Country Time
New Album Format Good Is Good For Industry
By: Matt Bjorke
Last updated February 19th , 2010

For what seems like the twentieth year in a row, music sales have gone down and while the industry took to digital sales too slowly, thus allowing a whole generation to place little to no value in buying music for their iPods or cell phones.  Since the CD is now heading to extinction, music labels have to be a bit more creative in how they deliver new music to the masses.  One option is to release 3-4 song 'ep' that is released every 3 months or so constantly giving fans music.  Independent artists have long done this as the cost to record an EP is lower than a full-length album and they also can then sell the EP at shows and finance the next EP recording.    

The first major label to try this new approach for releasing music is Warner Music Group and the Nashville branch, Warner Music Nashville.  They're going to try a "Six-pack" approach to albums and are starting with Blake Shelton.  Mr. Shelton will release his first "six-pack" "Hillbilly Bone" (named after the hit duet with Trace Adkins) in early March with another, not yet recorded, six pack album in August or September.  The idea behind the Six Pack is exactly the same as the indie EPs.  To give fans new music more often and at a quicker pace.  

I'd venture to say that the label decided to try this with Shelton because he's been somebody who has often recorded right after releasing an album while also having a large enough  fan base to truly test the 'six-pack' concept out.  If Shelton and WBN are successful with this release, It soon won't be long before the record labels, particularly in Nashville, follow a similar path as a way to get new product from their artists out at closer intervals, after all some artists like Carrie Underwood have taken up to two years to deliver new albums which is in direct contrast from the old Nashville way of releasing a new album every year (George Strait still does this).  

I actually think Blake Shelton and his label will be successful.  I hope they're successful with the model too as I'm always up for getting new music and to get 12 songs a year from an artist seems to be better than the 10-12 every two years that artists tend to follow now.  This is good for studio musicians, good for songwriters and good for the artists themselves.  Also, a six-pack type of system will find labels more inclined to release a six-pack out to the world without really worrying about a super hit or not and for the artists and fans of new music, this would be a really good thing. 

New blood within any industry helps to sustain and, in most cases, revitalize it, particularly if the 'old guard' doesn't open up to new ideas.  This is something Nashville has constantly fought with, new ideas. But with the 'six-pack' album model, Nashville is leading the charge for a change and it's nice to see.  Here's hoping that Blake Shelton's "six-pack" model works, it ultimately should help the industry get new blood, revitalize it and - this is the best reason- fans get new music more often, which is what we all want.

[Tags] Country

Recent Related Articles