General question about Singles

[tbaugerud]

Guys,

can anyone enlighten me about this?

When is it, historically, normal to release a single prior to an album? What is the business standard?

Do you have any examples on this or that?

Also,

When did Guns release their first single for Appetite and UYI? How long before the actual album release?

I think this is a very interesting subject because the signs are clearly pointing towards a Chinese Democracy release in a couple of months time.

A single is probably much closer.

[f**k_your_enemy]

Standard would be to release a single to radio a month before it comes out.... a CD single would be about 2 weeks before the album comes out.

[.Seal]

Standard would be to release a single to radio a month before it comes out.... a CD single would be about 2 weeks before the album comes out.

Yep so that means we still have pleeenty of time

[LA_0013]

After Axl's recent comments, I'm seriously hoping for a single at the very least in late-October/November. . .

LA

[metalgod]

Singles, they still make those? Over the past few years all the record stores in my area have gradually gotten rid of there "singles" section.

[KBear]

Singles, they still make those? Over the past few years all the record stores in my area have gradually gotten rid of there "singles" section.

Maybe it's only for the biggest bands (not sure), but you can even get singles on vinyl. For example:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Green-Day-American-Idio...1QQcmdZViewItem

I would have chosen another band but that would have gotten a few peoples panties' in a knot. I'm sure you can guess which band I'm referring to.

BTW, I wonder if that last song is a GN'R cover.

I think singles are probably biggest in the UK. That's where most of the ones on ebay seem to come from. Nothing beats a vinyl single as a collectible. That pic you see is actually the disc itself!

Edited September 4, 2006 by KBear

[metalgod]

Thats a cool picture disc. I new they still pressed singles on vinyl. Mainly for DJ use and collectors. I'm talking about cd singles in general. A few years ago we had an entire isle dedicated to singles but now they have all but dissapeard.

[AxlRocks]

Thats a cool picture disc. I new they still pressed singles on vinyl. Mainly for DJ use and collectors. I'm talking about cd singles in general. A few years ago we had an entire isle dedicated to singles but now they have all but dissapeard.

None of the music stores here have ever sold singles. Then again, doesn't suprise me here. Kinda wish they would sell singles.

AxlRocks

[f**k_your_enemy]

CD singles seem to be bigger in England than in America, is this true?

[ohmygod]

CD singles seem to be bigger in England than in America, is this true?

they seem to be bigger overseas than they are here.

on the last nin record most singles were released overseas only, so in order to obtain them you had to pay hella money because they were all imports.

[f**k_your_enemy]

CD singles seem to be bigger in England than in America, is this true?

they seem to be bigger overseas than they are here.

on the last nin record most singles were released overseas only, so in order to obtain them you had to pay hella money because they were all imports.

Yeah... I hear that most singles are sent to radio only in the US.... We still get them hear which is good. We also get a lot of DVD singles, do you get many in the US?

[Vadin]

Welcome to the jungle was released as a single in 1988, about 6months after the album

[gunsguy]

and you could be mine was released months before uyi due to prblems with copyright laws

[kaddisonmoore]

Welcome to the jungle was released as a single in 1988, about 6months after the album

jungle was re-released if im thinking right

[Mozzy]

it was, jungle was released about 20 times in 1987 but never really hit big, intill SCOM was out, then they rereleased it

[KBear]

Thats a cool picture disc. I new they still pressed singles on vinyl. Mainly for DJ use and collectors. I'm talking about cd singles in general. A few years ago we had an entire isle dedicated to singles but now they have all but dissapeard.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Well, you can get VR Slither and FTP CD singles on Amazon, so I assume they are still being made.

[Nightcrawler]

Guys,

can anyone enlighten me about this?

When is it, historically, normal to release a single prior to an album? What is the business standard?

Do you have any examples on this or that?

Also,

When did Guns release their first single for Appetite and UYI? How long before the actual album release?

I think this is a very interesting subject because the signs are clearly pointing towards a Chinese Democracy release in a couple of months time.

