Sony And Universal Announce Policy Change on Singles
Monday, 17 January 2011
Written by James Conlon
Two of the UK’s biggest record labels have announced plans to change the way in which singles are released in the country. Both Sony and Universal have revealed that they will be making new singles available on the same day as they are first played on the radio.
Both companies have stated that they plan to adopt the policy from next month for all acts whose management agree to the changes. The decision comes as a move to prohibit illegal downloading of songs, where listeners currently have a six week window between a song’s first radio play and its official release. By releasing the song simultaneously with its first radio play, the record companies believe that consumers will be more likely to take legal routes in obtaining their favourite tracks.
Speaking on the decision, Universal Music's UK CEO David Joseph said: "For a lot of our younger fans and consumers the word 'wait' is no longer in the vocabulary. You hear something and want it and then you search it. And if you search for it then you’ve got to make sure there is a legal site for that appetite."
The policy change comes after months of pressure from The Featured Artists Coalition, a group comprising of over 1,500 artists and supporters who campaign for performer’s rights in the UK. The Artists Coalition released an official statement today, declaring: "We welcome the move by several of the major and independent labels to move to same day retail and airplay single releases. We believe artists will benefit from increased sales, fewer illegal downloads from fans who want to own the music as soon as they hear it, and a more accurate chart which reflects undistorted consumer behaviour."
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