When to Announce Your Album Release Date

There are more ways than ever to release an album these days.

Physical. Vinyl. Download only. CD Sampler. EP. Full-length. Double Album.

Some artists are even making cassette tapes and 8-tracks for the vintage/ironic vibe. Some artists are opting for more single releases and holding off on full length albums for years. Some artists are pressing small-batch exclusive editions and re-releases. There’s a lot to think about.

But the biggest piece is that your release should fit your list size + fanbase, your budget and – be planned out, or better yet have a reason.

Some questions to ask:

1. Should you shoot for a tight schedule and announce a release date to your fans far in advance to keep you on track?
2. Is it better to wait and announce a date when the album is ready to go and hold onto it for a few months?
3. Should I release a video first, then the song before the actual album release?
4. Should I do a soft CD release only to my fans (the actual CD) and do a hard release once my fanbase has grown – or for industry?

In an ideal world, you’d have your album recorded, mixed, mastered, pressed and sitting in your apartment with a full tour schedule of stops where your fans have been emailing you for months to come to their town. You’d have a handful of high-profile bloggers on your side who have exclusive tracks and videos to release in a strategic timing. You’d have a budget to have a full band and really do it all out.

But, that is very rarely the case these days! It goes more like this: You can’t afford to press up too many copies, so you’re contemplating a digital release for now; your list is pretty much local and around 400-500 people (of which only 20% open your emails or attend shows). You want to have a show because you have worked so hard to make this love child record, and you over-estimate that everyone you know will come to your release party because you are so excited. Then, anxiety and fear overwhelm you as you wonder how you are going to get your record out there to the masses, or just to 1000 new people — help?!

Some factors to consider:

1. The turnaround time for albums is getting less and less as attention spans shorten. Having a big release every 3 or 4 years might not be enough to keep fans interested or your income flowing.
2. The flip-side is that new people can find your music online at any time. You want to maximize the fan-generating and selling potential of your album for years rather than just a few months. That said, you should do an actively focused campaign pre-release and post release because you want to milk the marketing as long as you can.

Tips for your Big CD Release Night:

If your fanbase is under 1000 (which means MAYBE 10% come to your show – and if you’re in a big city probably less ;( ) – then don’t blow all your money and resources on your show. You want to save your dollars for promotional efforts as in getting the word out and growing your fanbase. (Facebook ads are great and better than hiring a publicist – particularly if your social media numbers are low!)

Consider a Meet and Greet for everyone before your show where you connect with your guests and share a (fake) cocktail (no drinking pre-show says my voice coach advice ;)) Have free pizza or an open bar or cocktail for the 30 minutes pre show to get fans down.

Plan Events Before and After Show for your VIP Super fans – for those fans who funded your record or are always shouting out about you (super fans), do something special after the show just for them. Plan a post show party or dinner party to hang with your tribe!! They’ll love you for it.

Release Date Tips:

You know how some dates just sound better than others? It’s traditional to release on a Tuesday, but it’s less and less the norm. Ideally, you’ll find a memorable date (the 1st of the month is always strong) that hits on a Tuesday. But if not, choose a date that means something to you.

The month of January is a date that emerging bands pick because this is the month that the fewest albums are released – so yours can be front and center. Lana Del Rey and Adele both released their last albums in January.

But what about when it just can’t get done and you are behind schedule?

Fans are way more understanding than you think (and let’s face it – they have lives and other things they’re more concerned about than your album!). That said – if you do have to delay for any reason, be gracious and make sure you can make the second announced date. Give yourself some leeway to account for other snags. Pushing back the date twice looks unprofessional. You don’t want to lose trust from fans or people in the industry with their eye on what you’re doing.

Like so many things in the music industry today – rules are out the window! Notice what has worked for you in the past and don’t follow a standard release model just because it’s what “you’re supposed to do.” Be creative. Push the envelope. Make something brag-worthy.

How far in advance do you announce an album release date? How did you deal with having to push one back? Have you tried an alternate release model and did it work for you? Start the conversation in the comments below!

©2013 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.