As an artist, the way you present and distribute your music can impact success as much as the songwriting itself. That’s why it’s crucial to understand how to leverage each type of release format to build and engage your audience.
In this blog, we’ll break down the differences between a single, EP, and album to help you decide how and when to release each. We’ll discuss reasons to consider every format and provide you with some actionable tips to optimize your release strategy.
Why release format still matters in the streaming era
Streaming may have changed how fans discover and consume music, but how you package your releases still matters.
Today’s listeners discover and listen to music in more fragmented ways. From creating sharable playlists of disparate singles to discovering hooks through short-form video content, it’s a stark contrast to the days of taking a chance on a new CD or vinyl and listening through on one sitting.
Acquiring new fans and building momentum requires a mix of release formats—using singles to capture attention, open up opportunities and build momentum, then using EPs and albums to deepen the connection and strengthen your fanbase. Understanding the differences between each format helps you release and promote your music more effectively.
What is a single?
A single consists of one to two tracks (usually just one) and runs under 10 minutes total. It’s the oldest format for distributing music. First sold on wax cylinders and brittle shellac discs and eventually on sturdier vinyl. This was simply out of necessity, as the limits of early disc-cutting technology prevented distributors from printing more than one song per side.
It was the rock revolution of the 1950s that solidified the 45 rpm (revolutions per minute), 7-inch single’s status in music history. After the format’s introduction by RCA Victor in 1949, the quickly emerging teenage demographic began snapping up 45s at a steady clip due to their portability.
Why release a single?
Singles are a great way to test new material, engage your fanbase, and build momentum toward a larger release. Singles are also a great way to gain an algorithmic boost, by staying active with more frequent releases.
Tips for releasing a single:
Releasing a single may seem straightforward, but with so much new music hitting platforms every day, it pays to be intentional. Here are some key tips to help your single stand out, reach the right listeners, and build momentum for future releases.
Make each single feel like an event:
- Cover Art: Create multiple formats of your cover art for merch, social posts, and a motion version for Spotify Canvas or Apple Motion Art.
- Story: Identify the story within your single that makes it stand out. Whether it’s about the writing process, the lyrics, or the instrumentation, create a narrative that you can reference in press pitches and within your updated bio.
- Video: Record a music video for your track. Think beyond the long-form, traditional music video to include short-form content as well.
- Premiere: Organize a cross-channel premiere for the day your track goes live. Aim to debut your track in multiple formats, from an in-person release show to a Q+A article about your track.
Optimize your metadata for discovery:
- Track title: Create a unique and memorable title for your track so fans can easily find it
- Genre: Provide accurate genres/subgenres as well as “sounds like” references (if applicable) to help platforms place your music.
- Artwork: Including your name and track title on your cover art can make it more memorable and findable for fans.
Pitch to playlisters and journalists:
- Pitch to Spotify Playlists: Spotify has a range of official playlists with millions of dedicated followers. You can pitch your release for consideration with at least 7 days notice.
- Pitch to Independent Curators: Aside from official playlists, Spotify has a strong community of independent curators who are always looking for more under the radar music. But be careful to avoid fraudulent playlists!
- Pitch to journalists: Create a press release with an updated artist bio and photos to pitch journalists on premiering and/or reviewing your single.
What is an EP?
An “extended play” release (EP) consists of 3-6 songs and runs between 10-30 minutes. While it’s more cohesive than a set of singles, an EP is still shorter than an album. Since their introduction in 1948, the EP has seen periods of decline and resurgence throughout history.
Why release an EP?
An EP is a smart, flexible release format that serves multiple purposes. For emerging artists, it’s a natural next step after releasing a single: long enough to showcase your sound and appeal to today’s short-attention span listenership, while being more affordable than an album. For established acts, an EP can bridge the gap between full-length projects, offering fans B-sides, remixes, or unreleased tracks to stay engaged. And because there are no strict rules, an EP also gives you space to experiment, whether that’s live recordings, collaborations, or songs that didn’t fit on an album but still deserve to be heard.
Tips for releasing an EP:
An EP is an excellent follow-up to a single release. With a shorter runtime than an album, it keeps the attention of new listeners while leaving fans wanting more – in a good way. Here are a few tips for releasing your next EP.
Build hype with a waterfall release: You can build anticipation and extend the impact of your EP by dropping singles ahead of the actual release.
Promote like it’s an album: Treat your EP like an album. You can lean into the world, visuals, and themes on a higher level than a single release.
