What's the idea of release singles after albums?
 

I understand why japanese artists release singles before album but I don't understand why the others artists (not all) releases singles after album. If the same song was released a month ago already in an album, why release it again?
Since it's better to get the songs before the album, but not after.. (My opinnion)

Exactly what I'm wondering.

To promote the album, of course. :)

I guess to promote the album, then...? =/ Although it's really sucky for a promoting technique.

yes.. every time you release a single after an album, the album is in the spotlight again. So mostly; if you release like 3 or 4 singles after 1 album; the album is beeing promoted and sold for a year or so.. which is very good for the albums, but kind of bad for the singles (if you like a song that has a single and an album; most people would uy the album)

Basically, it's how the American album sales are so high.

While the singles never sell too well, people buy the album after hearing the singles in music videos and the radio.

This is why people on average if popular, they sell from 2-10 million++. :|

Releasing singles after albums is the way to go. I don't like Japanese single releases.

Both the American and Japanese ways have their strong points I think.

The American way keeps the album running after release. We also have more surprises waiting for us when we hear the full album.

But for those who prefer to hear more of the album before making a buying decision, the Japanese manner of release works very well (and usually covers and extras are better thought out and cared for) - and if the songs are of high quality, it also builds anticipation for the album.

Most of the time when an American album comes out, you can tell which will be single tracks I think. :p

Advantages
Japanese: Album previewed beforehand. Videos help in visualisation. Singles sell a lot.
English: More album tracks to listen to. Albums sell a lot and for a long time, up to years. Fun to guess the single tracks.

Disadvantages
Japanese: Hardly any tracks left that aren't overplayed to death. Albums sell very fast in the beginning but dies out within months.
English: Album quality not known. Singles sell less.

I think that they make more money in Japan, because the singles sales are IMMENSE, even if the album sales is a lot lower.

I'm more for The English Way, because I don't want to wait a whole year for a cd that is spilling out teasers. When I know an album is finished, I want to hear it. If singles come out, I only buy them when they have bonus tracks, or new versions of the single. But I do enjoy the fact that Japanese Singles are usually loaded with content.

I agree on that. I hate that you've already listened yourself sick to more than half the album before it's released.

90% of the songs in the case of Ayus upcoming album.

I agree with the japanese way, the artists keep working on making videos, photoshoots so they don't have the time that have the japanese artists to make more songs. I think american way is more disordered than the japanese one, it's likely "Hi, here is my album and maybe I will make a video of this song, maybe not" but such MC Tatsujin pointed at, both have advantages and disadvantages :/

I prefer the japanese way.

It gives the artist some times to make material for the album during each singles, but still not making fans wait for long time by releasing songs that has been done as singles. (with exception of several artist of course, like Ku & Namie).

That is so true. I hardly listen to (miss)understood but I can't stop stuffing my ears with RAINBOW.

Well, RAINBOW had a bunch of singles, you just weren't around when they were released. :p So it's kinda like the 'US' way if you listen to old albums..


4/7 is technically not 90%. :p

Rainbow only had 5 singles.. Out of 14 tracks. Compared to (miss)understood. That album cracks me up when I think about it.

EDIT: Damn, I forgot the tie-ins. Sorry.

Technically, B&D/Pride weren't meant for a single.
I think it was a last minute-thing at the time of recording for them to release it..

So it'd be 15 tracks vs. 16 tracks. Not counting B&D/Pride it'd be:
5 single tracks on RAINBOW versus the 6 single tracks on (m)u.
I think that's pretty reasonable if B&D/Pride were left to the album.

Let's count the tie-ins:
(miss)understood:
Bold&Delicious - Panasonic D-snap Audio
STEP you - Panasonic D-snap Audio
is this LOVE? - Morinaga BAKE
alterna - Panasonic LUMIX FX8
Will - Panasonic LUMIX FX9
HEAVEN - SHINOBI
fairyland - Camellia Diamond / Music Fighter
rainy day - ONIMUSHA Dawn of Dreams

RAINBOW:
WE WISH - Kose VISEE
Real me - Panasonic D-snap
Free&Easy - Panasonic Compo
everlasting dream - Panasonic Compo [KIMI NIII AGERUUUUU]
Heartplace - Panasonic LUMIX F1
HANABI - TUKA
everywhere nowhere - Panasonic Dockin' Style MD
Voyage - Drama tie-in
independent- Baseball cheer song
July 1st - Kose VISEE

Ooo! Even an intro-lude had a tie in O_O

I also stopped buying Japanese singles. Maybe I'll get the ones with exclusive content like B-sides or excellent remixes (LEGEND, BLUE BIRD) but other than that.. nah.

