Entertainment
Friday on my mind: All new music will be released on the same day soon
The music industry has announced an agreement to release albums worldwide on Fridays, ending divergences among regions that have fueled piracy in an age of instant music. Key groups representing music retailers, record companies and artists said that they would coordinate album releases to go out everywhere each Friday at one minute past midnight, local time. Last night’s decision, after nine months of consultation, is expected to go into effect by summer, according to Frances Moore, chief executive officer of IFPI, the music industry’s global body.
What is absolutely clear is that there is nearly unanimous agreement that a global release date is a good thing.
Frances Moore, chief executive officer of IFPI, the music industry’s global body
Under longstanding traditions, albums are generally released on Monday in Britain and France, Tuesday in the U.S., Wednesday in Japan and Friday in Australia and Germany. The variations have looked increasingly anachronistic amid the rapid growth of digital downloading and more recently streaming, contributing to a black market for albums already out in one region. One source of opposition has been the independent retailers in the U.S, the world’s largest music market, who have supported a global release date — but not on Friday. U.S. retailers generally prefered Tuesday, which would otherwise be a slow day, and which offers ample time for albums to arrive over the weekend.
