On the surface it makes sense. In a global marketplace, shouldn't everyone, everywhere release music on the same day? But the decision – and which day to choose – has been controversial. Agree or not, the single "official" day to release music begins next month.
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The IFPI has announced that the first unified music release day will be on Friday, July 10th, and every Friday thereafter. At one second after midnight, new music will be released simultaneously in 45 countries. Many music charts are also shifting to reflect the change.
Acommpanying the launch is a consumer facing multi-lingual site newmusicfridays.com and a social media campaign @Friday4NewMusic using the hashtag #newmusicfridays aimed at upping public awareness.
But several camps are not making the shift quietly. Some distributors and labels, particularly in the US, are concerned about their ability to restock unexpectedly hot product on a weekend. Others are questioning the need for a unified date in digital world where everything can be available instantly everywhere.
For indie labels and artists, the shift presents both a challenge and perhaps an opportunity. If everyone else is waiting until Friday, why not feed the pipeline with a release early in the week?
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