Art release

An art release is the premiere of an artistic production and its presentation and marketing to the public.

In the music industry, a release usually is a creative output from an artist, available for sale or distribution; a broad term covering the many different formats music can be released in, and different forms of pieces (singles, albums, extended plays, etc.).

The word can also refer to the event at which an album or single is first offered for sale in record stores.

While some acts who enjoy local or small scale popularity have started their own labels in order to release their music through stores, others simply sell the music directly to customers, for example, making it available to those at their live concerts.

Unlike self-publishing a novel, which is usually done only when no other options exist, even well-established musicians will choose to self-release recordings.