Glossary / Release

Industry terms

New Music Friday

New Music Friday is the music industry's shared weekly release day: since 2015, most new music worldwide comes out on Fridays.

Also called: Friday release, global release day, release Friday

By Aulto · Last reviewed

Why Fridays?

In 2015 the industry agreed on one global release day, so fans everywhere get new music at the same time and the weekend's listening counts towards the week's charts.

Do you have to release on a Friday?

No. Independent artists can release any day. Friday is when editorial new-music playlists refresh and when fans expect new songs, but it is also the most crowded day. Some independent artists pick a quieter day to stand out.

What time does a Friday release go live?

Usually at midnight local time in each country, which is why a release can appear in one country hours before another.

Example

A Hindi indie single goes live at midnight IST on Friday, while listeners in the US get it at their own midnight, hours later.

  • Editorial playlist

    An editorial playlist is a playlist picked by a streaming service's own team of editors, as opposed to one generated by its algorithm or made by users.

  • Out now

    "Out now" is the release-day announcement that something can be listened to or bought right now, usually with a link to it.

  • Cover art

    Cover art is the square image that represents a release on every streaming service, store and smart link page.

  • Drop

    A drop is a release that goes out at a set moment, like a new song, a merch line or a product, announced ahead so people show up at once.

  • Hook

    A hook is the part of a song, or the first seconds of a video, built to grab attention and make people stay.

  • Master recording

    The master recording is the final, released version of a recorded song, and whoever owns it owns the rights to that specific recording.

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