IFPI Set To Declare Friday As Global Music Release Day, Target and Other Retailers Balk [REPORT]

Which day of the week new music is released on varies from country to country, leading to confusion and some say to more piracy. But getting everyone to agree has not been easy, and some retailers may use it as an excuse to stop selling music altogether.

Global music trade group IFPI is set to announce that Friday has been chosen as the first ever universal global music release day. sources tell Music Week. Friday is already new release day in Germany and Australia, but the shift would mean big changes in the US, UK and elsewhere.

Target May Stop Selling Music

In addition to a less confusing universal release day, those in favor of the move hope that higher weekend retail traffic will also boost sales. But some major retailers including Target are sending messages that they may dump music all together rather that spend the money needed to make the change.

Two Sides Of The Coin

While not confirming the move, and IFPI spokesperson did tell Music Week, "The artist organisations and many retailers and record companies internationally support Friday, and this is backed by consumer research in many countries."

But Beggars Group chief Martin Mills disagrees, "

"Whilst I acknowledge the needs of a digital world for co-ordination, it seems to me to be crazy to throw away one of the trading week’s two peaks, and the ability to re-stock and rectify errors before the week’s second peak…
It astounds me that the major labels are not listening to their customers, their interface with their artists’ fans. I fear their consultation has been a charade, and the market leaders were always going to push this through. I fear this move will also lead to a market in which the mainstream dominates, and the niche, which can be tomorrow’s mainstream, is further marginalised. I fear it will further cement the dominance of the few – and that that is exactly what it is intended to do.”