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Digital
iTunes favours tracks not given early radio play
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 25 August 2010
According to reports, iTunes has adopted a new policy of offering better promotion to tracks which are serviced to the download store at the same time as radio. In fact, one source told CMU that this is now the only way to get tracks onto the main page on the market leading download store, resulting in a number of lead singles (those released before a full album, so where there is no album track equivalent already available) expected to go to number one missing out.
As previously reported, the pre-release window traditionally exists so that record labels can build a profile for a new track through radio play and other promotional activity over a number of weeks, with the aim of maximising first week sales so that the single enters the chart in a high position. The high chart ranking then brings further exposure on radio and in the mainstream print media, normally securing further single sales and, it’s hoped, building wider interest in the album release that will normally follow.
The problem is that in the digital age as soon as a track appears on radio, many music fans want immediate ownership of it. It’s argued that because these people cannot legitimately buy the song they go onto illegal file-sharing networks instead. As early as 2004, a piece of CMU and MusicTank research reported that this was one of the excuses used by file-sharers as to why they went the illegal route rather than buying tracks from the then fledgling iTunes Music Store. However, most major labels still like to have the pre-release promotional window as part of their marketing plan.
This was the subject of a MusicTank debate back in March. Read CMU’s full report on that here.
If it is true that iTunes is refusing to promote tracks that have already received radio play, this could fore a change of policy from the majors and the closure of the pre-release window. Or it could be the point at which labels stop placing so much emphasis on the iTunes store as a digital marketing tool.
