Are Singles The Future?

[soupking]

Like...I feel that singles are really the market.

Reason being, I would LOVE to record a great sound in a full studio.

But it's an expense, so make it count.

Right?

Cut a track that you can afford to mix.

And even more so, what is an album anyway? mp3's don't have edge.

Anyway, just thoughts everybody.

Thanks for joinin' in.

[MysticRecording]

You're right, Back to the Future-I mean...

They were the past, everything repeats itself.

Licensing, placement and Singles are the present.



Nathan.

[soupking]

That's funny. I actually deleted a Back to the Future reference before submitting the post. Don't remember why though.

Albums don't really need an award anymore. I could download 5 songs. I'd have no idea what "album" they're on.

Just basic. A bit unfortunate, but it's just another medium of communication.

Music will be played. - Heh, this is totally the American Pie smiley. Google the cover.

ooooWow! Rockin' keyboard solo!!!

[Push_MY_Faders]

I totally agree that that is the case with singles now. I suppose it's less risk for labels to sign bands on single deals then they can be dropped if they don't make an impact. Throw enough shit at the wall and see what sticks??

IMO the only issue I have with 'singles only' is that, for some artists an album is a body of work that flows from start to finish. I suppose there is no place for that in the age of Shuffle playlists but then pop has never really had that problem in the past.

so when music can be downloaded for free then tracking an album in a expensive studio for a new band (with no proper fanbase) with engineers and producers is'nt always a viable business move cos recouping is hard... so yeah, make that single count.


Check out chris anderson's 'Free' on youtube. It's all about branding not the music.

I may have strayed off your original post but I'd mention it.
Thanks

[soupking]

I'm welcoming all suggestions. That's what this GS is about to me.

I just have a number of songs that I love.

Heh, what makes me laugh recently is typing "Happiness" into Google.

Heh...

I got the Beatles song on line 5 that I was searching for.

How deep is that?

Their backing vocals on that are...real. Nothing like it. I can see why that song is top of the search.

As you were Sgt. Push_MY_Faders - As it were...

...off topic! Here I go!!!

Great stuff. I love the idea of singles though. Leaves inspiration beyond the authority of American Idol.

After all, we need something to look forward to then commercials.

Cheers,
-soupguy

[ysmgj]

i had the same thought the other day.

and yeah for the artists who cant afford to spend days on end recording an album, it does make sense whether you have a following or not.

if you dont have a following this lets you test the waters, so to speak, and build up a following without it costing you your house.

if you do have a following, wouldnt you rather release say a single a month that your loyal fan base will happily, and more importantly, can easily buy? as a musician, i would much prefer a certain monthly sum that i can count on as opposed to investing heavily into something that may or may not work.

$1 every month or so to support an artist i like is no big deal, especially if i like the song. but no matter how much i like an artist, i still hate it when i buy an album and its mostly shit or even not as good as i expected.

and your singles are just as much a body of work as 2-3 months locked up in a studio,... and if you manage to make it big enough, put all your singles into a cohesive album, granted its not the same as a one shot album but i think it still has merit.

i raised this issue with a couple of local musicians and all i got back was " yeah but if we sell singles at $1 a pop that devalues our "art""

so somehow $10 for a 15 song album is more valuable than $1 a song......

a few got the point i was making, but it seems like, atleast where i am, they need to learn basic math before anything else

but yeah i agree, its back to the way things started, which i think is a good thing overall.

[IxtabStudios]

I find that buzz has a lot to do with it as well. We do a lot of rap and dub and going a month without putting out a new tune new can be the difference between staying on top and falling off the grid.

Look at their work as a whole and you have an album a year.

MySpace and Facebook made albums obsolete. Most single songs I've bought on iTunes are part of an album.

[MysticRecording]

It used to be that an artist had between 1-4 albums before a top 10 single was expected to keep them on the label. Before that, if you didn't get some play with a "side" you were done. That is what we are back to, if you're "single" does not get millions of hits on youtube or go viral-well you can pretty much kiss it. Maybe that's where we should be right now, everybody's attention span including mine are gone. Instant gratification abounds, if you can keep your attention on one song, or an album than it must be good.

This trend is cyclical that is all i am saying, the "album" of some form will come back-but only after the format(s) improve. I know, tired argument...

We cannot expect the public to enjoy records the way we grew up listening, they were born too late. It's actually very sad, when someone says: "mp3's don't sound bad." They don't know what is sound "good" or even great.

Quality is way down, in all phases of record production. Can that really be argued? Now, the least common denominator is making they're own "singles" in they're room to show to friends or post on youtube. Love it or hate it, it is here to stay.

Here's what it boils down to: "Singles" have been reduced to "Jingles".

Independent artist's and label's still make decent music. Most so-called major or vanity label "popular" music is little more than catch phrases set to a catchy beat.

P.s., nice keyboard solo! lol

Nathan.

[xxrich]

Originally Posted by IxtabStudios

MySpace and Facebook made albums obsolete. Most single songs I've bought on iTunes are part of an album.

How would you get your singles on iTunes as an independent? I've only seen ways where they offer tunes from an available album.
-rich

[stevelindsay]

Originally Posted by xxrich

How would you get your singles on iTunes as an independent? I've only seen ways where they offer tunes from an available album.
-rich

Aggregators such as Tunecore will let you upload singles onto iTunes....

[xxrich]

Originally Posted by stevelindsay

Aggregators such as Tunecore will let you upload singles onto iTunes....

It's so tough to keep track. Just getting to know soundcloud.com. It used to be so simple being just rejected by the majors:-)

[rockon052]

This is one of those concepts I've been talking over with a client of mine, and a lot of people actually. I'm trying to understand how you would put that into effect though? By Selling it online or on iTunes, I could definitely see how it could work, but I can't see how you could at a show. I would personally feel jipped (jipped, jiped?) if I only had the option of a CD with one song for a dollar. I'd rather pay a little more to get more. Of course, that's me.

I think that this is how many bands should really try to pursue, but how do they have anything to sell at shows (other than the performance, obviously) that are worthwhile?

[ysmgj]

gyped perhaps?

doesnt it come from gypsy?

i read of one band who stopped selling cd's and instead sold merchandise, cant recall the name but i'm pretty sure i read about it on here. something about margins being larger on top of the fact that you cant download a t-shirt,.... yet.