Most Ayu singles strive to have some remix on them.. except the spring ones.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't :p

That's kind of the point. You're trying to focus on the album sales, rather than the single sales. Imagine if you didn't have the album, and the 2nd single that came out of the album, you really enjoyed it, so you bought the single, then you realised that it was on an album, so you buy the album, and you get satisifed with that as well.

Albums are so cheap here in the US x.x

12 dollars for Back to Basics, a dualdisc album compared to like 18 for a CD+DVD single.. x.x

^ Yeah, that album is around the same price here too. I wonder why Japanese albums are so darn expensive. Is it that tax?

It's not tax..

I'm guessing that it's because of the whole industry.. you know?

No, I don't.. Explain?

I don't know really.. but for some reason, singles and albums are 2-3 times more expensive than in the U.S. x.x

Yeah, cost of living probably? It's ridiculous though. Maybe Japanese people earn so much so they have to spend equally as much. It's only fair?

I'm guessing it's because most things in Japan are.. more expensive that in other places. Other than the 100-200yen stores, there is.. like.. so many things that are expensive.

12 dollar album vs. 29 dollar album..
3-6 dollar single vs. 8-15 dollar single.. :o

I think currency exchange rate also plays a part in this. Like....US albums may be cheaper for US residence, but not for Japanese albums, due to the high currency exchange rates. But I may be wrong, since I do not know how high is the differences.

Feel free to correct my thoughts.

It's very VERY wrong.

If a Japanese person were to shop at an American place online to get American music, it would cost about as much as a single for them [minus shipping.. but even then it might cost less than the Japan release.]

American CDs in Japan usually have extras not in any other version to compensate for the higher price.. :o

I wonder what it was that made the prices for CDs/DVDs in Japan into what they are.

Probably just the industry itself.

In Japan, 8 dollars is a huge bargain for a SINGLE. :<
And LIVE DVDs.. don't get me started.

Like 20-25 bucks for a 2-disc set in the US is like 4900 yen in Japan x.x

LIVE DVDs there are OVERpriced. Terribly. Arena Tour when converted to my local currency would cost me more than RM200. :x But I went to the store yesterday and they had the new Countdown Live for only RM80.

I see. Thanks for explaining, th. :yes


MC: Exactly. I'm still saving for Namie's SOHP, but her LIVE STYLE is coming out anytime soon. >.<
Over here, the price of that DVD is twice the price of the album itself, which is IDR 250,000++ >.<

CDs and DVDs are overpriced in the US too.

Way overpriced.

I prefer getting them for free.

Oh, it was probably the Overseas version then..

CDL05-06 (Japan Version) = 43USD
CDL05-06 (Overseas Version) = 22USD

:p

immel, you cheapskate:heart

Eh? Is that piracy I'm sensing? :no

^I've been a pirate for... 2 years.

@TH - Haha, no, but the record companies are way too greedy.

The production cost of one CD or a DVD is around 1ct.

Oh well.

I forgive you because of your spending 1500USD on Ayu <3

:weep Oh noes. Not piracy. Immilk has gone to the dark side.

I guess its ok if you buy what you downloaded and loved. Not burn the stuff to the CD and live happily.

I never burn stuff, I keep it on my HDD until I'm tired of it, lol.

I wonder how long I'll keep my 350Gb of Ayu stuff ... of which I own physical copies of most of it anyway.

For reals, immeljan.

exactly. it is hoped that singles can sustain the sales of the album.

the prodcution cost of that cd maybe 1ct but what the about the cost of producing the album/tour on the cd?? It's different from buying an empty disc. I don't want to speak for record companies but too many people fall into the mindset that they are buying a 'disc' as opposed to a disc with content on it.

