Class 74: Releasing New Albums

One of the changing norms and business practices of rock and roll has been how artists go about releasing their music to their fans and to the world. Virtually all bands prior to 1970 would release single 45s, compile them into an album, and then tour in support of the new album. While the original standard practice of singles and albums continues—morphed by the prevalence of streaming musical digital bytes to computer screens and a growing number of devices—there is evident a growing number of different release strategies.