Today’s Big Question: how often should you, a musician working on gaining momentum, building an audience, and otherwise filling your big head full of steam, be releasing music?
The article from Two Story Melody, “How Often Should I Release Music?”, delves into the nuances of music release frequency and strategy for artists aiming to build momentum and engage audiences. The author, drawing from personal experience, emphasizes that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the optimal frequency of releasing music.
The key is maintaining a semi-regular release schedule to keep the audience engaged and prevent them from forgetting about the artist.
The author shares experiences with two different albums released under their pseudonym, The Wirelight. The first album, “Megaturquoise,” followed a three-month promotion of single releases, while the second album, “The Perils of Small Mining,” had a twelve-month promotion with more spread-out single releases.
Both strategies were moderately successful in terms of streaming numbers and audience engagement, though neither led to superstardom. The author suggests that the extended promotion cycle, or “slow drip” method, seemed more effective for maintaining engagement with the music and the audience.
The article discusses two primary models for releasing music: the Album Model and the Singles Model. The Album Model, used for “Megaturquoise,” involved a traditional approach with PR and digital marketing, culminating in the album release after a period of promoting singles.
The Singles Model, used for “The Perils of Small Mining,” involved releasing individual songs over an extended period to maintain constant engagement on social media and with the audience.
The rationale for frequent releases, especially for lesser-known artists, is that sudden, surprise album releases are generally effective only for highly recognized artists. Regular releases help in retaining audience attention. The article argues that ten-song albums are no longer critical or even relevant in the industry today. Instead, releasing a series of songs without the need to compile them into an album can be more effective.
Consistent self-promotion and marketing of new songs are essential for growing an audience. Regular releases keep the artist in the public’s mind and can lead to algorithmic advantages on platforms like Spotify.
The article also highlights the importance of engaging in various activities like live shows, social media engagement, and merchandise sales to support musical output.
In conclusion, for artists not yet famous, releasing songs regularly and consistently can be more advantageous than waiting for large album releases. The article references Ari Hest’s project “52” from 2008, where he released a new single every week for a year, leading to significant success and recognition later in his career.
Source: How Often Should I Release Music? | Two Story Melody
