Me and my friend were having a discussion on which we believe is the better release method for singles.

 

I'm totally for On Air On Sale. I mean I really want to buy Blow Me (One Last Kiss) after hearing it a couple of days ago yet I have to wait until September and we're not even in August yet so I can't buy if for the summer, even though its out on radio and the video has premiered.

 

What does everyone else feel about the two single release methods and if possible, could I get a list of songs that were On Air On Sale and how well they did. For example Price Tag by Jessie J which has become a million seller.

 

Thanks! :D

I think On Air On Sale would work if all the record companies actually did it as well as the radio stations supporting it as well. Last time radio didn't get behind it for example Capital stopped playing Notorious because the track started to drop in the charts but of course it was going drop as it was OAOS, it just needed the normal increased radio and tv support which would have brought it to the top 10. I think Capital and others ended up acting as though the OAOS releases where like the pushed back released and so as it drops they stopped playing it. Also, all the record companies need to do it as while some are on OAOS, you had the pushed back releases of course getting the higher places meaning it looked like OAOS wasn't successful. However, many pushed back released that appear to look better on paper due to chart positions wouldn't have down better if OAOS. For example, I'm sure Down With The Trumpets by Rizzle Kicks (although not the best example) will be more rembered than She Makes Me Wanna by JLS. (I know those are probably the worst examples as Down With The Trumpets isn't exactly going to be a classic :lol: but it was of the top of my head)

 

Also, I think that the idea of Blow Me (One Last Kiss) being released in September is ridculous as its already in my head but I'll probably be bored of it by September. I mean it will do really well but it still should have been released a bit earlier. Like Payphone was held back for 2 months yet it was everywhere for 2 months leading to that fake version going top 10!

Edited July 31, 201212 yr by TheNowMusicUK

I'd just love everything to be partially OA/OS, not totally so because mid-week releases can kill a song (o hai every pre-album Lady Gaga release from BTW), so I'd propose that once a song is premiered it is released the Sunday following, to allow it to still be basically OA/OS but have a full week's sales to benefit from.

 

I just think some pent up releases are ridiculous, Rita Ora for example has been out since March in the US and I'd imagine if it had been released at any point in the past few weeks it still would've got at least top 5 and likely #1, but with it being held back so much it'll be horribly frontloaded sadly.

OA/OS is ideal as people can buy songs as soon as they're released. The songs might not make #1 but could easily sell more in the longtern than had the song been kept back for months.

 

Which brings me onto pent-up releases. I don't really see the harm in holding a song back for 1 or 2 weeks after radio and video airplay kick in, and in most cases that's all that is required to build up enough momentum for the song. Eg; I think this is why it worked so well for 'Call Me Maybe' - its release was brought forward iirc and it managed to enter at #1, then increase its sales for 3 weeks.

 

It's the held back for 3 months that takes the biscuit. The sales are bulked up into its first week (by which point some potential buyers are already bored of the song - fickle Britain!!! :D ) so its sales drop sharply in week 2 rather than maintain decent sales for a few weeks. It's like 'How We Do' which I thought was getting released next week, but it's not until the week after. The song started getting UK airplay in late May (when the video premiered) and two and a half months on, it's still not available to buy. Although it's clearly a good thing as it's allowed Florence & The Machine 'Spectrum' to get three weeks at #1 instead. :lol:

Is Pink still releasing in September? Because the date of 19th August is floating around now. OA/OS everytime for me.

Yeah. September second. And rita was a huge example in my head.

 

It p*sses me off when by the time a song is released it feels like its been around for ages.

 

If everything was On Air/On Sale there would be more of a battle for no.1, which creates more excitement I guess and more of an achievement.

 

Like, I Love when a song rises to no.1 as opposed to debuting at no.1

 

Was feel the love OAOS because the first I heard of that was when it debuted at no.1 ?

Also. What songs that looked likely to be hits were released through OAOS but failed? I can't recall any.

Edited July 31, 201212 yr by Draper Dudee

To enforce OA/OS, the OCC just needs to implement the following rule: a release is only chart-eligible if it has been available to purchase since its release to radio stations.

Was feel the love OAOS because the first I heard of that was when it debuted at no.1 ?

 

No, I first head FTL in late April, it was released and got to #1 about one month later.

 

Also. What songs that looked likely to be hits were released through OAOS but failed? I can't recall any.

 

The Saturdays 'Notorious', famous for 'only' getting to #8 and falling outside the top 20 on its second week. It did a small recovery in the end but 'All Fired Up' (a held back release) easily outsold it.

 

Also Beyonce's 'Run The World (Girls)' missed the top 10 thanks to OA/OS.

