by Spixxy on October 30th, 2004

Spixxy

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How does an artist decide which songs from an album will be released as singles?

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  • by lookslikemike on December 9th, 2004

    lookslikemike

    In almost all cases, the record company rather than the artist will choose the single(s) to be released. In some cases, the artist will be consulted; depending on the deal between artist and company, the artist may have first call, or power of veto over the decision.

    In general, the first single from a major album will be released a few weeks (generally up to six) in advance of the album's appearance. This will usually be a catchy, "we're back" kind of song to get people's attention. Then, when the album appears, another single will be released a few weeks after, in this case more typical of the artist's core sound and more anthemic. The idea here is to generate as much airplay as possible for the new song, thus keeping it in people's minds and giving the album a crucial sales push as the initial interest slows down. Subsequent singles serve a similar purpose; the entire idea is to boost album sales as much as possible, as this is where the real cash is made.

    Bear in mind, this applies for major artists; not all artists will generate enough sales interest to justify this approach, and most lower-profile acts will release more new material.

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