Harmonization was decided in 2015 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry to provide more readability to consumers. Artists also benefit from it.
You may not know it, but for several years, harmonization has taken place at the global level so that the dozens of new albums expected each week are available on the same day: Friday, just before the weekend.
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Whether you are a fan of the rapper Hornet La Frappe or you follow the career of Marseillais Kid Francescoli, while keeping a fond eye on the career of Kylie Minogue, know that all these artists are releasing their new album on Friday September 22. They have been available since midnight on all platforms and in your favorite stores like dozens of other less high-profile projects.
Harmonize outputs globally
But it was not always so readable. Before 2015, new releases were generally released on Mondays, while the United States favored Tuesdays. Harmonization came from above, from a decision of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), of which the National Union of Phonographic Publishing (Snep) and its general director, Alexandre Lasch, are members. “It was frustrating for the consumer to see that the neighbor had an earlier release date and that he could access the new album of his favorite artist a few days before himself”he believes.
“We all know that cinema releases are on Wednesdays. To think that Fridays are music, that offers an interesting showcase.”
Clarisse Arnou, Yotanka labelat franceinfo
This harmonization on Friday also helps prevent albums released earlier elsewhere in the world from being pirated and illegally posted online before the official release date. This therefore makes it possible to simplify the classifications. “It should also be remembered that the platforms update their editorial playlist on Fridayexplains Clarisse Arnou, manager of the independent label Yotanka. This partly determines the life of labels and releases. Physical album purchases often focus on the weekend, particularly on Saturdays. So it’s more interesting to be on Friday than Monday, like before.”
No obligation to wait until Friday
An important clarification: no one has to wait until Friday. Music superstars largely free themselves from these rules, like many more confidential artists, in order to stand out from the crowd, even if “everyone is interested in it, including emerging artists”according to Alexandre Lasch from Snep. “You are part of the music news so you benefit from the exposure of the big projects that come out at the same time as you”he explains.
However, this does not prevent periods of excess going out, especially at the start of the school year and a few weeks before Christmas, which are harmful for everyone.