Music Industry Moves Album Releases to Friday

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced that the release day of music albums will move to Fridays worldwide. The change will take effect this summer.

Beyonce’s self-titled surprise album in December 2013 that was released on a Friday helped spark the discussion about changing the release day. For the U.S. and the U.K., albums are usually released on Tuesdays and Mondays, respectively. By having the release day be the same worldwide, the IFPI hopes this will help decrease piracy. Currently, since music is released on different days in various countries, many illegally download albums when they are not available in their country yet. A study the IFPI conducted also found that consumers prefer music to be released on Fridays or Saturdays.

“Music fans live in the digital world of today,” IFPI CEO Frances Moore wrote. “Their love for new music doesn’t recognise national borders. They want music when it’s available on the internet — not when it’s ready to be released in their country. An aligned global release day puts an end to the frustration of not being able to access releases in their country when the music is available in another country.”

“Friday and Saturday are the days of highest footfall in physical retail stores and the highest levels of purchasing traffic online,” Moore added. “It’s also the time of greatest activity on social media, helping amplify the buzz around new releases everywhere. And the weekend is a time for greater spontaneous purchasing.”

“Inevitably a global project involving more than 50 countries is not going to make every stakeholder in every country happy,” Moore remarked about critics of the change. “There will be upheaval for some, no doubt. However, the truth is that there has been no credible alternative to a Friday proposed that would work at the global level.

“More than ever, the music industry has become global, and we represent international companies marketing international acts in multiple markets,” RIAA chairman and CEO Cary Sherman said in a statement. “Geographic lines are often irrelevant to digital marketing strategies and fans’ expectations of instant access to their favorite music. This change will be good for fans and good for the business.”