What Is An EP And Should You Release One?
The music industry is constantly changing. Today, we're fully immersed in the streaming era and, for example, something as popular as vinyl records (traditional album), is not even a thing anymore. Today's artists, on top of working on their music, need to stay on track with trends to present new music to their audience and engage new fans or even other artists for collaborations.
This can be a big challenge, especially if you're on a budget and recording in a music studio isn't an option. The good news, though, is that unlike in the past, when artists didn't have an option but to release full-length albums, today you can work your way up the ranks little by little. But you gotta understand things very well first.
So, should you work on releasing a full-length album, or an EP (ep stands for extended play) instead? What's best for your music career? What is an EP in the first place? Vinyl records? What's that?! The answer depends on your specific situation but if there's one truth it is that any artist can benefit from EPs, a mini-album consisting of 3-5 tracks.
Note for you young folks out there:
A vinyl record is a phonographic disc record used back in the day by literally everyone who recorded a full-length album! It was the technology of the time and thus, some of the most popular songs in history made their way to people's ears through it (not boring at all if you think of it in those terms, huh?).
Back To EPs
Here’s the deal: our attention span is quite short and there are millions of tracks being released every month. That’s why people are turning to EP albums and not considering a full album, or as others call it, studio album, as much, because this way they can release tracks more frequently and also try new stuff to see what their audience thinks or to tap into new niches!
Even some of the biggest hip hop and pop music artists, who have unlimited resources, have opted to spread out what would’ve been a full-length album into ep albums because it enables them to keep their momentum going. It enables them to constantly give their audience new tracks, and since this industry is a "call people's attention" type of industry, EP albums do the trick quite well! Mind you, the format of a release isn’t everything. But making the right decision can affect results. So consider the following advice before deciding whether EP albums are for you or not.
Releasing An EP Album Vs. Releasing A Full-Length Album Or LP Album
EP albums are a great way to get your music out there without spending a lot of money. Think of it as fewer tracks, with less mixing and mastering costs. If you’re an up-and-coming artist with limited resources, EP albums are a great option to start developing a relationship with your audience and acquire new fans—especially if you're looking to release your debut album!
If you’re getting started and don’t have as much time or money, but still want your music heard by others, EP albums are a great way to start racking up some loyal fans (definitely much better than an LP Album, if this is your case)! For artists who are between full-length album cycles, an EP album can be the perfect bridge to your next music project. It’ll give you time and space for new material while still being able to connect with your fanbase constantly.
And to put things in perspective! Think of back in the day when you either had to work with a vinyl record because it was your only option! Now, artists can release great-quality stuff without spending very little, relative to what you would've spent back in the day on a vinyl record (without accounting for inflation for you ecom nerds out there).
So Far So Good But What Is The Downside Of Taking The EP Album Route In Today's Music Industry?
There is a downside: With the release of your EP album, you might not get as much attention from streaming services. For example, Spotify groups any 6-song project under 30 minutes and less than 7 songs into its "EPs/Singles" tab on an artist's page meaning that putting one more song onto it can bump your work up in visibility for full-length album releases! Just something to consider if we’re being real, you know?
Your call to make! If you've worked on a few tracks and you just need one more for your music to be classified as a full-length album, and you know this will translate into more visibility from your fans then, why not? Ep records will most likely do the trick for you. Ok, do keep in mind that this would take "The Waterfall Strategy" out of your music equation, of course. What's that? I'll tell you right below.
What Is An EP (Extended Play)? And What Do They Mean By Dynamic EP Albums?
Streaming has given rise to a new development in the industry: the “dynamic EP album.” Since no one is using compact discs (CDs) or vinyl records anymore, you can implement something called “The Waterfall Strategy,” which is basically stringing together a series of individual tracks and then grouping them into an EP album. Think of it like Disney Plus releasing one episode a week of a new series rather than all of a season’s episodes at once as Netflix does, but for music!