Yeah, I know, I just had to say that. And what costs the absolutely most money is the promoting of the release.

well...I believe...

because the albums over in Japan are a lot more expensive there than they are here in America. We do have singles here in America but we don't really take time to promote them because they're only like 6 dollars and albums are about 15 dollars, so yeah.

And in Japan the singles are about 10 dollars and the albums are about 25 dollars, and perhaps someone wants a single more than an album as well (like for instance, someone only liked Poker Face from A song for XX but didnt like any of the other songs promoted)

thats what I think

ps: I thought the CDs in Japan were Super Expensive compared to americans' cds.

In relation, they are... they cost more than 200% more, which is sick.

I like western selling CD method way much better than japan. (Sorry, I only like white thing ^_^).

At least Japanese CDs come with obi strips. Maybe that's the stuff making CDs in Japan super expensive. :think

Why would obi strips make it expensive? XD

Any other explanation? :laugh I did notice Japanese album/single covers tend to be thicker and more durable than Western CD covers. For example, I saw the CD single for "Shake It Off" for sale once. One was Japanese and it was RM89 while the normal US one was RM32. The Japanese one looked real tough as the cover was like an album cover. The US one was a normal thin single cover. Have you seen a Western single cover though?

I dont see how this works... BEcuase they release the single then the album..EVERYONE loves the single goes and buys the album..

they release another single..people already have the album so releasing another single isnt necessary unless the few who didnt buy the album when the first single came out.

Well, however weird it may see, it does work.

Releasing a single in the US puts the artist in the spotlight, releasing an album does not.

The single will be played on MTV and radio, the word will spread if the song is good, and the album will sell.

Then they release the next single, the style of it might appeal to more people, the word spreads again, and more people will buy it.

In Japan they use the singles as a sort of preparation for a climax that will come, both ways seem to work for their respective markets. And even though the prices for CDs in Japan is around 200% higher than in the US, the percentage of people that buy records is higher, or equal to, the sales in the US.

And so on. I guess, only speculating.

Exactly. That's why US singles are often different even from the same album. It's to appeal to a different market each time. So with probably 3 different genres, they get the attention of 3 different markets.

Look at Kelly Clarkson's sophomore album. It had 6 singles and all of them were quite different within one another. And the album sold more than 4 million copies in the US alone...

Diversity is the key, with that kind of marketing... and of course, the songs need to be good. Heh.

I wonder. I believe the US system is better, but in Japan music is so much more, it's everywhere... every single huge company has one or the larger artists attached to it, and their music and faces is everywhere. Everything got tie-ins, wherever you go or look you can never avoid to see or hear the latest music from the hottest artists. In the US artists aren't as popular to be used as promotion machines, even though it's done.

Yeah that I realized too. Even camera's and various edible products get their own tie-ins. In the US, nothing of that sort has happened on a large scale. I only know Gwen Stefani designed some camera, but it didn't have a tie-in. Maybe songs get overplayed in the US anyway, so they don't put songs attached.

However, I don't believe star power in the US isn't enough to promote products. Surely there's something holding artistes and companies back.

I think that with 'tie-ins' and the US.. people seem to connect that with 'selling out' or something.

It's stopped many from doing endorsements, I'd imagine..

Norah Jones didn't want a tie-in because she said she hates how commercials ruined her childhood TV time.

White Stripes said it was "selling-out".

I'm sure Coldplay also had their own reasons...

I think that tie-ins are more likely with the half-singers, half-actor crowd :)

Speaking of that, have there been any of those, but like.. guys?

I've only known Lindsay Lohan / Hilary Duff..

of course not....

everything in japan is more expensive, the food, living, clothes, make-up, toys......not only cds. that's why people say you had to bring a lot of money to japan for your holiday.

You know, many singles is the US sell millions anyway... you don't even need to score a number 1.

Singles is the US can stay at number one or even top 10 for months, whilst in Japan =\
The first 3 singles (if popular at all) usually have very good longevity.

No, they don't, at least not by the numbers I've seen. Singles do very rarely pass 1 million in the US. Japanese single sales is way higher. The US only beats Japan on albums.

That is WHACKY.

Beyonce's 'Deja Vu' has sold... 2,059,000. o__o The SINGLE.

