Is albums a thing of the past?

[skoora]

amen.

i’m so over modern pop and metal i’d take this any day (tele solo at the end

Farnham, as technically good as he is, really reinforces the right singer for the right song and Glenn Shorrock just owns this.

 

[VonBonfire]

amen.

i’m so over modern pop and metal i’d take this any day (tele solo at the end

Damn, they sound great! That vocalist is a straight ace and the harmonies are pure money. Thanks for sharing this mentoneman!

 

[stratjacket]

As a consumer, I prefer bands release full albums. I like to put it on while I’m working or in the car. I like checking out the full band. This still works for established bands and with touring they can keep the attention on the album.

As an independent guy releasing music, if I release an album, it takes longer to make and any momentum it gets is quickly gone. Releasing singles regularly can keep a steady momentum. Then just make playlists out of them so someone can still listen to all your music kind of like an album.

I use Chartmetric which gives good stats across all social media streams, playlists, etc…
As an example, here is Michael Neilsen’s release he did a couple months ago. The month he released it, it had some traction but month 2 it quickly started to fall away. His album has 15 tracks and probably took a while to make. I think it would have been better to release 1 song per month for 15 months, but just my opinion. Obviously he wanted to do a full album and I admire that.

But as a small band or a lone guy, I think it makes sense to release singles at a steady pace. Maybe once you build enough momentum and regular streams then switch to full albums especially if you can tour.

 

[VonBonfire]

But as a small band or a lone guy, I think it makes sense to release singles at a steady pace. Maybe once you build enough momentum and regular streams then switch to full albums especially if you can tour.

Thanks for a well thought out post. Just not sure if the blues market would respond as well to regular singles vs albums. Some of the blues rags review albums but won't review anything less than a full length. I was thinking about releasing a single or two in the months ahead of the record to build some interest and then submit the album for review. I guess it will depend on the $ I have to work with and the timing I am able to accomplish the music. I think I am going to at least give mastering in-house a shot this time so maybe a single would be a good place to try it before using it on an entire record.

 

[stratjacket]

Thanks for a well thought out post. Just not sure if the blues market would respond as well to regular singles vs albums. Some of the blues rags review albums but won't review anything less than a full length. I was thinking about releasing a single or two in the months ahead of the record to build some interest and then submit the album for review. I guess it will depend on the $ I have to work with and the timing I am able to accomplish the music. I think I am going to at least give mastering in-house a shot this time so maybe a single would be a good place to try it before using it on an entire record.

Well the great news is there’s no “right” way. If you want to release an album or just singles or YouTube videos or whatever, just go for it and have fun doing it. Ignore those who will cast shadows, it’s hard to build something and easy to tear it down.