From Cee-Lo to Kanye, the Pros & Cons of Leaked Albums

Within the last week, highly anticipated albums by Cee-lo, Kanye West and Rihanna have all been leaked in their entirety to the blogosphere. Usually when this happens, we look at the situation as a black and white issue; good for the public, bad for business. Here, I’d like to break the album leak down further, and let you guys know its real implications for the labels, artists, press and fans.

Cons

• Material (the songs themselves, track listing, unconfirmed features, sample clearances, etc.) may not be complete. Hearing incomplete music that is not representative of the final product (especially if it’s garbage), will turn off some fans when it comes to the finished product being released. You only have one chance at a good first impression.

• Leaks ruin the surprise factor. Part of the thrill of opening Christmas gifts is actually waiting for Christmas day. While technology has instilled the desire for everyone to have “the exclusive,” there is something to be said for waiting until official release days to enjoy a record along with others, especially those who aren’t internet savvy enough to download it before hand (yes, they do exist).

• Creates an even worse relationship between the artist/label and the press/bloggers. Many artists whose material gets leaked are quick to blame bloggers for the problem. If I can quote an analogy from David Dennis of Smocking Section, “If LeBron's decision to go to Miami would have leaked to the media a week before his press conference, he wouldn't have been upset at ESPN for reporting it.” The same should go for these albums. Blame the label intern who copied it while the engineer was on a smoke break. Don’t send me some passive aggressive email about it.

• Possible loss of revenue. The most obvious reason, many people simply won’t buy the official copy if they have one that is “close enough.”

Pros

• For many, leaks are appetizers and official joints are the main course. Rarely is a leak, no matter how close to the released date it is available, is exactly what the official album will be. There are always changes and extras that a Hulkshare download can’t get you, and millions of loyal fans who prefer quality over expedience.

• If the album is getting positive feedback (as the three aforementioned albums are), it will almost guarantee even higher record sales, not less. The leaks act as promo to coincide with great reviews which excite fans to pick up the real deal. Also, those fans who want the real thing will buy it, and not from a plastic mat laid on the ground on 125th.

• It’s good testing for the next go round. Labels always have their projections for album sales, the effectiveness of certain marketing, etc. When a whole album leaks, these artists should learn the lesson, sans bitterness and create a more accurate plan the next time around. This will in turn improve the labels limited knowledge of just how important the World Wide Web is to business, because clearly they don’t get it yet.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but the overall point is that an album leak truly is not the end of the world. The frustration of artists is completely understandable, but there is always a way to turn things to your favor. As for me, I’m playing this Kanye leak all day every day, but believe I’m getting my special edition, explicit copy on the 22nd, and the great thing is, I know I’m not alone.