Universal is throwing its full weight behind an effort to revive the flagging physical singles business, with a radical plan to move the new release day from Monday to Friday.

 

The major, which claimed an unrivalled 35.4% share of the physical singles market in quarter one, is convinced the switch will help to breathe new life into a sector whose annual sales have nearly halved in two years from 26.50m in 2004 to 13.88m units last year.

 

Talking exclusively to Music Week last week, Universal Music Operations president David Joseph - who is also OCC chairman – said, “We need a radical shake-up before retailers decide they don’t want to be in the physical singles business anymore, which would be a total tragedy.

 

“I’m still confident there’s a good and healthy market in physical singles, whether it’s in the specialist business with maxi and seven-inches or the causal buyer in the multiple stores.”

 

Universal commercial director Brian Rose, whose company has been behind new physical singles initiatives such as three-inch and five-inch singles with ringtones and the USB stick format, believes there are a number of benefits to moving physical singles releases from Mondays to Fridays.

 

He says, “Firstly, it may reduce the gap between the download and physical release, which would be good for retail. It may be the download comes out on the Monday and the physical single 10 days later, rather than two weeks later, which often happens now. Games are released on a Friday, so there’s a good demographic for impulse purchases.

 

“We also think that Monday morning in store for some retailers is quite chaotic with new film DVD, album and singles releases, and singles are not top of the priority list. Moving them to a Friday could create a sales spike.”

 

Universal’s new focus on physical singles comes at a time when the sector in the UK risks becoming little more than a niche market. There were just 2.18m physical singles sold in the first quarter of 2007, compared to 10.04m legal downloads, which made up 76.3% of all singles sales.

 

That decline appears to have been at least partly accelerated by new rules introduced in January, which meant, for the first time, that tracks could qualify for the main singles chart irrespective of being available physically.

 

Joseph says he intends to bring up the plan to switch the physical singles release day at the next OCC board meeting in June and is planning to introduce the change some time this year. He also hopes the proposed change could come as part of wider support to back the sector, including lobbying to win back a chart show on TV on Fridays.

 

Universal’s move comes as Radio One head of music George Ergatoudis launches his new Music Week column by calling for a fresh approach to singles release strategies (see p4).

 

Meanwhile, downloads were yesterday (Sunday) set to make one of their most high-profile impacts yet on the shape of the main singles chart with up to 18 Arctic Monkeys tracks challenging to win places in the Top 200.

 

Every track from the band’s second album Favourite Worst Nightmare charted in the 200 as individual downloads, alongside a series of B-sides and previous singles.

 

The extensive chart spread for the band, whose album debuted at one yesterday with the highest first-week sales for the year so far, is a result of the new chart rules, which allow non-single tracks from unbundled tracks to qualify for the chart.

 

“It seems like everyone wants a bit of the Arctic Monkeys at the moment,” says Domino product manager John Bradshaw. “It’s exciting. It creates a buzz that people want to buy individual tracks.”

 

 

Source: Music Week

Seems a bit pointless to me...though it would bring us in line with Ireland...so only physical singles and not albums would come out on friday? Then i would have to go out twice each week to music shops lol...

Seems a bit pointless to me...though it would bring us in line with Ireland...so only physical singles and not albums would come out on friday? Then i would have to go out twice each week to music shops lol...

 

and friday is new films day. then again each record company could have a different day of the week with all the indies on wed

I don't think it'd be a tragedy if singles etc were no longer sold in HMV etc.

 

I also think the OCC have themselves to blame with the ridiculous rules they introduced in the late 90s for singles.

I don't think it'd be a tragedy if singles etc were no longer sold in HMV etc.

 

well they can get rid of cd singles :lol: but with vinyl its good to have a physical product in your hand. dvd singles like as well

 

 

Vinyl singles will continue to sell without needing to have a section in HMV / Virgin etc.

 

DVD singles are a waste of money.

Vinyl singles will continue to sell without needing to have a section in HMV / Virgin etc.

 

DVD singles are a waste of money.

 

i dont know depend on what the song is, what price they are (£4.99 for kasabian??? i'll pass on that) and if you're limited to the hits and tmf most evenings :lol:

i dont know depend on what the song is, what price they are (£4.99 for kasabian??? i'll pass on that) and if you're limited to the hits and tmf most evenings :lol:

like me :(

 

anyway what the hell are they doing?? might as well change the name UK Top 40 to Billboard :blink:

Only buy a single now if it is Avril/Evanescence/Lostprophets/Garbage/MCR. Some artist I am obsessed with :lol: I don't want the singles market to shut down completly because I like to make my 'collection'.

But if they were released on a Friday that would mess up the chart that is broadcast on Sunday? :unsure:

Only buy a single now if it is Avril/Evanescence/Lostprophets/Garbage/MCR. Some artist I am obsessed with I don't want the singles market to shut down completly because I like to make my 'collection'.

But if they were released on a Friday that would mess up the chart that is broadcast on Sunday?

 

I think what would happen is they'd have 2 days of massive sales

instead of a week of not-so-good sales

I just download a song if I like it

The main problem (always has been) with singles is the track is released to tv/radio like 4 weeks before the physical version and by then people get bored...

Edited April 30, 200718 yr by D@n

I think what would happen is they'd have 2 days of massive sales

instead of a week of not-so-good sales

I just download a song if I like it

The main problem (always has been) with singles is the track is released to tv/radio like 4 weeks before the physical version and by then people get bored...

 

I guess but it would render the midweeks useless :lol:

Always an ulterior motive to keep as much sales info quiet as possible.

:lol: Yes, that would rather make the Midweeks a bit redundant, but I agree atht it could help the CD single business.

 

I used to buy several CD singles a week (even up to last year), but I have bought only 6 so far this year!

i still buy physical singles only from artists i really like though and probably not as many as i used to..... ;)

It certainly would make the Midweeks more redundant.

 

Personally, why don't they just move the physical release date forward to Sunday?

well midweeks are compiled every day I do believe :P but we just never hear of half of them :lol:

I think as soon as a song has been released to TV or Radio, it should be made available to download and the song would gradually rise up the charts. more so than they do now, also if the singles were made cheaper, maybe to 99p, people would buy more, say if they only had £2 to spare but they wanted 2 CD's they could buy both if they were cheaper, Friday would be a good day to release singles, most people go out then and be around places that sell singles

It certainly would make the Midweeks more redundant.

 

Personally, why don't they just move the physical release date forward to Sunday?

Because theres supposed to be a rush to buy new releases on day one but most people dont shop on a sunday!

I think 99p for a single is acceptable.

 

I dont, they wouldnt cover costs!

a CD costs a few pence to to make :lol: plus their main purpose is to help promote an album.