In the constantly evolving landscape of the music industry, artists of all levels need to always engage with their fans if they want to remain relevant, whether it’s by releasing new works or by engaging with their audience directly.

The streaming platforms tend to reward musicians who release their works frequently, and today’s listeners expect a combination of quantity and quality that can be hard to achieve. So how can an artist keep their fans’ interest alive while working on a new album?

Recently, musicians of all levels have resorted to a format that’s been in use for over a hundred years, but that streaming platforms made more popular than ever: the Extended Play, also known as the EP.

Music streaming platforms changed the way we experience music, yet artists today have a connection with their fans that was unfathomable just a decade ago. However, the limitless availability of music on all devices becomes a double-edged sword that forces music producers to be more prolific while producing works of ever-increasing quality. Recently, the EP has become the perfect format to satisfy the unabated needs of an artist’s audience while keeping the production costs down and speeding up the release turnaround.

In this article, we’ll look into what makes EP the perfect choice for many artists and why this format has gained popularity over the last few years thanks to the music streaming platforms.

What is an EP?

First off, the definition of an EP:

EPs are shorter than an album but longer than a single. They generally feature between two to five songs and are not longer than 30 minutes.

In the pre-digital era, the fast turnaround, affordability, and shorter length made the Extended Plays the ideal choice for new artists looking to enter the music market without committing to the risks and financial effort of a full-length album (or LP).

Many established artists kicked off their careers with one or multiple EPs before committing to the more popular and comprehensive LP. Although the EP’s popularity declined in the mid-90s, the music downloads and music streaming services brought it back to life in a completely new guise, giving artists a new way to provide fans with music regularly and quickly.

Today, artists use EPs in various ways, primarily to showcase and test new sounds, attract new audiences, or keep the interest of regular supporters alive in between major publications. Releasing post-album EPs have also become a common practice among pop artists, as it allows them to release music that didn’t make it to the full-length album while extending the album’s promotion with more music.

What are the benefits of releasing an EP?

Today, releasing an EP is more than a financial decision. Many artists explore this format to experiment with new sounds without putting off their fans with a whole new album. The short length of the EP makes the ideal choice when they want to give more music to their fans while working on a new LP. It may even be used as a way to introduce them to the new atmospheres and moods they’re currently exploring, which will help them familiarize themselves with this new period of the musician’s career.

As I mentioned earlier, listeners today want to listen to new music from their favourite artists constantly. Before music streaming became the most popular way of listening to music, artists could release albums every 2-3 years without engaging with their audience, if not while touring. In most cases, this music marketing strategy is no longer feasible, especially if you’re an unsigned artist trying to break through.

Industry experts suggest an artist today should release music two, even three times a year in order to stay in the game. Since releasing three full-length albums per year is almost impossible unless you’re the new Frank Zappa, the recent music trends encourage musicians to adapt their marketing strategy to the listeners’ requirements: shorter albums but published more frequently.

With the average listener focusing more and more on playlists rather than single artists, the choice of shortening the album’s length for a more accessible format becomes a natural one. The EP is also a fantastic format if you want to create hype: getting more listeners on board in preparation for a big release is a marketing strategy that works for musicians at all levels.

What kinds of artists release an EP and why?

The opportunities offered by the EPs attract both the new and the established artists.

The Extended Play works magnificently for the unsigned indie musician as it’s a promotional tool that doesn’t require excessive financial resources. By analyzing the feedback received by a newly launched EP, an artist can get an idea of what their audience is looking for and how to meet best their demands going forward.

The EP is also a fantastic way to get included in Spotify playlists with other like-minded artists. As most of the listeners today rely on playlists to discover new music, you may skyrocket your career by being included in one of them. Statistics say that over 40% of listeners prefer to listen to playlists rather than full-length albums: this is because people are attracted by the variety offered by the playlists, which can also be updated regularly by adding new music to the mix.

What about the established artists? They also opt for the convenient EP format to stay connected with their fans. For example, award-winning songwriter Charlie Cunningham released four EPs over six years, mostly in between his two full-length works. And so did Australian musician RY X: “Berlin”, his first successful single, was included in the eponymous EP released in 2013. The EP Berlin was released between his debut album and the 2016 LP Dawn.

With Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor has experimented with sounds and innovative music marketing strategies for the last two decades. Between 2016 and 2018, NIN released a trilogy of EPs:  Not the Actual Events, Add Violence, and Bad Witch.

Artists working in more popular genres are probably the ones exploiting the new opportunities brought by the EP the most. From Bruno Mars to Drake, Miley Cyrus to Lady Gaga: superstars fight to remain relevant in the constantly evolving music landscape by releasing music faster than ever before.