This can be very helpful because it would enable you to promote each one of your songs as if they were singles but in the end, you'd have released a mini album. Consider it as it may benefit you. Maybe each one of your songs is very unique and you want to spin up a few social media posts or even ads talking about the story behind a specific track. In the end, do what you think will give you the best chances of creating a ripple effect to maximize your reach!
A good example of this, although I'm not sure if he used the Waterfall Strategy per se, is Tom Macdonald. He's very controversial with his lyrics and music videos, and he knows that, of course. So, instead of taking the full-length album route all the time (he does some times), he goes on a streak where he'll release a track every week for three or four weeks. Given that each song is quite controversial, spacing them out allows each song to get people talking about it on social media.
This strategy has worked wonders for this guy, who is an independent artist who has been climbing the charts like a rocket for the past couple of years. To put it in perspective: these days being an independent rapper going against music label-backed rappers is like recording your music on a vinyl record when others are uploading it online. Just that fact should be enough to get you curious about checking out his music promotion strategy. It may even be a good idea for a future blog topic. Comment below if you like this idea and we'll get it done for you fam!
A word of caution:
Don't let the fact that releasing music is so easy these days make you think that releasing ep records or even an lp album very often will translate directly into maximum audience growth. Music will never be a number of albums released game. Even though we may not like some genres and even think they are "garbage," if a track is doing well it's because it is a quality track for a particular audience! With that said, though, if you keep quality in mind as defined by your audience, you'll reap the benefits of several ep album releases!
What Do Music Streaming Platforms See As An EP (Extended Play) Album?
Well, there are no general rules so as an aspiring music artist you must be ready to deal with curveballs all the time. Just accept that. It’s better than ending up frustrated every time something doesn’t go as expected, that’s good advice for anything. Whether your work gets put in the EP category or among the full-length albums depends on the streaming platform.
In Spotify, it all depends on whether it’s less than 4 songs but more than 6 minutes long (and under 30 seconds). On Apple Music, if your release is between 4-6 songs and less than 30 minutes long it will be classified as an EP album instead of a full album.
What’s The Best Way To Release Music On Spotify, Apple Music, And Other Platforms Without Breaking The Bank?
Through a “distro” company! That’s the best way to release your music. Distribution companies, like Columbia Records, are responsible for putting many artists' songs into digital storefronts (such as streaming services and iTunes) and collecting & paying them royalties (yes, you’ll get paid for your music in case you didn’t know!).
The secret behind releasing successful tracks? Well if you get picked up by one of the major distributors, who have contacts around the globe, from New York City to even China, millions of people will listen to you right away! Some of these companies have even been around since the vinyl record era!
Some distribution companies are tight with major labels and only distribute their music. Others, however, operate as independent firms and will work with whoever they decide.
DistroKid, for example, is an independent distribution company that has been responsible for distributing 30+ percent of all new music in the world over the past couple of years. It’s one of Spotify’s preferred artist distributors and they are at, arguably, the best when it comes to getting your content out there.
The best part? Their service is quite cheap and you get to keep 100% of royalty money, which doesn’t happen with many other services. Here’s a link to their website so you can check them out!
So Should You Take The EP (Extended Play) Route?
The world of music production is an ever-changing one. Technology changes, trends come and go and it’s next to impossible to keep up with everything that’s happening! So, all in all, taking the EP album route is up to you! Depending on your situation it may be better to do so or it may not regardless of how many albums released are displayed on your profile.
Perhaps it is better to take the full-length album route for you. Perhaps not. It depends. It's not like the obsession with studio albums quality that's expected these days, which is non-negotiable if you're serious about your music career. Just consider the advice we just gave you so that you can make a solid decision.
And, of course, if you still have any questions, whether they are about vinyl records, planning an entire release, producing your first track, how to engage fans, dealing with record labels, or anything else pertaining to music production and growing your career in the music industry, or are still unsure about whether to release an EP or not, drop your question in the comments and we’ll help you out!