Record industry moves towards global release day

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is expected to announce that singles and albums hoping to enter charts are to be released on Fridays all round the world.

While Friday is already release day in Australia, Germany and other countries, it’s traditionally been Monday in the UK and Tuesday in North America.

The IFPI hope a global release day will capture increased sales as a result of trade being more busy as the weekend begins.

Boss Frances Moore tells Music Week: “The whole dynamic of the global release day consultation has been driven by one thing and one thing only – how best to serve the music consumer.

“We’ve had a long consultation involving retailers, artists and record labels. No one has seriously questioned the concept; the only debate has been about the day.”

She accepts that some people don’t want the day in question t to be Friday but argues: “That’s not surprising. It would be very surprising if a project like this, involving over 50 national markets, didn’t lead to some objections.”

But Martin Mills, boss of Beggars Group, believes the IFPI have ignored the requirements of small and independent labels. He says: “While I acknowledge the needs of a digital world for co-ordination, 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.

“I fear their consultation has been a charade, and the market leaders were always going to push this through.”

An official announcement is expected in the near future.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.