The digital world develops fast and brings changes to which we voluntarily adapt for our own benefit. As tools and technologies change, other industries related to them also face drastic changes. According to recent studies on music consumption, 78% of the overall consumption happens through streaming. One of the biggest and most influential game-changers in the tech industry is, of course, Apple, and the company has its massive effect on the development of the music industry as well. 

Apple Music is one of the leading streaming services. You can learn about other services in 3 Essential Platforms That Changed The Music Industry & Will 10X Your Engagement in 2021 to be updated on streaming trends. Since its launch in 2015, Apple Music has brought many attributive changes to the music industry and specifically to streaming traditions. Apple Music pre-adds has the potential to become such a change if it gets further developed. However, at this point, the feature is not perfect. In this article, we decided to define the pros and cons of Apple Music pre-adds. 

Apple Music Pre-Add

As described by Apple, “Pre-adds allow customers to listen to one or more songs from a playlist before it is available for sale. Additionally, this feature will automatically add the playlist to their library once it is available for sale.” 

No, you are not the only one who feels like you’ve heard of pre-adds before. You, like many of us, have probably heard of Spotify’s pre-save, and yes, pre-adds offer pretty much the same as pre-save. The two features share a lot of similarities. A pre-add is simply Apple Music’s version of a pre-save, but still, there are some differences we’ve come across when testing both. To learn more about Spotify, its features, steaming options, and marketing approach, make sure to check MusicPromoToday’s 10 Tips To Properly Run a Spotify Account. 

In this article, we will concentrate only on Apple Music and pre-adds. You must do a regular pre-order for the iTunes Store, with at least one instant-gratification track included to pre-add a playlist successfully. To qualify for a pre-add on Apple Music, your playlist and songs must:

  • Have at least one instant-gratification track or music video
  • Have a sales start date that is at least one day in the future from the date you’re adding pre-order metadata and the instant-gratification track
  • Be cleared for sale in the territories you want the pre-add to be available

Check iTunes Connect Music Rights and Pricing User Guide for more information on instant-gratification tracks. 

Pros:

  • Fans are now able to hear their favorite artists’ whole albums the moment they are released
  • Bonus, they can enjoy a track or two immediately
  • The greater window for artists to market their music in advance of the drop date
  • Drive specific action on Apple Music while marketing in advance
  • Spike the first-day stream count thanks to interest expressed during the pre-add period
  • Great way to generate buzz and keep your music on the radar
  • Fans get sneak previews

Cons: 

  • Pre-adds are only available for albums, so singles do not qualify
  • The criteria for Apple Music pre-adds is strict
  • Inconsistency: while some pre-release albums don’t have one, some have an editor’s note saying that in case of pre-adding the album, the entire album will be available in your library once it’s released
  • No button, link, or menu option to add the missing tracks of a pre-release album lacking the editor’s note when it is released
  • Users have to delete the album from their libraries, then re-add it to add the missing song

Even though Apple Music pre-add has some issues with delivering a comfortable, intuitive user experience, it is an extremely easy way of making music accessible. Thus, the feature is favored by both music fans and creators, respectively. 

Follow MusicPromoToday and Instagram to be updated on the best new features, tools, music marketing tips, and techniques. MPT blogs provide the most credible information in the music industry; make sure not to miss it.