A single is probably much closer.

A single always preceeds an album release. An example? Pick any album and find it's release date, then look at the date of it's first single.

That's why you hear songs on the radio before an album comes out.

[cybercurves]

The first single usually comes out 4 - 6 weeks before the album release. It creates a buzz and helps promote album sales. If the album starts to sell, expect a 2nd single. If the album continues to sell after the 2nd sngle, expect a 3rd and so on.

One thing we must look forward to when the first single comes out - the ACTUAL album release date! When the single is shipped to radio stations they also get a press release to go with it. The release date of the album will be in the press release!!

cybercurves

[PS_PoWeR]

The first single usually comes out 4 - 6 weeks before the album release. It creates a buzz and helps promote album sales. If the album starts to sell, expect a 2nd single. If the album continues to sell after the 2nd sngle, expect a 3rd and so on.

One thing we must look forward to when the first single comes out - the ACTUAL album release date! When the single is shipped to radio stations they also get a press release to go with it. The release date of the album will be in the press release!!

cybercurves

Yeah it depends on the strategy.

I think GNR needs to release their single MUCH EARLIER than usual. For a band that has been around, like Green Day or Nickelback, a 4 week gap between single and release is good enough. But for a band that has had nothing since 1993, they'll need more time to build awareness if they are to hit it big. If I heard a song tomorrow and the DJ said it was the new GNR single, I wouldnt even believe it at first. Its been too long! They need to give ample time for the mainstream to let it sink in that GNR are back. They need to release the single like....tomorrow lol.....to start awareness towards a November release.

[KBear]

The first single usually comes out 4 - 6 weeks before the album release. It creates a buzz and helps promote album sales. If the album starts to sell, expect a 2nd single. If the album continues to sell after the 2nd sngle, expect a 3rd and so on.

One thing we must look forward to when the first single comes out - the ACTUAL album release date! When the single is shipped to radio stations they also get a press release to go with it. The release date of the album will be in the press release!!

cybercurves

Yeah it depends on the strategy.

I think GNR needs to release their single MUCH EARLIER than usual. For a band that has been around, like Green Day or Nickelback, a 4 week gap between single and release is good enough. But for a band that has had nothing since 1993, they'll need more time to build awareness if they are to hit it big. If I heard a song tomorrow and the DJ said it was the new GNR single, I wouldnt even believe it at first. Its been too long! They need to give ample time for the mainstream to let it sink in that GNR are back. They need to release the single like....tomorrow lol.....to start awareness towards a November release.

I don't subscribe to that theory. September, October, mid November. That is a two and a half month stretch from single to album. In two and a half months that song will be old news and it'll be time for the second single! Fans need time to get used to GN'R? If that was an issue they should have promoted more than they did over the summer. I don't think it's as big an issue as the music. The music needs to be great. That is what will sell the album. And with Axl we all know it'll be great.

When I hear a song for the first time that I end up really liking, it takes me at most a few weeks to realize this (that's if the song needs to sink in). With a first single though, those tend to be catchy songs with pop sensibilities. Songs like Better, a song btw which I pretty much knew I loved within hours, not days. Really I think they can get away with a single two or three weeks prior to the album. That way people don't forget about it. Release the album while fans are still loving that first song. If any fans need more time to get used to the new GN'R that's okay. The album will still be available for them when they come around. Those people will probably need to hear the second single before they buy the album anyways.

I think it's a much larger mistake to release too late than to release too early.

I am guessing a single in mid-October, just in time for the start of the US Tour on October 24th. Album on November 13th. That's still pretty much one month from single to album, one month of heavy promotion. I think that's plenty to be honest.

[Ranma_br]

The first single usually comes out 4 - 6 weeks before the album release. It creates a buzz and helps promote album sales. If the album starts to sell, expect a 2nd single. If the album continues to sell after the 2nd sngle, expect a 3rd and so on.

