Major record labels and top artists have flooded fans with new music and tour announcements since the start of the year as the industry begins its first big push. The efforts are part of labels’ strategic rollouts of timing releases, marketing and tours which are highly planned to gain momentum before the year is underway.
Rob Evans, chief engineer and producer at Capricorn Studios, said the industry moves in seasons.
“A lot of projects that started months ago are ready now, and artists want music out early to support summer touring, festivals, and award consideration,” Evans said.
Those cycles are especially visible when artists’ fans correctly predict their favorite musicians to release new music months in advance.
Fans speculated releases from Harry Styles and Noah Kahan months before their album and tour announcements in January based on rumors online. Both artists will be eligible for the 2027 Grammy Awards because their albums will be released between the window of August 2025 to August 2026, which lines up with the release windows Evans described.
Albums are generally mapped out far in advance of even an announcement, Evans said, adding that charts reset at the beginning of the year, making it a popular time to release music and build momentum for the new year.
“Most releases are planned six months to a year in advance. By the time the music is finished, the release window is usually already set. That’s why you see so many records coming out at the same time – everyone’s been aiming for the same calendar spots for months,” he said.
Release strategy is also tightly tied to the touring calendar. Dozens of artists like Bruno Mars and RAYE have already announced music that will be released in the spring and played on tour in the summer.
For listeners, the early-year release rush is both thrilling and overwhelming.
“Having so many great artists announcing music and tours is so exciting for me because I love music,” Emily Osteen ‘29 said.
That excitement has some drawbacks, though, she said, because the concentration of potential concerts to attend may put a strain on her bank account.
“Summer is huge for touring, so artists want music out early enough to support that,” Evans said. Artists want to release music long enough before the summer that listeners will have time to know the music well before a concert so that they can sing along.
Major artists like Zach Bryan, Megan Moroney, BTS and many others will be touring throughout this summer. Each of these artists have release dates several months ahead of their tours.
“I’m still waiting on Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter to announce their tours,” Osteen said of the two artists who released albums towards the end of 2025.
Evans says that Capricorn Records experiences this seasonal cycle even on a smaller scale with their artists.
“We’re usually busy in the fall with artists trying to finish records before Christmas. Things slow down during the holidays, and then early in the year lines up with releases, tour planning and getting ready for a busy summer,” he said.
Many artists feel pressure to release projects at the beginning of the year in order to be successful.
“Early in the year feels like the starting line. If you want a strong touring season and a real run at the year, you need music out early enough to support it,” Evans said.
Joslyn Hicks ‘29 is a Journalism major at Mercer University. She is excited for her first year as a staff writer for The Cluster. In her free time, you can find her reading a book or singing along to Taylor Swift songs.
