Get the latest gossip
Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, K-Pop Acts See a Huge Boost in 2024 Sales With ‘Variants’: The Same Album in Different Packages
Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and others have gotten sales boosts from 'variants' (collectors' edition). But now each major album has seven in vinyl.
“Variants” — multiple different vinyl, CD or cassette versions of an already-released album or EP — have become a booming business in the music industry, helping to drive sales and chart numbers for artists ranging from superstars to cult favorites. While record companies have always strived to sell as many units as possible — after all, it’s their job — this particular trend arguably originated earlier this century in Japan and Korea, where CD sales are still strong and the passion surrounding K-pop and J-pop acts inspires an omnivorous acquisitiveness in fans. While the CD’s small size can limit the options, record labels went to town, stuffing the collections with photos, booklets, stickers, bookmarks, trading cards, bonus discs and of course multiple versions of the same album featuring a different group member on the cover; with 12” boxed sets, all bets were off.
Or read this on Variety
