The value of lengthy pre-sales
Surprise releases:
While they may currently seem to be in fashion, surprise releases only usually works for the biggest names in the music industry, so unless you’re Beyoncé, don’t even try this route.
It’s also worth mentioning that while many popular artists have started leaving only a few weeks (or even less time) between a new album’s announcement until it’s actually released, that’s probably not an advantageous idea for someone working their way up.
The longer fans have to order your new album, the better you’ll make out. If you only allow a few days of presales, people may forget, they might not get the message (no matter how much you share and reshare on social media), or they may decide to wait until the day it’s actually out… only to forget when the time arrives because they aren’t on your email list.
Remind people frequently, and in tactful ways, that your album is up for presale and that they should order it ASAP!
Incentives..
You can offer something to those who purchase early, such as a track from the record before it’s out given at purchase or possibly discounts on tickets or merch, but make sure you’re still making the money you need.
Simple math is :
say you spent 5,000 producing the album
How many albums do you need to sell at what price to break even?
1,000 x 5 pre-sale = 5,000
500 x 10 pre-sale = 5,000
335 x 14.95 = 5,000
Now let’s look at setting up a music career:
Then imagine if you worked to sell 750 albums x 14.95 = 11,200
2 album sales a day for a year.