Regardless of the artists’ popularity, streaming platforms require musicians to combine different creative outputs to engage with their fans and remain relevant in the long term.

The history of EPs: then and now

Until twenty years ago, the EP was a format used primarily by unsigned artists or by established artists who wanted to explore new sounds or give something to their fans in between long-awaited LPs. Although many musicians still follow this practice, today the EP is a format that opens up a plethora of opportunities that the single, the LP, or the mixtape, can’t quite fulfill.

In the ocean of music available to us at all times, artists can deliver music to their fans in more consistent timeframes with the EP. Furthermore, by providing music in small doses, artists can analyze their audience’s response over time and adjust their sound or marketing strategy accordingly.

Since the early days of the EPs, one thing hasn’t changed: this format is a fantastic way to show your fans how you’re evolving as an artist and where you’re heading.

Unless you’ve listened to Motörhead and AC/DC your entire life, you must have noticed that all artists evolve and change at some point in their careers. It’s part of life, and it’d be strange if, in their 40’s, songwriters were still writing the same lyrics they were writing in their 20’s.

EPs are a fantastic way to showcase the new sounds artists are experimenting with, without giving away too much and avoiding the creative effort and financial commitment required by an LP.

The LP (album) vs the EP

Both full-length albums and Extended Plays should be part of the marketing strategy of a musician, regardless of their popularity.

As a rule of thumb, EPs create hype and build momentum, while LPs satisfy your audience by providing them with a complete album. An EP should introduce a new album or your first release, but it can be used as a marketing tool even after the release of an LP if, for example, you release a remix EP or collection of songs that were not included in the LP.

Today, listeners looking for new artists are more inclined to listen to shorter collections rather than a full-length album. Therefore, releasing shorter albums frequently will help them remain relevant while giving them more opportunities to be included in a Spotify or Youtube playlist and reach new fans.

The all-or-nothing approach of albums is now riskier than ever, especially if you consider that the average listener’s attention span is gradually lowering. If you release an LP that fails to attract your audience, it will take you months to develop a new release of any kind. On the other hand, the EP is a small “music pill” that may show an unsigned artist where to take their music next without risking significant setbacks.

LPs and EPs work best when combined in a coherent music marketing strategy. Imagine the LPs as the core of a songwriter’s creative output and the EPs as a sneak peek at the upcoming material or a way to intrigue new listeners. Working together, these two formats can benefit anyone’s career greatly and help musicians stay connected with their audience.

One negative aspect of the EPs is that they get listed separately from the full-length albums in most music streaming services. As a result, EPs end up being at the bottom of a musician’s discography (together with singles) on Spotify and other streaming services, so they get lost easily.

This is why releasing full-length albums is a crucial step in a songwriter’s career. Fans committed to a particular artist expect them to release comprehensive works sooner or later. Despite the current music trends, loyal fans will always eagerly wait for an artist’s latest publication and will listen to it front to back.

Furthermore, releasing an LP is what separates an amateur artist from a professional one, at least in the eyes of listeners. Industry professionals are more inclined to collaborate with an artist whose career includes full-length albums, as LPs have an impact and increase the artist’s online presence in ways EP rarely can.

To summarize it all:

EPs are a fantastic marketing tool to remain relevant in between major releases, as well as to create momentum, without investing the sums required to produce a full-length work.

It’s also the best way to show your fans your new creative directions without scaring them off. EPs can introduce an exploratory audience to your new works, precede a major publication, or prepare your fans for what’s coming next.

Adapting your strategy to today’s behavior in music consumption is a necessary step if you want to become (or stay) relevant. Studies clearly show that listeners today don’t invest as much time listening to a single album or artist as they used to, as they prefer playlists or shorter albums instead. The faster turnaround, lower production costs and appeal to explorative audiences make the EP a powerful workhorse for your music career, regardless of its current stage.

Overall, an EP is a great way to engage with new audiences and satisfy the needs of die-hard fans. They’re inexpensive compared to full-length albums, are easier to produce, and offer you a way to learn more about your audience.

EPs on their own will only take you this far. You can use them to increase your fanbase and build hype, but your die-hard fans will expect a full-length album. Furthermore, producing an LP gives you credibility in the eyes of your audience and curious listeners, opening up more opportunities for your music career.

By combining the pros of both LPs and EPs and differentiating the type of publications, artists can maximize their network and boost their sales and music streams.

The frequency of EPs and the comprehensiveness of LPs together will satisfy the interest of all kinds of fans, from the casual listener to the die-hard fan.