HOW OFTEN TO RELEASE SONGS?

This is a question I've seen many artists; especially new ones are struggling to find the answer. Some love to release a song each few days and some believe only in "perfection" and they don't hesitate to work even a year or two on just one single track before releasing it. But the main question is that how often to release songs and albums to be active enough yet not to be a spammer!
Well, when it comes to such topic, there's no right or wrong and it's really up to the personal mindset for indie artists or the managers of label for signed artists. And here is my personal opinion based on my 15 years of experience:

​First of all, it's depending on how serious you are about your music career. Are going willing to put all you have in it and make a living out of it? If so, I'd recommend you create at least one song each 4 to 7 days. Let's say one song per week. Creating doesn't mean that you have to release them all. Some these songs, or in some cases most of them, would remain in your archive. It's good to release one single every 3 or 4 weeks for keeping your game up. Remember, nowadays that's it's all about internet, you need to keep making good content and the more you make the more you have chances to be heard. But in a controlled amount (later we get to that too).
Look at it as something like SEO. Same way that blogging is good to keep your website alive and let search engines to bring up your website, creating and releasing music on a regular basis also helps people to find you easier and it would create a better profile of you in the global village!!
 
Never underestimate the power of albums. Yes, I know, making an album is not as easy as a single and when the music is released in form of an album there is a chance that a lot of songs don't be appreciated as they deserve to, but on the other hand the exposure an album brings for you and your profile is not comparable with singles or even EPs. I strongly recommend you release at least one album per year or if it's possible one album and one EP per year. For exposure, albums do magic!

Don't be too slow. I know plenty of artists who are releasing one single every one or two years because they want to get all details and every little song on that single in the most perfect way they can. It's great, but let's be realistic. By the time you finish that one single this way, the hype is gone. When you release one single and anyone who hears it and likes it, will be looking out for you. They will search for more of what you've done. Don't disappoint them. Give them material. People won't wait longer than 1-2 month for your next single and if you don't give them what they want they will move on.
 
Don't overdo it. On the other hand, if you do too much and release whatever you make, you will kind of devalue your work. We all have that one friend who posts something every 10 minutes on Facebook or Instagram. What happens to that person? You just simply scroll when you see their name. You won't release what they've posted. Well as a musician, you don't want to be that person. You want people to spend their precious time and listen to what you've created. Don't spam people by posting a new song ever few days.
 
Create songs (not only writing but the whole thing) every few days but release one single per month, keep one or two per month to be released in form of an album every 7-8 months and keep the rest. One day you will go back to those old ones and recycle them!

Author

Hangi Tavakoli is our in-house established and professional music producer with more than 14 years of experience in music production, mix and mastering, recording engineering, live sound designing/engineering, lyrics writing and music arrangement. He has produced more than 1000 and written more than 3000 published songs to-date, including some major hits in international scale. ​​​​​​