Edmwarriors Team
In the ever-evolving music industry, the best day to release music has been a lot and that leads to confusion in most artists. Choosing the best day to release music is as crucial as the music itself. That is why everyone wants to make sure that their music is heard by the most amount of people worldwide so that they can propel their music career.
But which day exactly has become the best day to release your music? Well, that question might have more than 1 answer as it has been shifting for a while.
Since 2015, however, one day has solidified its place as the best day to release your songs, giving artists a major advantage if they release on that day.
It’s towards the end of the week and to be more specific - the end of the workweek.
The best day to release music is Friday.
You might be asking yourselves why artists prefer to release their music towards the end of the workweek.
That is the case for several reasons:
Firstly, the tracking of sales on Billboard starts on Friday and ends on Thursday, thus resulting in updated charts each Friday every week on the platform;
Secondly, Friday is the day when streaming services update their catalogs with new tracks. In this way, there will be more music for people to listen to over the weekend when they have the most free time;
Lastly, Friday has become the norm and tradition and many artists don’t wanna break it.
Even though choosing the best day to release your new tracks might be tricky, it is as important as creating your music. That is because areas like music exposure, chart potential on platforms like Billboard, and audience engagement are at stake.
In this article, we will give you all the reasons why Friday has become the best day to release music, how you can capitalize on that, and how you can work around this trend for the best results.
The Evolution of Best Release Days: From Tuesday to Friday
At first in the United States, the day that everyone would release music was Tuesday. It was a tradition that lasted for a long time.
The main problem with that, however, was that other countries would release music either on Friday or on Monday.
This phenomenon resulted in a surge of piracy, as individuals from non-U.S. regions would acquire music ahead of official release dates and exploit it for personal gain. By uploading it to piracy platforms, they eliminated the necessity for fans across the globe to patiently await the scheduled release dates of their favorite artists. This would also mean that listeners could effortlessly enjoy new, unreleased tracks without any cost.
While piracy is no longer as big of a concern, the question remains as to why more artists don’t release music on any other day than Friday. After all, that could help them get away from the competition.
The answer to that question could be looked at in 3 different aspects. It is also the reason why back in 2015 artists started releasing their music exclusively on Friday.
1.Billboard Updates Its Charts and Tracks Sales From Friday to Thursday
To artists who know how important the release day of their music is, choosing Friday becomes second nature. That is not only because people have more free time to listen to music on that day and the weekend, but also because Billboard tracks sales from Friday to Thursday.
So, everyone who releases music on Friday has a full week in which Billboard tracks sales to their songs. Each sale contributes to an artist’s chart position on the platform. That is of crucial importance for anyone who aims to reach the industry’s top rankings.
If a musician chooses to release their song or album on any other day of the week, he/she will not be getting the most out of Billboard’s sales data. That way the chances of securing a top spot on the charts will be majorly decreased. Not to mention that there are radio stations that have their Top 40 Countdown shows on Friday. So, a release on any other day would minimize an artist’s chances of being added to those playlists.
You also have to keep in mind that even if you release your songs on Friday, there is no guarantee that they will end up on the charts. But, you guarantee yourself that a lot of attention will be brought to your music, and that will propel your music career.
2.Streaming Services Update Their Catalogs With New Music on Friday
One of the most important reasons why Friday has become the best day to release music is because of streaming services - Spotify and Apple Music create and update music playlists where they feature new tracks every week on that day.
By doing this, they give artists a great opportunity to capitalize on Friday and release their latest songs to get a feature from Spotify or Apple!
Playlists like “New Music Friday” are a golden opportunity for artists to release their hits as they are direct ways to reach potential fans who are looking for new music and are exploring music taste.
When artists and labels release music on Friday, they make sure to get maximum exposure for their songs to the most amount of people. Another additional benefit of releasing on that day is catching the most social media traffic to their songs over the weekend. The reason for this is because Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the days when most people usually don’t work and have more free time to listen to music.
