Digital Singles IMO have hurt the industry just as much as Piracy.
Nobody in the GP will buy an album when released, but will buy "Blurred Lines" or "Thrift Shop" because they bop on Radio.

It's just simpler to spend $1.29 on what you KNOW you already like, instead of $9.99+ on a gamble.

I think if they maybe removed Digital Singles for a week, and tested how much album sales went up it'd be an OK idea.



You can see piracy can't be taking THAT MUCH of a toll if a Digital Single can still hit 5x Platinum effortlessly.

Originally posted by Rico Shameless v2 No. To answer your last thread: Obviously piracy, growth of digital music and now streaming. The 8-track and cassette went out, CDs will continue to do so though not as hardcore disappear.

It was piracy and other forms of free music before Digital Era tho too, and people still bought albums.

Originally posted by Timber I don't think it's such a good idea. I mean how will artists like Katy and Rihanna make any profit if this were to happen?

But even if people only bought albums, it'd still basically be a profit because of how much more money they cost even compared to singles.

100,000 $12.99 albums would be the same as 1,000,000 $1.29 singles. Profit would be very easy.

Originally posted by iHypeMusic But even if people only bought albums, it'd still basically be a profit because of how much more money they cost even compared to singles. 100,000 $12.99 albums would be the same as 1,000,000 $1.29 singles. Profit would be very easy.

Originally posted by Quicksand Release the lead single digitally and that's it tbh.

I think that or whichever single that becomes the biggest from that era being available only would be smart.

Originally posted by iHypeMusic It was piracy and other forms of free music before Digital Era tho too, and people still bought albums.

Originally posted by HonourableVomit Are you actually surprised that people would sooner spend 1.29 than 9.99? Singles will always sell more than albums, digital or not. It would just increase album piracy.

Physical Singles sold CONSIDERABLY less than Physical Albums before Digital Era, and they still costed less.

It was the complete oppposite. Singles would go Gold/Platinum at most while albums were easily doing 5x Platinum+ .

Originally posted by CoolestPerson12 Digital sales are stalling. People will just stream or pirate, there's no in betweens. Labels should stop limiting how people can consume music, because it will hurt them in the end.

True, but I don't think it would hurt THAT much.

I was thinking about a situation where only the current single is available for purchase, while you need to buy the actual album for the other songs.

For example, let's say Rihanna is releasing "What Now". What her label does is offer the album, the indivual track from the album purchase page, and the single as its own release (with single cover, and the title 'What Now - Single'. To add more buying incentive, the label could add more goodies to the single ep (such as instrumental, acapella, b-side, remixes, etc.). If they wanted to take a gamble, some big artists/labels could release limited quantity physical singles to retailers, perhaps with a lower price than the iTunes version so more people would be inclined to buy it. And when the single seems to be done, remove the single ep + ability to purchase the song individually, and replace it with the new single. Or if the era is done, they could just leave the album for purchase and leave it like that.

Originally posted by superben You might as well say we should remove Internet to increase album sales.

Singles = Internet

Removing singles has shown success since even before the Digital Era though.

Britney's people removed some of her early Physical Singles, which is a little part in why her first 2 albums were SO SUCCESSFUL despite the weird Single Peaks.

Originally posted by Edge Of Glory I was thinking about a situation where only the current single is available for purchase, while you need to buy the actual album for the other songs. For example, let's say Rihanna is releasing "What Now". What her label does is offer the album, the indivual track from the album purchase page, and the single as its own release (with single cover, and the title 'What Now - Single'. To add more buying incentive, the label could add more goodies to the single ep (such as instrumental, acapella, b-side, remixes, etc.). If they wanted to take a gamble, some big artists/labels could release limited quantity physical singles to retailers, perhaps with a lower price than the iTunes version so more people would be inclined to buy it. And when the single seems to be done, remove the single ep + ability to purchase the song individually, and replace it with the new single. Or if the era is done, they could just leave the album for purchase and leave it like that.

This would be so smart.