Davido’s unreleased album, ‘5ive,’ has taken the music world by the storm, amassing over 45 million streams before its official March 14 release date.
This phenomenon has sparked online debates, with many questioning how an album yet to be launched could garner such a massive streaming count.
The role of lead singles
A common strategy in album rollouts is the release of a lead single ahead of the full album. This tactic generates buzz, builds anticipation and gives fans a taste of what’s to come. In 2024, Rema employed this approach with his Grammy-nominated album, ‘HEIS,’ dropping the lead single, ‘Hehehe,’ days before the album’s release.
Davido followed a similar path with ‘5ive.’ During the 2024 Detty December period, he released two tracks from the album, ‘Awuke’ and ‘Fund.’ These songs were not only made available on streaming platforms but also incorporated into his live performances at various December events. This strategic move exposed a wider audience to the songs and encouraged streaming.
The technical side: UPC and ISRC codes
To understand how these streams accumulate under an unreleased album, It is important to look at the technical identifiers used in music distribution: Universal Product Code (UPC) and the International Standard Recording Code(ISRC). Each song has a unique ISRC code, and each album has a unique UPC code. These codes track music across streaming services and online retailers.
Read also: Spotify, Universal Music Group deal to spur artist growth
The key: Linking ISRC to UPC
The crucial step lies in registering a song’s ISRC code under the album’s UPC code before the album’s release. This means that any streams generated by the individual songs are automatically attributed to the album itself. This practice is widespread in the music industry and explains why albums by established artists often debut at number one on album charts upon release.
By linking the ISRC codes of ‘Awuke’ and ‘Fund’ to the UPC code of the ‘5ive’ album, Davido ensured that the streams for these songs contributed to the album’s overall streaming count. This explains how ‘5ive’ accumulated millions of streams while still unreleased.
The streaming numbers of Davido’s ‘5ive’ album before its official release highlight the strategic interplay of music marketing, technology, and fan engagement.
“These codes are an indispensable tool, and knowing how to properly use them will help you to make sure you are getting paid all of the royalties that you are due. Let’s begin with the code that follows each recording,” said Reprtor, which documents music strategies.
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