.
Construct hype with a waterfall launch: You may construct anticipation and lengthen the impression of your EP by dropping singles forward of the particular launch.
Promote prefer it’s an album: Deal with your EP like an album. You may lean into the world, visuals, and themes on the next stage than a single launch.
Schedule a small tour across the EP: Chew dimension albums include chew dimension excursions! In case you’re on the lookout for a solution to promote in-person, there’s nothing higher than scheduling a 3-4 present run round your area.
What’s an album?
An album comprises seven or extra tracks, usually exceeding Half-hour in size. It’s meant to be a whole creative assertion, showcasing a cohesive physique of labor that displays an artist’s imaginative and prescient, sound, and progress. Albums usually symbolize a milestone in an artist’s profession and are used to inform a broader story or discover an idea in depth.
Why launch an album?
Regardless of the predominance of singles in at the moment’s streaming and social media tradition, albums are nonetheless a necessary launch format for artists to construct their id and inform a narrative. Albums function milestones in an artists profession and are sometimes the top of promotion with regards to output.
Ideas for releasing an album
In case you’re getting ready to launch an album, first off, congratulations. That’s a big achievement and an incredible milestone in your profession. Listed below are some methods to make sure your album arrives to an engaged fanbase that’s able to take it excessive – from sharing it with associates to exhibiting as much as your exhibits and shopping for your merch.
Plan months forward: Not like a single or shorter EP, albums want time to plan to make sure success. Plan for at the least a months’ value of promotion, together with press outreach, video content material, visuals, and promotional occasions.
Contemplate monitor order and music circulation: You may guarantee your album seems like a coherent physique of labor fairly than a mixtape by listening again to tracks and analyzing the transitions to optimize your monitor order. In a straight-through pay attention, an album ought to circulation seamlessly.
Pitch press: Press protection remains to be essential for album promotion. Replace your digital press package (EPK) with particulars in your album then ship it out to music journalists who’ve coated comparable artists. Optimistic quotes and bylines can go a good distance in propelling your popularity and recognition.
Which format is best for you?
For brand new artists, releasing a single is commonly the best solution to entice listeners. Since full albums are more durable to realize traction with early on, singles act as a low-barrier entry level—a simple method for followers to find your sound. When you’ve constructed a small however rising viewers, you’ll be able to broaden into an EP, then finally a full-length album.
For extra established acts, singles play a unique however equally essential position. A standard technique is the “waterfall launch,” the place you drop a number of tracks from an upcoming EP or album forward of the complete launch. This helps re-engage your viewers, construct momentum, and provides every monitor its personal second to shine whereas constructing pleasure for an album.
Finally, your launch technique ought to align along with your funds, timeline, and objectives. Singles are quicker and cheaper to supply, making them excellent for frequent releases or testing new sounds. Albums, alternatively, are higher suited to artists with a longtime fanbase and longer timeline for recording, releasing, and selling.
Key Takeaways: Selecting the Proper Launch Format
Whether or not you drop a single, EP, or album usually comes all the way down to your output, funds, objectives, and timeline. Contemplate the next when selecting a launch format.
- New artists: Begin with singles to develop your fanbase progressively.
- Constructing momentum: EPs are an incredible bridge between singles and full-length work and construct in momentum.
- Established artists: Use singles and waterfall releases to create hype round EPs and albums
- Price range-conscious? Singles require much less money and time than albums, until you’re notably quick within the studio.
- Have a backlog of songs? Frequent single drops preserve content material flowing. Or think about an EP which might function a mixtape and doesn’t want a coherent story throughout songs.
- Prepared for an announcement piece? Albums are perfect for deep creative expression and storytelling.
On a really excessive stage, right here’s how one can method every launch format:
Singles are finest for debut artists seeking to develop or established artists seeking to keep lively. Singles are quick and simple to churn out, making them excellent for fan acquisition and experimentation to be taught what sort of songs resonate along with your fanbase.
An EP is a wonderful bridge between codecs, providing creating artists a solution to capitalize on their progress and provides followers a extra full image of their sound. For extra developed artists, EPs will be helpful experiments, mixtapes, or one-offs that drive engagement. Many established artists generally bundle a brand new single with older b-sides, stay tracks, or covers to bulk up a launch.
An album is a heavy raise, however it’s finest at capturing an artist’s sound and concepts in a sure time interval. From a promotion standpoint, it’s finest to launch albums on the heels of singles so your launch is met with anticipation and pleasure. Making an attempt to advertise an album after it drops — with none lead singles, is a tough process.
Conclusion
Utilizing quite a lot of launch codecs over time may help you construct and keep momentum at strategic factors in your profession. Whereas singles are a simple solution to acquire new followers and activate your programmed viewers, EPs and albums are important milestones in capturing a artistic interval of concepts, inspiration, and themes.
You may method singles distinctly, like bricks for constructing your sound, or use them to tease out an upcoming long-form undertaking. It’s a freedom of at the moment’s streaming panorama which you could method launch codecs in a fluid method. Launch singles to compile them later or launch an album to observe it up with various variations in singles. It’s as much as you to seek out what resonates along with your viewers and feels fulfilling.
Need assistance releasing your subsequent undertaking? CD Child makes it straightforward to distribute singles, EPs, and albums to each main platform.
