Standardised release day for new music looks to cut piracy

A new worldwide standard will change the release day for new music in the U.S. from Tuesday to Friday.

In an effort by the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) -- the global representative of the recording industry -- to minimize illegal downloading in the era of digital music and "unify all new music release days worldwide," it will implement New Music Fridays starting July 10.

Historically, new music was released to fans on different days in different countries -- France and the U.K. hosted Monday releases; Canada and the U.S., Tues.; and Australia and Germany, Fri.

In a statement, IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said New Music Fridays "is about getting new music to fans at the same time they most want to enjoy it, whether in physical stores or online. It's also an opportunity to recreate excitement around the release of music -- the message is 'Think Friday, Think New Music.'"

The global release day is also a means to minimize the allure of piracy by releasing new music everywhere at the same time. Moore explained that it will help "artists, labels and retailers by limiting the time between releases in different countries and thus narrowing the gap on piracy."

New Music Fridays is largely embraced by industry leaders like Concord Music Group, Entertainment Retailers Association, Warner Recorded Music, Sony Music, Music Biz, Universal Music Group and more. However, some independent labels in the U.S. and elsewhere, according to sources, didn't believe Friday was the ideal day of the week.

Digital Music News reports that some independent labels, like the U.K.'s Beggars Group and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) were less than enthusiastic about the change.

"Whilst I acknowledge the needs of a digital world for coordination, it seems to me to be crazy to throw away one of the trading week's two peaks, and the ability to re-stock and rectify errors before the week's second peak," Beggars Group founder Martin Mills said, according to DMN.

A2IM shared similar sentiments, saying although it supports a "Global Street Date," a series of "business reasons" make Fridays "less than an optimal date for the United States marketplace and Independents in particular."

A manager from Canadian record label Paper Bag Records told CBC news that "Friday was a weird day."

Dina Young continued to say that her company doesn't even release press releases that day "because we get less clickthroughs. And Fridays, I don't think, have traditionally been a great day to have a track premier."

Although opinions about New Music Friday vary, the fact is that it will most likely become the new normal. Some of the first artists to release new music on the designated day are Owl City, Tyrese and Veruca Salt.