Why Tyler, The Creator's Chromakopia Could Change How Artists Release Music
by Brendan H. • Oct 27, 2024
Why Tyler, The Creator's Chromakopia Could Influencer How Artists Release Music
Last week, Tyler, the Creator announced that his seventh solo album, Chromokapia, is set to drop on Monday, October 28, 2024. Yep, a Monday. This raised some eyebrows because, as most music fans know, Friday is typically the big day for album releases. Every Friday at midnight, streaming services refresh with a flood of new albums and singles. It's industry standard.
But Tyler has always been one to break the mold. From his days as the brash, loudmouth leader of Odd Future to becoming a Grammy-winning artist, he's built his career on doing things his way. And he's been ahead of time in more ways than one.
So, could this Monday release be a signal that the industry is about to shift? And how might that impact indie artists looking to get heard amidst the usual Friday chaos?
Let's dive in and explore what this could mean.
How Friday Became the Industry's Go-To Release Day
To understand why Fridays dominate the release calendar, we need to look back. For decades, U.S. record labels dropped new music on Tuesdays. This timing was strategic—releasing on a Tuesday allowed for maximum sales over the weekend, as fans could hear the songs on the radio and buy them in stores during the week.
The pressure increased in the 1980s when Billboard started publishing its weekly charts on Wednesdays. Record labels needed their new releases in stores by Tuesday to qualify for chart positions. This solidified Tuesday's status as the official release day.
Then came 2015, when the music scene made a major switch. The industry decided to ditch the Tuesday releases in the U.S. and Monday releases in the U.K. in favor of a global release day—Friday! This change was primarily influenced by the explosion of digital music and the ongoing battle against piracy.
Here's what was happening: Fans around the world were getting new music at different times. Some could buy it on Mondays, while others had to wait until Friday. This created a loophole where fans in countries with earlier release days could scoop up the music, upload it to piracy sites, and share it for free before it even hit stores in other regions. You can imagine how much that cost labels and artists—not to mention the confusion it created in chart rankings. By choosing Friday as a universal release day, the industry aimed to close these gaps and simplify things.
While some folks weren't thrilled about the change, the new Friday release strategy quickly caught on and became the standard we know today.
Why Artists Continue to Release on Fridays Today
With the rise of streaming, piracy concerns and retail logistics are less of a worry than they used to be. So why do most artists continue to release their music on Fridays?
The answer boils down to two key factors: chart performance and streaming visibility.
1. Charting
Releasing music on a Friday gives artists the best shot at climbing the charts. Billboard tracks sales from Friday to Thursday each week, so a Friday release means their album or single gets tracked for a full seven days. This gives them maximum exposure during the crucial first week.
However, if you release music on a Monday, only four days (Monday through Thursday) count for that week's chart performance. By dropping on a Friday, artists ensure their music gets a full week of streaming, sales, and radio play to boost their chances of hitting a higher chart position.
Hitting the charts is more than just a nice accolade—it can bring extra attention to an artist's work. For example, when Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" hit No. 1, it became a major news story, which helped boost its success even further.
For labels, chart success can also serve as a benchmark for performance. Labels often aim for a solid debut to gain market share and secure bragging rights, with some releases carefully timed to dominate the charts by releasing videos, singles, and radio plays in the same week. From Friday to Thursday, it's all about maximizing consumption and making a splash on the charts.
2. Streaming (playlist placements)
With the modern streaming era, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have become the gatekeepers and tastemakers of the music world. Getting featured on their playlists is crucial for gaining traction. And since most artists release on Fridays, these platforms update their major playlists—like New Music Friday and Hot Tracks—on that day.
If an artist releases music earlier in the week, say on a Monday or Tuesday, it can get overlooked when those Friday updates roll out. This incentivizes artists to drop their projects on Fridays, increasing their chances of being featured on these popular playlists. A song landing on New Music Friday or Best of the Week playlists can drive significant traction from the start, making it a more successful release day overall.
In short, releasing on Fridays aligns with streaming platforms' schedules, giving artists a better shot at visibility and immediate attention from listeners.
The Challenge of Friday Releases for Indie Artists
Independent artists have always faced an uphill battle for visibility, and releasing music on Fridays can make it even harder. With major releases flooding the market, smaller artists can easily get lost in the crowd.
Tyler, the Creator, although a well-established artist, understands this dilemma. His decision to drop music on a Monday mirrors the strategy of indie artists who aim to avoid the oversaturation of Friday releases. Tyler explained his reasoning: "If you put it out during the week, that commute to work or school—those are the moments when people can really dive in and listen."
In a world where attention spans are shrinking, releasing music midweek, when listeners have fewer distractions, can help tracks stand out. For indie artists, this off-cycle approach may be the key to breaking through the noise of mainstream releases.
Why Indie Artists are Well-Positioned to Thrive with Off-Cycle Releases
As more artists choose to stay independent and forge their own paths, experimenting with different release days and rollout strategies is becoming increasingly common—and exciting. Artists need to do what works best for them in every aspect of their careers, from choosing a release day to managing their team, even if it doesn't align with the industry norm.
With the wealth of data available today on fan behavior, artists can make smarter decisions about when to release their music. For example, tools like Spotify for Artists provide insights into listener habits. If you notice your highest streams happen on a Wednesday, why not make that your release day?
While Friday remains the industry standard for maximizing exposure, we're witnessing a shift toward more flexible release strategies. Off-cycle releases may soon become a more popular method for indie artists to stand out in a crowded space, allowing them to cater to their specific fan bases and carve out unique paths.
Closing Thoughts: The Future of Release Days
Major artists and labels will keep releasing their music on Fridays to climb the charts, especially until Billboard's rules or editorial playlists change. However, smaller artists have a rising opportunity to break away from this tradition.
Tyler, the Creator is leading the way by showing that it's possible to challenge the norm and avoid the noise and competition of Friday releases. As a result, we can expect more indie artists to follow his example.