Gone are the days where artists can release 2 - 3 singles / year, followed by a full-length record every couple years. Largely a result of the meteoric rise in on-demand streaming consumption, fans now expect a continuous stream of new music and content. In the past couple of years, we have worked closely with our clients to outline and implement numerous digital release strategies to roll out new music, whether it be a standalone single, EP, or full-length album - all from our clients' existing Shopify stores.
Here are just a few of the release & marketing strategies that have worked for us:
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Release two instant gratification tracks as a digital pre-order, followed by a full album release. In order to drive more album pre-adds / pre-saves, you can Integrate an album pre-save in the delivery email of the grat tracks.
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Release multiple singles in the weeks leading up to the album release (often called a "waterfall" or "cascading" release strategy). Any fan that pre-orders the digital album will be automatically delivered the tracks on each single release date that the artist sets.
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Release a deluxe version of album in the weeks following an album release (in reality, this can be your full album + a few bonus tracks or alternate versions of tracks). While you would obtain a new UPC for the deluxe album, the artist can submit a merge request to Nielsen so the deluxe UPC counts towards the same chart position as the standard album.
P.S. - why give up 15 - 30% of your digital revenue to direct fans to a platform you don't own, when you could get paid first and only pay 15c / track?
Interested in using your Shopify store to power your next digital release? Check out more info here.
