This past week, Frances Moore of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry confirmed that by summer of this year, all new releases will be issued for midnight on Fridays worldwide. This is huge news for musicians and fans alike, setting a new standard for a growing technological age.

With release dates in different countries ranging from Sunday to Wednesday, having one standardized release day across the entire globe can not only standardize the industry but it can provide a wide variety of benefits not only to the record stores but to the artists as well.

For one, this can be a big step towards minimalizing music piracy. If an album is released earlier in another country, it’s quite common to see it leak in the US through the internet. Many can find, listen to, and download the album well before its “Official Release.” By regulating the release dates across the globe it ensures that everyone must wait until the same time to hear the latest release.
Another benefit of waiting until Fridays, of all days, is that for many, its pay day. Some people simply cannot hold onto their money until Tuesday because the weekend has other plans for their cash. Having the newest album drop the same time as your paycheck leaves less excuses and more opportunities to buy on a consumer front.

Worldwide releases can also help the management companies and musician street teams as it helps streamline those resources and materials. Posting campaigns, social media updates and other methods of letting the public know about the release of an album must have the release date attached, obviously. By not having to worry about which date is going to which country relieves a lot of stress for the marketing teams because they can send the same materials out globally and ensure that people don’t get confused by all the different dates.

It also can make Fridays a big day for entertainment in general. Movies and music are two things that have always gone together; putting them out at the same time, especially with movie soundtracks, just makes sense.

There has been some opposition from the music industry, with some saying that it’s going to further marginalize lesser known artists. While I can understand that global releases could make it a little harder for artists to stand out, I really don’t think that it’s going to make that severe of a negative impact on the industry. If anything, it means that artists will work even harder to stand out, pushing for even more great music out there. I’m excited for this new change and hope that it will make a positive impact on the music industry.