Can Global Release Day Reduce Piracy?

Wendy Anderson

Augsburg College (Undergraduate Student Paper)

Abstract

Global release day is a concept that has been publicly accepted since July 2015. The idea has changed the norm for new music releases by grouping them together on one day for countries around the world. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is predicting that global release day will increase music sales and will reduce the risk of piracy. This paper addresses the issue of whether or not the implementation of global release day will decrease piracy by analyzing the details about global release day through consumer piracy behavior and convenience, time zones, and accessibility to new music. After exploring the possibilities for global release day to decrease piracy and to increase music sales, the paper concludes with recommendations for future research.

Keywords: global release day, IFPI, music business, music industry, music piracy, music sales, New Music Fridays, risk of piracy

Anderson, Wendy. “Can Global Release Day Reduce Piracy?” Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 15, no. 1 (2015): 175-201. https://doi.org/10.25101/15.8

Click here to download pdf of the full article