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ERA opposes Friday as Global Release Day without more evidence
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 6 October 2014
Following a meeting called by record label trade body the BPI last Friday, the UK’s Entertainment Retailers Association has issued a statement this morning to say that it’s not convinced by the proposed plans to switch to a global record release day of Friday.
As previously reported, global labels group the IFPI is currently pushing for all the labels and entertainment retailers of the world to release new music on the same day. Currently release days are spread across the week globally, with the UK taking Monday, the US Tuesday and Australia going all the way down to Friday. And although it’s the Aussies’ release day that seems more popular in record industry circles (majors anyway), retailers are less able to agree on when would be best to put out new releases.
Back in August indie record store owners in the US said that they were all for the idea of a consistent release day worldwide, but are not convinced by shifting to Friday. They all think that Tuesday would be just great for everyone. Especially them of course, that meaning they’d not have to change anything at all. Though their trade body The Department of Record Stores did say that there was a certain amount of flexibility.
Various other voices have since then said that they don’t like Friday as a global release day either, and now ERA has joined that group. In a statement this morning the trade body’s Director General Kim Bayley said: “We are grateful to the BPI for the efforts they have made to consult with UK retailers, but it seems apparent that a decision to impose a worldwide Friday release date for music is being pushed through by the international headquarters of the major record labels regardless of any input from retailers and digital services in the UK, US or elsewhere”.
Saying that “ERA believes there are strong arguments in favour of adopting a global release day”, she added that the push for Friday to be that day was happening “regardless of any evidence”.
“A Friday release day will undoubtedly cause logistical problems and additional costs for both digital and physical retailers”, she continued. “The current UK Monday release day allows for restocking and correction of metadata issues well ahead of the busy weekend period, something a Friday release day would not allow”.
So, there you go, the UK’s current date is the best for everyone. If there’s one thing that all retailers the world over seem to be able to agree on, it’s that the release day they currently have is better than any of the others.
But there was talk of evidence earlier. What’s that Kim? “Consumer research in the UK indicates that music fans prefer a Monday release day. Furthermore indications are that the video industry has no intention of moving its own release day to Friday, meaning retailers will potentially have to manage two separate release days. The only justification for a Friday release date would be if it resulted in a net increase in sales. No evidence has yet been put forward that this would be the case”.
Saying that, ERA is working with the IFPI, and hopes for “a more open-minded approach and to undertake genuine economic research into the impact of their plans”. Bayley concluded: “If they do not, they run the risk of making a difficult trading environment for music retailers and digital services even more difficult”.
