“For a long time, it was thought that summer was a bad time to release new tracks, but with streaming, that’s all changed,” claimed a popular music blog by Melboss, explaining why they believe that summer is the best season to release new music. In their blog, Melboss cites one overarching reason for this: festival season.
As the months get warmer, large-scale events such as Coachella, Valley Music Festival and Lollapalooza draw in hundreds of thousands of attendees and online viewers. For music artists, releasing music directly prior to these events allows them to promote new material for the summer while audiences are already engaged.
Alongside this, these festivals provide a prime opportunity for music labels to gauge crowd reaction in real time and dictate what the general public will enjoy throughout the coming weeks. A positive response will immediately lead to increased radio exposure and streaming numbers, while a negative one will signal that a song needs more promotion or adjustment. In this way, the coming festival season acts as both a marketing tool and a chance to survey consumer feedback.
However, while this practice is beginning to feel more prevalent amongst artists today, it is becoming increasingly noticeable by audiences who have mixed opinions on the subject. Some viewers don’t mind the music incentives, while others question the authenticity. “It is quite obvious when a song/album is released for a concert or festival because of how artists market their songs and time their releases,” said junior, Jaanvi Puli.
Listeners like Puli enjoy new music by their favorite artists, but would prefer listening to an artistically intentional piece rather than a song that could be perceived as a marketing play. “An example of this is how the girl group, Katseye, treated their songs ‘Internet Girl’ that was released before a tour and ‘Pinky Up’ which was released before Coachella,” Puli stated.
On the other hand, fans like junior Aminah Grewal are less inclined to be bothered by strategic music releases. “I do somewhat agree that artists can feel ‘fake’ when they try too hard to push the label of being the next summer hit. But then again, in this current industry, artists need to try hard in order to succeed,” Grewal said.
Ultimately, the surge of music releases before the summer festival season reflects the natural process of the modern music industry despite some consumer distaste. Summer represents peak demand for live entertainment and streaming, making it a critical opportunity for artists and their labels to capitalize on public interest. By dropping an album or song just before festivals begin, performers position themselves for visibility, larger streaming and a chance to define the summer sound.
