The NY Times looks at how digital downloads are (finally) forcing record labels to rethink how they go about selling music. The story starts with an anecdote about a new R&B trio – Candy Hill, signed by Universal/Republic Records to record two songs. In the digital download world, people are choosing singles over albums by a 19-1 margin now.
In response, labels are re-examining everything from their marketing practices to their contracts. One result is that offers are cropping up for artists like Candy Hill to record only ring tones or a clutch of singles, according to talent managers and lawyers.
A longstanding prediction repeated here: artists will stop putting out albums of 10 – 12 songs every few years and simply release songs when the songs are done. This will benefit both the fans and the artists. Fans won’t have to wait years between hearing from the bands. And the bands won’t fall into that “Where have they been for three years?” trap. Just like how we publish stories online when the stories are done rather than wait for the once-a-week magazine, so too will music follow. I could even see myself “subscribing” to my favorite band, if that meant I would get the singles before non-subscribers. This benefits the artists and the fans. And it may even help the record labels – people may wind up buying more music from their favorite bands if the music comes out one song at a time than if the 10 songs come out at once and they just choose to download one or two of those songs. (NYT sub req)