Schedule a small tour around the EP: Bite size albums come with bite size tours! If you’re looking for a way to promote in-person, there’s nothing better than scheduling a 3-4 show run around your region.
What is an album?
An album contains seven or more tracks, typically exceeding 30 minutes in length. It’s intended to be a complete artistic statement, showcasing a cohesive body of work that reflects an artist’s vision, sound, and growth. Albums often represent a milestone in an artist’s career and are used to tell a broader story or explore a concept in depth.
Why release an album?
Despite the predominance of singles in today’s streaming and social media culture, albums are still an essential release format for artists to build their identity and tell a story. Albums serve as milestones in an artists career and are often the pinnacle of promotion when it comes to output.
Tips for releasing an album
If you’re preparing to release an album, first off, congratulations. That’s a significant achievement and a great milestone in your career. Here are some ways to ensure your album arrives to an engaged fanbase that’s ready to take it over the top – from sharing it with friends to showing up to your shows and buying your merch.
Plan months ahead: Unlike a single or shorter EP, albums need time to plan to ensure success. Plan for at least a months’ worth of promotion, including press outreach, video content, visuals, and promotional events.
Consider track order and song flow: You can ensure your album sounds like a coherent body of work rather than a mixtape by listening back to tracks and analyzing the transitions to optimize your track order. In a straight-through listen, an album should flow seamlessly.
Pitch press: Press coverage is still crucial for album promotion. Update your electronic press kit (EPK) with details on your album then send it out to music journalists who have covered comparable artists. Positive quotes and bylines can go a long way in propelling your reputation and popularity.
Which format is right for you?
For new artists, releasing a single is often the most effective way to attract listeners. Since full albums are harder to gain traction with early on, singles act as a low-barrier entry point—an easy way for fans to discover your sound. Once you’ve built a small but growing audience, you can expand into an EP, then eventually a full-length album.
For more established acts, singles play a different but equally important role. A common strategy is the “waterfall release,” where you drop a few tracks from an upcoming EP or album ahead of the full release. This helps re-engage your audience, build momentum, and give each track its own moment to shine while building excitement for an album.
Ultimately, your release strategy should align with your budget, timeline, and goals. Singles are faster and cheaper to produce, making them ideal for frequent releases or testing new sounds. Albums, on the other hand, are better suited for artists with an established fanbase and longer timeline for recording, releasing, and promoting.
Key Takeaways: Choosing the Right Release Format
Whether you drop a single, EP, or album often comes down to your output, budget, goals, and timeline. Consider the following when choosing a release format.
- New artists: Start with singles to grow your fanbase gradually.
- Building momentum: EPs are a great bridge between singles and full-length work and build in momentum.
- Established artists: Use singles and waterfall releases to create hype around EPs and albums
- Budget-conscious? Singles require less time and money than albums, unless you’re particularly fast in the studio.
- Have a backlog of songs? Frequent single drops keep content flowing. Or consider an EP which can serve as a mixtape and doesn’t need a coherent story across songs.
- Ready for a statement piece? Albums are ideal for deep artistic expression and storytelling.
On a very high level, here’s how you can approach each release format:
Singles are best for debut artists looking to grow or established artists looking to stay active. Singles are fast and easy to churn out, making them ideal for fan acquisition and experimentation to learn what kind of songs resonate with your fanbase.
An EP is an excellent bridge between formats, offering developing artists a way to capitalize on their growth and give fans a more complete picture of their sound. For more developed artists, EPs can be useful experiments, mixtapes, or one-offs that drive engagement. Many established artists sometimes package a new single with older b-sides, live tracks, or covers to bulk up a release.
An album is a heavy lift, but it’s best at capturing an artist’s sound and ideas in a certain time period. From a promotion standpoint, it’s best to release albums on the heels of singles so your release is met with anticipation and excitement. Attempting to promote an album after it drops — without any lead singles, is a difficult task.
Conclusion
Using a variety of release formats over time can help you build and maintain momentum at strategic points in your career. While singles are an easy way to gain new fans and activate your programmed audience, EPs and albums are essential milestones in capturing a creative period of ideas, inspiration, and themes.
You can approach singles distinctly, like bricks for building your sound, or use them to tease out an upcoming long-form project. It’s a freedom of today’s streaming landscape that you can approach release formats in a fluid way. Release singles to compile them later or release an album to follow it up with alternative versions in singles. It’s up to you to find what resonates with your audience and feels fulfilling.
Need help releasing your next project? CD Baby makes it easy to distribute singles, EPs, and albums to every major platform.