💡✍️ADN #098: Singles vs. Albums

I’ve written extensively about the importance of release and promotion consistency and cadence in the ADN.

Tyler Thornton, an ADN reader, reached out this week and asked some great questions.

Today, I’m going to try to answer them.

Tyler asked:

“Is an album worth doing in this age of constant feeds and updates, especially since it could put you out of the game for an extended time?”

And…

“Is there a benefit for more songs or a larger concept in the eyes of the media or labels?”

 — — -

I grew up listening to albums, but like most of us, I listen less to complete projects and more to singles than I used to.

Why?

• Most artists release multiple singles before they release an album project.
• Some artists don’t release albums.
• I sometimes need to be made aware an album has been released.
• I don’t always make the time to listen from top to bottom.

With singles being more commonplace, people often form an opinion on a new album project before it is released.

They assume that the singles that proceeded the release are representative of the album as a whole.

If a fan loves the singles, they’ll want the album.

If they don’t, they won’t.

Diving deeper into this point, selecting singles that raise awareness of an album project is critical to an album’s success.

Typically, having 4–5 “single” ready tracks is essential for any album project to see sustained commercial success.

What is a “single-ready track?”

A single-ready track is a song that gives listeners something exceptional to grab onto.

• A unique title
• A great hook line
• Thoughtful lyrics
• A memorable melody
• A personal story
• An unexpected perspective
• Top-notch production

These are a few signs of a single-ready track.

There are two ways most artists approach albums currently.

1. Some artists release singles until they find success and an audience with a song or songs, and then they begin to figure out what an album around the successful song(s) could be.

2. Some artists write and record until they feel they have the singles and album completed. They work to ensure their body of work feels cohesive before releasing any music.

 — — -

The music business is about momentum, which comes from consistently releasing high-quality music.

 — — -

As an artist, you must have a creative vision for 7–30+ songs to create a cohesive album project that feels like its own body of work.

The plus side of making an album project in a predominantly streaming era is that you can give your audience more of what they love.

Recent examples of this would be Morgan Wallen, Zack Bryan, and Luke Combs.

All three found their audience through tighter release windows, social media, and touring.

They all have released multiple 20–30 song projects, which led to massive streaming consumption, record, merchandise, and ticket sales.

Without those massive projects, they would still have successful careers, but those projects were the jet fuel that brought them to stadiums.

When these types of projects connect, they are the most attractive to record labels and the media because there is more story to tell and more money to be made.

So, here is the truth when it comes to singles vs. albums.

If you can identify a sound that you love and that an audience loves (not easy) and pair it with enough of your unique perspective to write a cohesive body of work for an album (not easy), I still believe it is the best medium to deliver your music to your audience.

Why?

An album is a better vehicle for marketing, merchandising, awards consideration, touring, etc.

But while you are in the testing phase and trying to find songs sticky enough to earn your audience’s attention, releasing singles is often the best option.

It is:

• Less expensive
• Less time-consuming
• Less of a long-term commitment

It makes you more agile to react when a song and an audience connect.

Momentum comes from not biting off more than you can initially and then building a head of steam over time.

If you have any topics you’d like to see turned into a future ADN, email me: [email protected]

See you next Sunday -

Neil