One thing we must look forward to when the first single comes out - the ACTUAL album release date! When the single is shipped to radio stations they also get a press release to go with it. The release date of the album will be in the press release!!

cybercurves

Yeah it depends on the strategy.

I think GNR needs to release their single MUCH EARLIER than usual. For a band that has been around, like Green Day or Nickelback, a 4 week gap between single and release is good enough. But for a band that has had nothing since 1993, they'll need more time to build awareness if they are to hit it big. If I heard a song tomorrow and the DJ said it was the new GNR single, I wouldnt even believe it at first. Its been too long! They need to give ample time for the mainstream to let it sink in that GNR are back. They need to release the single like....tomorrow lol.....to start awareness towards a November release.

I think it too

[BIGHURT35DH]

I live in new jersey and singles are available at some music stores.....mainly Coconuts and f.y.e.......i bought 6 Depeche Mode singles there a couple days ago.......singles are still pretty big...as you may have head Nelly Frutado's "Promiscuos" single is currently the fastest selling single in the history of the recording industry....so people are still buying them.....if I were GnR I would release the album & the first single almost simultaneously......maybe drop the single a week or so before the album.

[GNRfan2008]

I agree about not releasing it too far from the album. From the songs we've heard, "Better" is the one they should go with. Here's what I think they should do. In order to sell more ALBUMS, they should release Chinese Democracy on iTunes as they have with their other material. However, they should NOT allow the 99 cent downloads of "Better" all by itself. Instead, they should tell iTunes to give every user ONE FREE listen of "Better" (not just 30 seconds) and then in order to own the song, the person would have to buy the entire album. I really do think that iTunes hurts overall album sales when people can cherry-pick. However, if they get a free, full listen to "Better," I think a vast majority of interested customers would be willing to pay $12.99 or whatever for the entire album at that point. They could include the usual digital liner notes, album art, and a video or two even. All for $13, I think a lot of folks wouldn't mind paying that if they get a nice listen of "Better." That song is very catchy.

Edited September 8, 2006 by GNRfan2008

[tbaugerud]

I agree about not releasing it too far from the album. From the songs we've heard, "Better" is the one they should go with. Here's what I think they should do. In order to sell more ALBUMS, they should release Chinese Democracy on iTunes as they have with their other material. However, they should NOT allow the 99 cent downloads of "Better" all by itself. Instead, they should tell iTunes to give every user ONE FREE listen of "Better" (not just 30 seconds) and then in order to own the song, the person would have to buy the entire album. I really do think that iTunes hurts overall album sales when people can cherry-pick. However, if they get a free, full listen to "Better," I think a vast majority of interested customers would be willing to pay $12.99 or whatever for the entire album at that point. They could include the usual digital liner notes, album art, and a video or two even. All for $13, I think a lot of folks wouldn't mind paying that if they get a nice listen of "Better." That song is very catchy.

Better is a great song. I love it.

BUT

if "Checkmate" is genuine, it promises to be an irresistable song!!

The public can't fail to realize that.

[.Seal]

I agree about not releasing it too far from the album. From the songs we've heard, "Better" is the one they should go with. Here's what I think they should do. In order to sell more ALBUMS, they should release Chinese Democracy on iTunes as they have with their other material. However, they should NOT allow the 99 cent downloads of "Better" all by itself. Instead, they should tell iTunes to give every user ONE FREE listen of "Better" (not just 30 seconds) and then in order to own the song, the person would have to buy the entire album. I really do think that iTunes hurts overall album sales when people can cherry-pick. However, if they get a free, full listen to "Better," I think a vast majority of interested customers would be willing to pay $12.99 or whatever for the entire album at that point. They could include the usual digital liner notes, album art, and a video or two even. All for $13, I think a lot of folks wouldn't mind paying that if they get a nice listen of "Better." That song is very catchy.

Better is a great song. I love it.

BUT

if "Checkmate" is genuine, it promises to be an irresistable song!!

The public can't fail to realize that.

It's great when you can say such based on a crappy 14 sec sample..

Edited September 8, 2006 by .Seal