How regular do you release an album

Subject: How regular do you release an album
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 11 Aug 18 - 12:03 PM

Steve Knightly (Show of Hands) raised a debate on Facebook about the amount of new recordings artists seem to release these days.
If an artist releases new material about every 18 months I feel this is at a rate I can afford to buy albums (up to 8 diffrent artists a year) so long as it is not packed out with tracks from previous releases I will usually buy & look forward to listening , if to many repeated tracks then the comment about quickly produced albums is justified.
Artists that recycle old material rarely get me to buy as if I follow an artist I would expect to have the originals.
Singer/songwriters like Jackie Leven produce so much good material that to get it heard he had to produce albums under other names, always high quality.
So how often do others feel records should be produced?

Subject: RE: How regular do you release an album
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Aug 18 - 01:35 PM

I think that it is a good idea for performers to coordinate CD releases with concert tours. When I hear a good concert where the performer introduces new material, I often would like to take that music home. It is disappointing to hear a performer say, "This song will be on my CD, which will be available in 6 weeks." I think the market is best at concerts, so it is important to have merchandise available.
On the other hand, I know how hard it is for performers to carry CDs along on a concert tour. Maybe it's time to stop traveling with CDs altogether, and sell music on download cards.
Joe

Subject: RE: How regular do you release an album
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Aug 18 - 02:23 PM

I used to volunteer at an arts centre and there have been a number of times when I have asked performes how much space they wanted for merch to get a reply along the lines of "Oh, I suppose we could have brought some CDs".

Subject: RE: How regular do you release an album
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 11 Aug 18 - 03:22 PM

Early to mid 1960s performers could release 2 or 3 LPs of new material a year
to cash in while still hot...

2018 - I see a near future of more artists releasing 1 or 2 finished tracks at a time for download,
as and when the mood takes them...

Maybe an end of year physical CD collating selected tracks [or all of 'em]...???
if they consider themselves to have a large enough fanbase to make manufacturing financially viable...

Subject: RE: How regular do you release an album
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Aug 18 - 06:00 PM

I've got a friend who really hates CDs. He's a vinyl/digital guy. He records an album of varying length whenever he feels like it, and asks for $7. His income isn't dependent on sales at all, though.