Because of all the factors mentioned above, if artists choose another day for their music release, they are likely to miss out on an opportunity to get featured on the updated playlists and that would ensure that they lose all benefits connected to that day and give their competitors a major advantage.
3. Breaking Tradition: Experimenting With Release Days Other Than Friday
Even though the music industry is ever-changing and music release days may change in the future, there are traditions that stem from a long time ago.
From the initial establishment of Tuesday as the official music release day in the US to its transition to Friday in 2015, we will most likely see more changes in the future.
Even though Friday has solidified its status, some artists are actively experimenting with new release strategies. More of them are choosing Tuesday as their go-to day to release their tracks. This is a great strategy as they give themselves a great chance to dodge a lot of major label competitor releases on Friday and an opportunity for their songs to top the charts on Billboard or be featured on playlists. Additionally, Tuesday is the day when new movies are released. So by releasing tracks on Tuesday, artists could generate more hype for their music from people who happen to come across their songs.
This, however, is a more logical strategy for independent artists, as they can decide when to release their music more freely. Choosing different release days helps them align with their unique goals and it also helps with promotional strategies and audience dynamics.
Opportunity For Both Artists And Listeners On Friday
As mentioned earlier, streaming services provide artists with a great opportunity to get their latest songs featured on their weekly updated playlists, thus resulting in a reach to new listeners.
However, that doesn’t only benefit music creators, but also people who discover new music from lesser-known or unheard singers and labels. They may stumble upon their new favorite artist or band and may become loyal fans.
So, by following the Friday tradition, the benefits go to both parties, not to mention that the whole process is driven by algorithms that have made discovering music easier than ever.
Other Factors That Come Into Play When Choosing the Best Day for Music Release
When artists contemplate what the best day to release their songs is, factors other than tradition and streaming schedules also come into play.
They should also consider:
Their genre - For example, party anthems are most likely to find the most relevant audience of listeners if dropped on Thursdays to hype up the pre-weekend anticipation, contemplative tunes might resonate more deeply if released on a Sunday when listeners are winding down and getting ready for the upcoming workweek and workout songs can be dropped on Mondays or Tuesdays when people are generally very productive;
Season of release - Summertime hits may find their groove in spring, while wintertime tracks have to be released in fall to catch the most traffic;
Target audience - The demographic that will listen to the artist’s music is very important because it gives them a step in the right direction to release the most relevant songs for the listeners.
For the best navigation about when to release your tracks, you can hire a professional publicist.
Strategies Beyond All The Best Day To Release Music: Building Momentum
Choosing the right day for release is towards the end of the production process. Successful music releases demand planning, quality music production, and strategic promotion before and after release. It’s not just about releasing, it’s about creating a buzz that spreads across social media, playlists, and the hearts of listeners.
Strategic promotional efforts extend beyond the release day. Artists have to leverage the power of social media, influencers, and collaborative partnerships to sustain momentum. Engaging visuals, teasers, great album artwork, and behind-the-scenes glimpses can build up hype and anticipation amongst the audience leading up to the release day.
If you want additional help with quality music production you can browse our quality music tracks and pick out the best one for your music project.
The Best Day to Release Music Is the Day When Everything Is Ready
A lot of artists can’t get a consistent release schedule to work for them because they often forget to consider other aspects related to their music, such as promotion, artwork, and others.
Before you release your songs, just remember this golden rule: Make sure that everything related to your music is ready. Achieving this is most effectively accomplished by a well-structured plan and executing each task on time.
Conclusion: The Best Day To Release Music
At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best day to release music is a decision, influenced by industry standards, streaming service dynamics, Billboard charts, and the artist’s unique vision.
As you embark on your musical journey, consider the tracks that resonate best with your audience and the strategies that ensure that your music finds its rightful place in the hearts of listeners.
Whether you embrace the Friday music release tradition to secure your spot on the Billboard charts and get featured on streaming platform playlists or experiment with different days to release your songs, it is up to you.
For more information that can help propel your music career and give you an edge over your competitors, you can check out our Academy which is full of resources and knowledge in the music industry.