Advantage of being a Prolific Musician

Discover the advantage of being a prolific musicians and 5 ways consistent music releases can boost a career and open new opportunities.

The advantage of being a Prolific Musician

by Chris Robley via Reverbnation Blog

It’s been true for years: Artists who release music more frequently have an advantage.

And that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

I’ll explain why in this article.

The many different kinds of music releases

There are a lot of different types of music releases today, including:

• Singles
• EPs
• LPs (full albums)
• Holiday tracks
• Novelty or topical songs
• Remixes
• Cover songs
• Mashups
• Remasters
• Alternate arrangements
• Acoustic takes
• Sped-up versions
• Demos
• Live recordings
• One-off collaborations
• And more

In the 20th Century, many of those recordings would become the stuff of box sets and bonus material, or even go unreleased. 

But there’s a case to be made today that you should officially distribute all of that music (at least the types of releases that apply to you) — and give each track its time in the spotlight.

5 reasons you should release music more frequently

1. You stay on your fans’ radar

If you use social and streaming platforms, you know how it is: As consumers, we move on fast. 

Dropping new music keeps you fresh in your fans’ minds. This is why it’s crucial today for artists to manage active release strategies. Each release is a reason for listeners to come back to you, check out what’s new, dive deeper into your older music, and maybe even hit that follow or subscribe button. 

The more frequently you release music, the better your chances of catching, capturing, and keeping the attention of the people who could become your lifelong fans!

2. Streaming platforms love consistency

DSPs often reward artists who release frequently. In most cases, “frequently” also implies singles. 

This is particularly true when you look at Spotify’s direct pitching tool, which only gives you the opportunity to recommend ONE song at a time. And a new song’s early performance will determine if it gets any continued algorithmic boost via playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly. So you don’t necessarily want to record 12 songs and release them ONLY as an album. Because you’d be missing the opportunity to pitch 11 of the tracks. 

Now this isn’t to say you NEED to pitch every song as a single. Some tracks just aren’t meant to be “singles,” as they benefit from the context of surrounding songs on an album. But whether you decide to release (and pitch) 3 or 6 or 12 singles that later end up on an album, the point is: 

Don’t waste good opportunities to get more of your music in front of more listeners.

3. You level up fast

The more music you make, the better you get at it. 

Frequent releases push you to sharpen your skills in many areas: Songwriting, production and arrangement, performance, mixing, marketing, content creation, and more. 

It’s all practice, and every single release helps you understand what clicks with your audience.

4. More shots at playlists and press

Each release gives you a new opportunity to pitch your music to curators, bloggers, and playlisters. 

By releasing frequently, you’re giving yourself more “at-bats” to get noticed while refining your music pitching skills. 

That can mean more streaming love, social buzz, and growth — both from new curators and tastemakers, and the ones who already support your music. 

5. Room to experiment and find your groove

With frequent releases, you have the freedom to try different styles, sounds, and vibes. 

Maybe you lean into something unexpected or discover a sound that really resonates with fans. Or a new challenge sends you into uncharted territory for your next big project. 

So have fun, get inspired, and make bold creative choices. Over time, you’ll build a catalog that reflects that creativity and versatility.

Frequent releases don’t mean more expensive distribution 

Being a prolific musician isn’t just about pumping out tracks. 

It’s about giving your music career a steady pace that keeps fans engaged, sharpens your skills, and takes full advantage of the algorithmic ways in which streaming and social platforms surface content today. 

And now with ReverbNation, you don’t have to stress about additional distribution costs for each new release. Premium membership includes UNLIMITED distribution. 

You don’t have to pick and choose between platforms. We’ll deliver all your music to all the platforms. No per-delivery or per-release fees. No extra charge for UPCs or ISRCs. It’s all included!

And with ReverbNation, you can even drop tracks as singles, and later bundle ‘em up as part of a larger album.