Artists at the major label level usually put out a single first, unless they’re dropping one of those “secret” overnight albums. The lead single rallies the fans, gets press talking, and builds energy for playlists or radio.
The reasons listed above MIGHT apply to new artists — especially since a single can serve as a lower-cost introduction to both fans and the music industry. In areas of the biz where you benefit from a few early champions, a single gives new artists a way to demonstrate “market viability.” Basically, does your music have appeal? Is it working for a particular audience? You can prove it with a single.
Many of the big digital music platforms will give you access to an account dashboard where you can customize your artist profile, view analytics, and possibly take advantage of promo features.
However, those promo features are unavailable until you have music on the streaming services. You want to release your debut single, establish a presence on streaming platforms, and then be in a position to use their tools to promote your more important followup release (whether it’s a single, EP, or LP).
But until you release something, you can’t get in there to claim your accounts or DO anything on those platforms.
Here’s just a few specific examples of what I’m talking about above:
The strategy is simple: As a new artist you should start by getting one song out there into the world. Claim your accounts. Then use all the tools available to promote your followup releases.
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