The 'Singles' Scene
Division band meeting last night which meant a lot of administrative stuff, some jockeying for action items, reviewing schedules, etc. The interesting part was the philosophy discussion on marketing a band's release schedule in the modern, digital age. There are two conflicting views. Let me explain both.
First, the traditional album (or CD or cassette) model; go into the studio, record 10-12 songs and release them as an entire album with flow, potential an underlying theme and maybe even a story that weaves all the songs together.
Second, release songs as they're completed, one at a time or in smaller groups, so that they become more easily accessible and the band stays on the charts or in the minds of fans more consistently.
The problem with the first model is that fans who want to buy the song that they love must buy the disc. The proponents of digital distribution call this the "two good songs cost you $17 at Best Buy" model. The issue with the latter model is that the band becomes a singles band. The album flow is gone (and Noodles argued that it has been dying since CD's were released and people could skip songs without effort). The band may release three songs at a time, but (as Mike pointed out), going back and listening, the band repeatedly writes the same three or very similar songs.
There is a happy medium between the two models and that's where Division is at the moment. We'll be researching and experimenting with different distribution models until we have our happy hybrid approach. We'll also be playing live @ JAXX Nightclub with Evergrey on May 27th. That's going to be a lot of fun.
So, from all that discussion, here's today's question. Did you ever buy an album or a cassette and listen to it for a specific song? I'm guessing you have. If you listened to a few songs to get up to the one you were hoping to hear, did any of those other songs become your favorite later on?
If the answer is yes, I'd love to hear specifics (and so would the proponents of the album model). Stay tuned this week for a guest you won't want to miss.
One love,
nK
First, the traditional album (or CD or cassette) model; go into the studio, record 10-12 songs and release them as an entire album with flow, potential an underlying theme and maybe even a story that weaves all the songs together.
Second, release songs as they're completed, one at a time or in smaller groups, so that they become more easily accessible and the band stays on the charts or in the minds of fans more consistently.
The problem with the first model is that fans who want to buy the song that they love must buy the disc. The proponents of digital distribution call this the "two good songs cost you $17 at Best Buy" model. The issue with the latter model is that the band becomes a singles band. The album flow is gone (and Noodles argued that it has been dying since CD's were released and people could skip songs without effort). The band may release three songs at a time, but (as Mike pointed out), going back and listening, the band repeatedly writes the same three or very similar songs.
There is a happy medium between the two models and that's where Division is at the moment. We'll be researching and experimenting with different distribution models until we have our happy hybrid approach. We'll also be playing live @ JAXX Nightclub with Evergrey on May 27th. That's going to be a lot of fun.
So, from all that discussion, here's today's question. Did you ever buy an album or a cassette and listen to it for a specific song? I'm guessing you have. If you listened to a few songs to get up to the one you were hoping to hear, did any of those other songs become your favorite later on?
If the answer is yes, I'd love to hear specifics (and so would the proponents of the album model). Stay tuned this week for a guest you won't want to miss.
One love,
nK
Labels: album, Best Buy, cassette, CD, digital, Division, Evergrey, Jaxx, nK
