The Extended Player (an EP) has often been a popular release format for musicians, bands and labels. EP’s have been released for decades as the industry knows it is a great end product for numerous reasons. It is a good show case product allowing a number of tracks for a band to express continuity between their music offerings or show diversity of style. An EP would typically span between 3-5 unique songs or musical compositions.
The goal of an EP release
The EP is a product that can also be themed compared with a single release. There is no doubt it is a great promotional tool and an easier buy for people than a full album release. Definitely a product that has an impulsive purchase attraction due to low cost of owenrship. It tends to carry great weight compared with a single release and yet does not require the time and commitment of a full album production in terms of studio costs. It is a very good way to promote yourself and you can draw parallel to the old school music demo tape when required.
Modern take on the EP product
The only major difference is that an EP release is now often released digitally and/or on a cd or vinyl. A physical product is a useful tool to market at gigs as there is a real “carrot” draw when there is a saleable item. A vinyl EP has become quite a trendy thing to do for an established band and adds an additional appeal for especially enthusiastic fans. Consider it as an option if your feel there is sufficient interest. It is a good idea to poll your fan base before commitment to a vinyl pressing run.
If sales are not involved the EP can definitely demonstrate your seriousness to present a range of material to record label or live gigging venue as well. One significant difference is that the EP demo should be of a good standard as people will have a higher expectation compared with the days of cassette demo’s. Many musicians have digital audio workstations at home and some knowledge about recording and mixing processes so it is not usually a problem to get a reasonably good sounding demo together.
Artistic scope of the EP
Each EP release should be considered with care and you need to think what tracks you have in your production library that represents what you want to convey. It can be different planning for a promo disk for gigs than for a musical release in it’s own right which will be sales driven. For acquisition of live gig bookings present tracks that capture your live energy and compentence as musicians. For sales you will be more likely to focus on the conveyance of a musical message, statement or goal.
It is easy to say put your best tracks on there but it does depend somewhat on what the main and possibly secondary purpose of the release is. Make careful consideration as to the goals of the release before deciding on the tracks and the running order. It is an exciting product to release because there is much more artistic scope than a single.
Promotion of the EP
Use all social media streams to promote the release date and ensure you always have sufficient copies available for sales at gigs. It is a good idea to take a few more physical copies than you anticipate selling. It can be a good idea to stimulate interest by offering a track in return for sign up to a email mailing list or a beneficial social media site. Online distribution of the EP is almost obligatory these days so ensure you approach a reliable company to get your tracks on the major software download outlets.
Summary
An extender player is a great tool for many purposes and has some advantages over both the full album and the single release. Take time to consider how you want the end product to represent your music and band. Keep your musical running order choices goal driven for maximum impact. If at all possible let the EP kill 2 birds with one stone to get best return on time and money invesment.
Barry Gardner operates SafeandSound Mastering which includes EP mastering services based in London UK.