Retailers And Independent Labels Strongly Endorse Monday Release Day Over The Proposed Friday Release Day

We, the above, all represent organizations which will be affected by the proposal to abandon national release dates for music product in favor of a single Global Release Day on Fridays.

We agree that aligning new music releases on a single day around the world could be beneficial for the music business, sending a clear message to consumers, enabling more coordinated and powerful marketing and promotions, and combating release week piracy resulting from different street dates.

Agreeing to the concept of a Global Release Day is a separate issue to the decision as to which day it should be, however. We do not agree that Friday is the best day for such a move.

A move to a Friday would unfortunately entail additional costs for many in the industry. We believe that while these costs are easily calculable, tangible costs, the forecasted beneficial revenue effects of a Global Release Day are inconclusive and subject to a range of opinions.

More and more global releases have been coming out on a Monday and the industry has proven that it can handle these with no additional cost.

Based on a detailed review of the challenges and opportunities of the shift to a single day, we strongly endorse a worldwide Monday street date for music and reject the proposed move to Friday.

Kim Bayley, Director General of the Entertainment Retailers Association, said, “The evidence suggests that virtually all the benefits of a Global Release Date can be captured on a Monday without any additional costs. It is a no-brainer. The potential to create a New Music Monday focusing all of the industry’s marketing efforts at the beginning of the week is very exciting.”

Rich Bengloff, President of the American Association of Independent Music said, “We understand the value in coordinated global marketing campaigns, and we see a global street date as having a positive impact on our industry and we stand in support of our music colleagues and independent music retail”

Alison Wenham, Chairman and CEO of the Association of Independent Music, said "Supporting independent retailers is a core principal of independent record companies, and we work together very closely. If the retailers' view is that Monday is the best day for new releases - why would we argue otherwise? They are after all the experts in retail".