United World Chart
Week 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Position 29 25 23 12 11 11 10 9 8 8
Total 73,000 151,000 232,000 375,000 528,000 675,000 827,000 1,025,000 1,225,000 1,422,000
Week 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Position 9 10 11 14
Total 1,603,000 1,770,000 1,924,000 2,059,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deja_Vu...%C3%A9_song%29

That's... by what I understand... one of the few.

Beyonce is kind of a phenomenon... I don't know.

In general the singles sales I've seen is way lower, though.

I'd imagine that the first single of an album will sell a lot since sometimes they come out pre-album..

But then after the album comes out, sales for singles plummet.

Sexyback is probably in the millions now too..

Nelly Furtado's Promiscuous has also reached a million. Plus Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten. And James Blunt. But the US dont sell much singles, so they count legal single downloads.

Oh, they've already started including the downloads in their charts? I thought that wasn't until later.

That explains a whole lot.

It's good that in Japan the two charts will be separate.

I do wonder how people will chart on the downloads.. :|~~

Oh, Billboard has used downloads for quite some time now. Even Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl charted at #1 solely on downloads.

I wonder if Milkshake hit a million..

Same goes for many of the Black Eyed Peas tracks [My Humps, Pump It..]

My Humps did reach a million.

Unfortunately, it's all downloads. Not physical sales.. Plus I don't think they download the whole single with the remixes and crap. They just download the full song. My Humps also had an achievement in the ringtone department.

However Hollaback Girl has a record for 1st song to reach 1 million downloads or something.

Uhm, remixes. Duh!

OH! It includes the downloads! That explains a lot :yesFrom what I read, Deja Vu was generally panned by fans... it only peaked at #5 (i think) on the billboards and didn't have a much longevity. There must be many songs which performed better than Deja Vu.

But then again, that includes downloads, so nevermind :P

Missy Elliot waas the spokesperson for GAP jeans and the sales skyrocketted.

In Japan, people seem to want to stay in the spotlight all the time, so that they do not lose popularity and can enjoy publicity that brings profits (not only to music sales, but also invitations to perform on tv, live - more publicity - and join promotional campagins - even more publicity and high salaries). To achieve that, releasing single by single is the best way. You can release a single per every three months, while you can't do that with an album. Having releases regularly throughout the year keeps you present in the media, which is pretty important for all idol-kind performers.

In the west it's seen differently. An album is t h e thing to buy, while singles are an addition, a collectors item. On the side, they do generate some profit which obviously is not spendable (as no profit is ever considered so), but their main function is to start up and lead album sales. In the west artist don't seem to long to be present in the media and recieve publicity throughout the whole year, they just have their 'seasons': one or two new singles, then an album, then one or more cut singles to keep the album sales going and then it's all let to fade away, then it starts again, usually not sooner than in a year time.

On the logical side, it's just the west is used to treating the album as the actual product - and it's reasonable, why buy few CDs with single tracks when you will get them all later plus few more on one CD?... Singles are more like a collectors or diehard fans item, not really attractive to people who just happen to like that one particular song.
In Japan, people seem to be used to treating singles as full value products. It seems to be changing recently, as people there probably discovered the vast possibilities of internet where you no longer need to buy the CD itself to have all the content just if you want to listen, so only true fans who want the plastic and paper buy the singles. Maybe facing the crisis in single sales, peformers in Japan will switch to the western system.

When I clicked this thread and it loaded I made a face sort of like the one in your avatar, and blatantly thought "long post". Good thing it was very well written.

...was. Well, I understand what you mean, I just want to mourn for the declining CD sales a bit, before I download my next one.

Love these parts especially, that's the best way I've ever heard that put, and it's so true. That is the key difference between the two markets, in great words.

You download so much <3

You can't compare US sales with Japan sales, just think the US have two (and something more) times the poblation of Japan.

I prefer the japanese way simply because>
a) The album is then hyped and I get excited
b) I wouldn't buy the singles if the album came it first 'cos it'd be like. Meh. Herd it already.

heh. ^^;

There is no "Japanese way" or "American way". There have been many American artists releasing singles after the album comes out.

I'd like to say that there definately is a huge difference between the two markets, and in general they do have different ways.

I think that expressing it like "Japanese way" and "American way" is quite appropriate, although maybe not politically correct.

Not sure which way i prefer before or after an album,both have there pro's amd con's.But i guess after an album since that is what i am used to.