ARIA, AMRA welcome rebranded Global Release Day

As previously reported by TMN in March, the inaugural Global Release Day for the recorded industry will be Friday July 10.

Now called New Music Fridays, from July 10 new music will be released on Fridays at 00:01 local time around the world.

Naturally, the Australian industry has been behind the move to Friday ever since the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognised the need for a synchronised release day.Australia switched to Friday releases back in early 2006 andGermany made Friday its release day in 2005. The big change next month is for the US and Canada, which previously released on Tuesdays as well asFrance and the UK, which released Mondays.

“ARIA is very pleased to see the industry move to a global release date with the launch of New Music Fridays,” said Dan Rosen, ARIA Chief Executive Officer. “Artists today communicate with their fans on a global basis so it only makes sense that music fans around the world have the opportunity to enjoy and purchase new music at the same time.”

Ian Harvey, executive director, Australian Music Retailers Association (AMRA) said the global synch should be welcomed by all retailers. “The decision to move to a Friday release day in Australia was based on the belief that retailers had to meet the needs of their customers and that for those customers Friday, Saturday and Sunday are shopping days.Why wouldn’t you have your most attractive, most in demand product available in store when consumers are actually shopping?”

The IFPI initially revealed plans to synchronise the release day last September in a bid to quell music fans’ frustration at being unable to legally access music in their own country when it is available elsewhere.

While the decision was predominantly supported by labels, retailers and artists internationally, UK retailers expressed their reticence. Last October ERA director generalKim Bayleypushed for more economic research into the impact of the plans.

In February Martin Mills of the UK’s indie Beggars Group said: “[…] it seems to me to be crazy to throw away one of the trading week’s two peaks, and the ability to re-stock and rectify errors before the week’s second peak. And it astounds me that the major labels are not listening to their customers [the retailers], their interface with their artists’ fans.”