 

Britney Spears released OA/OS and massively flopped. Till The World Ends is her first and only pre-album single to miss the top 20 (Radar only got to #46 but I assume that was a post-album single)

 

Lady GaGa missed out on a #1 opportunity because she released OA/OS on a Friday :drama: And Judas was a big flop by her standards, again released OA/OS.

 

So yes OA/OS sometimes doesn't work, I think that pre-album singles should get 1-2 weeks of radio airplay and then be released, this idea is much better than waiting forever (still can't believe How We Do's not out yet) and also much better than strict OA/OS as that didn't work back in 2010.

I can't believe 'Wings' isn't available to buy for another three/four weeks. It was premiered at the end of June on T4 On The Beach! I just don't see the point in holding back releases for so long.

 

I remember LOVING songs like Let It Go (Alexandra), 30 Days (Saturdays), Climax (Usher) and So Good (B.O.B) when they premiered and yet by the time they were released I had no interest in downloading them at all because i'd got bored of them. They're just shooting themselves in the foot by holding back releases for so long. We're like the only country in the world that doesn't do OA/OS!!

To enforce OA/OS, the OCC just needs to implement the following rule: a release is only chart-eligible if it has been available to purchase since its release to radio stations.

 

That would only punish pre-album songs, though.

I much prefer OA/OS and i think it benefits the artists much more too. However i think the ideal release strategy is premiering a song and then releasing the following Sunday/or the Sunday after that to ensure a full week's first sales. People would only have to wait a week maximum that way.

No, I first head FTL in late April, it was released and got to #1 about one month later.

The Saturdays 'Notorious', famous for 'only' getting to #8 and falling outside the top 20 on its second week. It did a small recovery in the end but 'All Fired Up' (a held back release) easily outsold it.

 

Also Beyonce's 'Run The World (Girls)' missed the top 10 thanks to OA/OS.

 

Britney Spears released OA/OS and massively flopped. Till The World Ends is her first and only pre-album single to miss the top 20 (Radar only got to #46 but I assume that was a post-album single)

 

Lady GaGa missed out on a #1 opportunity because she released OA/OS on a Friday :drama: And Judas was a big flop by her standards, again released OA/OS.

 

So yes OA/OS sometimes doesn't work, I think that pre-album singles should get 1-2 weeks of radio airplay and then be released, this idea is much better than waiting forever (still can't believe How We Do's not out yet) and also much better than strict OA/OS as that didn't work back in 2010.

 

But looking at your examples, the quality of the tracks you mention is extremely poor. None would have sold more than they did if they were a pent up release. All would have peaked higher and yet been out of the top 40 within in weeks. The only exception being BTW.

Artists should do what Ellie Goulding is doing, premiering on Augst 13th, releasing a week later.

Artists should do what Ellie Goulding is doing, premiering on Augst 13th, releasing a week later.

 

I didn't even know she had new material ready! :wub:

I didn't even know she had new material ready! :wub:

 

There's a thread about it!

Album is called Halcyon, released October 8th, lead single is called 'Anything Could Happen'

Which brings me onto pent-up releases. I don't really see the harm in holding a song back for 1 or 2 weeks after radio and video airplay kick in, and in most cases that's all that is required to build up enough momentum for the song. Eg; I think this is why it worked so well for 'Call Me Maybe' - its release was brought forward iirc and it managed to enter at #1, then increase its sales for 3 weeks.

No, that wouldn't work at all. It's been tried and failed by Florence & The Machine with 'Shake It Out'. 'What the Water Gave Me' was OA/OS and went top 10 on iTunes, Shake It Out had a 2/3 week build up and the video came out the week of release yet it limped into the chart at #27. What you can take from that is that a semi-pent-up release removes the advantages of both of the standard release strategies. Stanbases/interested people won't buy it like they would if it were OA/OS (they've heard it, made up their mind, not excited anymore etc) and radio play isn't high enough for general public interest to get it high either. Florence managed to turn around Shake It Out luckily, but it could just as easily have been a complete bomb were it not for X Factor. One example is perhaps not enough to judge a release strategy on but it's fairly strong evidence that it's not ideal. Call Me Maybe is also an entirely different situation, it had MASSIVE hype before release and had been available online for months. A standard new song simply can't compete with that sort of hype. I'll admit the building of sales over three weeks was likely due to the early release but it's an anomaly and should not be used as an example when songs llike that come along so rarely.

There's a thread about it!

Album is called Halcyon, released October 8th, lead single is called 'Anything Could Happen'

 

I saw that thread, but didn't realise new material was *that* imminent...

Artists should do what Ellie Goulding is doing, premiering on Augst 13th, releasing a week later.

 

Where did you get that info? According to NME the single is released September 30th

 

http://www.nme.com/news/ellie-goulding/65212

Where did you get that info? According to NME the single is released September 30th

 

http://www.nme.com/news/ellie-goulding/65212

 

Wonder if her new album can follow 'Lights' to #1?