Drop date versus release date, etc.
Rihannsu pretty much said most, but here is an example:
Dropdate comes first: It is the grand unveiling. In today's digital world, everybody can hear the song on that date (and illegal copying starts there too). This is the date you hope to reach without the track leaking first.
What happens after that depends on the country, and for each country there is at minimum a radio strategy and a sales plan.
Example: Country 1:
An impact date is set by the label. Radio can add anytime after drop date, and typically it starts with a few test stations. The impact date is the date, where the label would like to see the largest number of adds for that week. So, i.e. if adds were forming a typical bell shaped curve, the label is hoping for the steepest incline to be impact date. The steepest incline in a bell shaped curve is that stretch before the curve starts leveling off towards the peak (or mean). That is, there will be still many more adds after the impact date, but the number of adds begins to slow down. Obviously, real life is not always following bell curves, but it gives an idea.
In my example, I assume country 1 is such, that online sales begin right away. This minimizes the number of people who get the song illegally, but it has the downside that many listeners may not yet be familiar with the tune and will only buy it in later weeks, when they get introduced to the track. Sales over many weeks matter, as the song builds on radio, it can climb to higher chart positions on sales charts in later weeks. Promotional plans need to stay more flexible. One benefit is that a successful artist can be kept high in the charts by rolling out single after single.
Example: Country 2:
Radio play comes first. Sales only start after the song has been sufficiently introduced by radio. A so called release date for sales is set and announced. The label wants radio to build the song towards that date. Promotion outside of radio play is targeted towards the release date. The first week sales chart after the release date is what matters most for sales. The release date is key to everything.
Example: Country 3: (smaller country, typically)
Fairly free in its radio add strategy, but tends to follow the lead of one or two larger countries with a few weeks delay. Sales strategy is planned together with that larger country.
These are just examples. Obviously, the US follows most closely my country 1 example, whereas the UK tends to be more like country 2.
It is to be noted that Shoshanna has been quite clear that the UK release date will lag behind radio play, as is typical for the UK, and therefore the track will not be for sale in the UK until a later date.
We have not heard from her when the single will go for sale in the US. Will it be right away, or will it be a bit later? We do not know that one yet. I am assuming and hoping that it will drop and be for sale in the US right away, but it is my understanding that this does not have to be.
-----
So, please let me know, if you see any things wrong with these examples, because they are based on my understanding of these terms and their usage in the various countries. It is kind of a science to work this out for all the different markets, and the artist's promo schedule, and to still have a world-wide strategy.
Also, when you look beyond single and towards album, the element of physical sales and store roll-out adds a whole other dimension, that right now with single is not yet an issue, so I left it out for now. So, if there are any physical releases planned for any countries at all for a single, I have ignored that topic (Japan, Germany?)
Anything else?
