Album release dates

Someone please enlighten me on this subject, please.

Most albums are released with a European and North American release date. Can anyone tell me why this is? If a record label like let's say, SPV or Sony has worldwide distribution, why should either the Europeans or Americans have to wait sometimes up to 3 months for an album to be released in their continent or country?

Luckily, in America there are great mail orders like The End that imports these albums so fans sometimes don't have to wait for a coon's age.

I never understood this phenomenon either. Especially in this day and age, if an album is released in Europe three months before it's released in America, by the time the US release rolls around, the album has been all over the Internet for some time and it's been downloaded all to hell. Then they wonder why nobody buys CDs in the US anymore. Duh.

I always though it had more to do with promotion and tours, say while a CD is released in Europe then the band are playing over here to promote it and that the later release date in say the US is to have the fans ready for when the band come back to support the album at a later stage and so the fans haven't had the album for 3 months etc... but in this internet and downloading age then I think it's a dying fashion. Before all these fileshare programs most fans would not have paid the huge Import prices for the album.

Maybe i'm miles off ?

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Good points, Locky.
We live in a global market these days with the internet. I think the idea behind the separate release dates needs to be abolished. To help alleviate chronic downloading, I say one release date worldwide!

I find is stranger that they're released on Tuesdays here and Mondays in Europe. A one day difference? Huh?

Eyesore wrote:

I find is stranger that they're released on Tuesdays here and Mondays in Europe. A one day difference? Huh?

It's to account for the time diffirence.

firestar wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

I find is stranger that they're released on Tuesdays here and Mondays in Europe. A one day difference? Huh?

It's to account for the time diffirence.

Is this a serious answer?

Eyesore wrote:

firestar wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

I find is stranger that they're released on Tuesdays here and Mondays in Europe. A one day difference? Huh?

It's to account for the time diffirence.

Is this a serious answer?

Nope I was kidding.

firestar wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

firestar wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

I find is stranger that they're released on Tuesdays here and Mondays in Europe. A one day difference? Huh?

It's to account for the time diffirence.

Is this a serious answer?

Nope I was kidding.

Oh, good. Because if that was the real reason I would have lost a lot of faith in humanity...