Does pre release streaming have a +ve or -ve effect?

After a seven-year absence from the music scene, Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience became one of the most anticipated albums of 2013. It was made available for streaming in its entirety through iTunes a week before it’s official release on March 19th. The record became “the most pre-ordered and the fastest-selling album in iTunes’ history”, producing an impressive 968,000 copies by the end of the first week of sales – an accomplishment worth noting in today’s climate, where most artist are struggling to move half a million copies in their debut week. Industry experts had predicted a successful release for Timberlake; in the event, it became the best selling album of 2013. - See more at: www.thembj.org/2013/08/pre-streams-and-album-releases/#sthash.DKyAENqc.dpuf

Another pre-release streaming success is Random Access Memories by Daft Punk. The record sold 339,000 copies during the first week of sales. The release was similar to Timberlake’s in that it was available for streaming on iTunes a week prior to the drop. It was equally anticipated, as it had been eight years since their previous album Human After All. The only track released before the album is the catchy single Get Lucky, which had the “biggest streaming day for a single track in Spotify history in the U.S as well as the U.K.” - See more at: www.thembj.org/2013/08/pre-streams-and-album-releases/#sthash.DKyAENqc.dpuf

It seems that if people like what they hear, they will buy the music. The industry shows that the “streaming before release” strategy is especially successful for established acts that have been dormant. However, newer artists should not shy away either, as The Weeknd shows. The strategy pushed The Weeknd to the fourth spot on the Billboard 200. - See more at: www.thembj.org/2013/08/pre-streams-and-album-releases/#sthash.DKyAENqc.dpuf