The Guardian: why are vinyl albums becoming so different from their digital versions?

[TaylorSwift 162,571]

56 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

I remember vinyls always being released weeks or even months after the album's release

Before 2020, many artists sold bundles where vinyl automatically included a digital album download. The digital sale counted toward charts and the physical copies were manufactured and shipped later.
In 2020, Billboard changed its rules, banned bundles and now requires physicals to be shipped to count toward their charts.

[Ricardo 8,138]

4 minutes ago, TaylorSwift said:

Before 2020, many artists sold bundles where vinyl automatically included a digital album download. The digital sale counted toward charts and the physical copies were manufactured and shipped later.
In 2020, Billboard changed its rules, banned bundles and now requires physicals to be shipped to count toward their charts.

that explains it all 

[Roughhouse Dandy 13,661]

I like it. Oh well. 

[Idefix1999 461]

7 hours ago, Head Empty said:

To be fair, she said it as if those variants would be the only way to listen to those tracks, yet she (thankfully) put them on streaming a few months later 

Isn't it nearly certain that this happens nowadays? The only example I can think of where the exclusive tracks really stayed exclusive till today are the Chromatica bonus tracks like Love Me Right or the piano demo of 1000 Doves. All other releases that I followed in the last years were quick to put their once exclusive tracks on streaming within a year of the album release. For Charli XCX's B-sides it was within release week for example (although she stated otherwise).

I would have to buy 4 copies of Shania Twain's latest album to have all bonus tracks but I'm just waiting for them to appear on Spotify. But this also makes these exclusive releases kinda senseless in my opinion, if you are not too much of a collector and just have patience.

[Idefix1999 461]

7 hours ago, ThisGuyTony said:

I was gonna buy Olivia’s but decided against it once I heard the tracks were cut short. I want the album it’s in entirety tbh

I first bought the CD because it has the full album, a printed tracklist and a beautiful booklet with all lyrics. The record variants have neither of them... but I still bought one and to be honest the only part where the shortened songs disturbed the listening flow was the abrupt end of The Cure (without the violin outro).

This should have just been communicated beforehand, I have seen so much outrage online about this, but a lot of these users won't understand that a record has a strict time limit.

[nATAH 57,122]

9 hours ago, timdrake said:

It has me hesitating to buy vinyls upon release tbh. Still bummed I bought Marina's last album before the deluxe was announced  in most cases I'm not gonna double dip

exactly that, the only vinyl i've preordered is gaga cus well, i'm a stan but also cus she doesn't really play around with this

we haven't even got reissues with TDD and both deluxe tracks on one disc

[Bronco 25,349]

8 hours ago, TaylorSwift said:

Before 2020, many artists sold bundles where vinyl automatically included a digital album download. The digital sale counted toward charts and the physical copies were manufactured and shipped later.
In 2020, Billboard changed its rules, banned bundles and now requires physicals to be shipped to count toward their charts.

Genuinely such an anti-consumer move by Billboard ngl. 

[TaylorSwift 162,571]

3 hours ago, Bronco said:

Genuinely such an anti-consumer move by Billboard ngl. 

They changed its rules to protect consumers, improve chart accuracy and prevent manipulation.
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s Stuck with U reached #1 on the Hot 100 with over 100,000 downloads from unmanufactured signed CD and vinyl. The physical copies were not shipped for 9 months, and many fans canceled their orders. After fans finally received their copies, the signatures were fake so they requested refunds.

[Bronco 25,349]

8 minutes ago, TaylorSwift said:

They changed its rules to protect consumers, improve chart accuracy and prevent manipulation.
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s Stuck with U reached #1 on the Hot 100 with over 100,000 downloads from unmanufactured signed CD and vinyl. The physical copies were not shipped for 9 months, and many fans canceled their orders. After fans finally received their copies, the signatures were fake so they requested refunds.

And their solution was to force consumers into making multiple purchases across platforms/forcing them into online streaming companies to the benefit of data harvesters and advertisers. 

[nATAH 57,122]

3 hours ago, TaylorSwift said:

They changed its rules to protect consumers, improve chart accuracy and prevent manipulation.
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s Stuck with U reached #1 on the Hot 100 with over 100,000 downloads from unmanufactured signed CD and vinyl. The physical copies were not shipped for 9 months, and many fans canceled their orders. After fans finally received their copies, the signatures were fake so they requested refunds.

but now look at all these random variants with a demo slapped on the end, causing fans to repurchase the same album

it may be more accurate but it is anti consumer

[TaylorSwift 162,571]

18 minutes ago, nATAH said:

but now look at all these random variants with a demo slapped on the end, causing fans to repurchase the same album

it may be more accurate but it is anti consumer

artists would release so many different variants anyway. Taylor S dropped Folklore before rules changed and she had 8 vinyl with bonus track and 8 exclusive CDs that were shipped months after album release

also Olivia, Nicki, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott albums were shortened to fit on 1LP to sell more copies so even if BB didn't change its rules the fans still would get the same vinyl

[Ladle Ghoulash 53,458]

16 hours ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

I like it. Oh well. 

I…uh…why?

[Roughhouse Dandy 13,661]

25 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I…uh…why?

Because I can listen to the current version on streaming if I want and the vinyl can be a different experience. Like on Cowboy Carter there's an "extended" version of her vocals at the end of ii hands ii heaven that feels so special to get to when I reach for the physical record. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 53,458]

3 minutes ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

Because I can listen to the current version on streaming if I want and the vinyl can be a different experience. Like on Cowboy Carter there's an "extended" version of her vocals at the end of ii hands ii heaven that feels so special to get to when I reach for the physical record. 

I mean, the idea of the version on vinyl being unique in a positive way is great, but that doesn’t seem like that’s what’s happening the bulk of the time. It seems like a lot of what fans are getting are truncated songs, missing songs, and mixes that haven’t been finalized.

Edited 7 hours ago by Ladle Ghoulash

[meltedplastic 907]

Pop artists/record labels these days really only press their stuff on multiple vinyl variants for album sales and chart success. The fact that vinyl has its own restrictions to the format is overlooked.
I really respect when someone in today's age makes an album that is made with vinyl in mind. 
Whether it be a track-list sequenced to work well for the sound quality, to work for the different sides of the vinyl, or just making a really solid 30-45min long album that you wanna listen to back to front.
It really bothers me that MAYHEM has an etching on side d, if the songs were stretched out to fit on side d it would sound way better. Vanish into you being the last song on side a makes it sound crap with lots of inner groove distortion, felt like an afterthought. 

We need someone to make an amazing album like Hounds Of Love where Side B and Side A are like, two different stories and styles. Love how side a of HOL is pop songs and then side b is like, this theatrical concept avant-pop masterpiece.