Music Industry Agrees On Friday As Global New Release Day

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) — a British umbrella organisation for the countless heads of the global music-industry beast — has announced that a previously speculated global weekly new release day of Friday will come into effect later this year in markets such as the US and UK.

The introduction of a unified street date for the world's music markets wouldn't have a directly noticeable impact on Australia, as Friday is already the historic release day for new music Down Under, but will have big ramifications for the British and American markets, where albums are released on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

The primary driving factor for the introduction of the single global release day is to curb piracy; in countries such as Australia, where albums can be released a few days before they hit shelves abroad, it's not uncommon for pirated versions of new works to appear for illegal download before they are available in other nations, which — duh — ups the incentive for people to torrent things they probably would have bought had they had immediate, unrestricted access.

"Music fans live in the digital world of today," IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said in a statement that the suits in Australia's TV industry could really afford to read.

"Their love for new music doesn't recognise national borders. They want music when it's available on the internet — not when it's ready to be released in their country.

"An aligned global release day puts an end to the frustration of not being able to access releases in their country when the music is available in another country."

Additionally, the new unified date will, according to the IFPI, "reignite excitement and a sense of occasion around the release of new music", heightening the ability of artists to capitalise on social media interaction and indicating through included research that consumers had said they would be more likely to buy new music at the weekend.

Although the response from industry bodies and organisations has been largely positive, there have been concerns expressed from some smaller businesses who fear the unified street date will unfairly benefit major labels, though the way in which that will happen isn't immediately obvious.

As Billboard reports, the chairman of Beggars Group — a UK-based indie — Martin Mills conveyed his qualms thus: "I fear this move will … lead to a market in which the mainstream dominates, and the niche, which can be tomorrow's mainstream, is further marginalised. I fear it will further cement the dominance of the few — and that is exactly what it is intended to do."

However, Moore, the IFPI, and several other vocal supporters of the move to Friday maintain that it is the least of all evils, and the most widely agreeable uniform release day to juggle the needs and wants of disparate, fluid global markets.

"Moving a whole industry to a global release day involves big challenges," Moore said. "Inevitably a global project involving more than 50 countries is not going to make every stakeholder in every country happy. There will be upheaval for some, no doubt. However, the truth is that there has been no credible alternative to a Friday proposed that would work at the global level.

"Looking ahead, I think this is an exciting moment for the international music business. This is artists and labels thinking smart, thinking of the future, and, above all, thinking of their consumers.

"I’m delighted we’ve been able to come together and make this announcement. It’s now time to move on and implement Global Release Friday."