A popular trend developing has been to re-release an album 6-12 months after it originally comes out. This is has been going on for a long time I’m sure but seems to have become even more popular recently. As a music consumer who actually buys music it makes me sick to see record labels seemingly trying to cash in on consumers like this.
There has been a whole slew of records that get re-released and have “special content” which is an extra song or two and/or dvd footage. Why are labels doing this? It seems like the labels are trying to get two album releases out of one. If you can have websites/newspapers/stores covering the initial release of an album and also a second re-release then they have have just gotten two times the promotion for the same record essentially.
There are also people who will re-buy albums even if they don’t like doing so because they simply want new content and will buy the album over again to get it.
Whats the problem with re-releasing album, Who cares?
There are a lot of people out there, myself included, who really anticipate an album’s release and go out and buy it when it comes out. I refuse to buy an album twice simply because it has an extra song or two, or even if it has 5 new songs. I shouldn’t have to buy it twice. If I have spent money on a CD (physical or digital) that means I want to show support for that artist and thus that means I enjoy the music. I want the extra content like other people, but I don’t want to have to wait 6 months and re-buy a CD I already bought.
Something that has also become popular lately is rarities albums from bands. This is where a mix of B-sides, covers, and misc. songs all end up put together on an album. Depending on how the band/label does it can be really good or just junk but at least I’m not buying the same album twice. This is a way to handle the extra songs that artists have recorded without re-releasing an album.
Exceptions
I do not like albums being re-released obviously but there are certain exceptions that I understand such as problems with distribution and needing to re-release it with someone else to get the album in stores. That’s a understandable situation but then keep the track listing the same, don’t content to it. If there is extra songs or videos then release it in a separate album or a separate EP.
This is not really an exception but often record labels will release several different versions when the album first comes out, such as a standard and deluxe edition. Again it makes me cringe at how money grabby the labels are being BUT at least I know what my choices are right from the start.
Feedback
How do you feel about re-released albums? Do you or have you bought an album twice because it came out with more tracks on it.
