In themusic industry, areissue (alsore-release,repackage orre-edition) is a release of analbum orsingle which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions.
Recordings originally released in an audio format that has become technologically or commercially obsolete are reissued in new formats. For example, thousands of originalvinyl albums have been reissued onCDs since introduction of that format in the early 1980s. With the introduction of theLP record in 1948, some collections of 78 rpm records were reissued on LP. More recently, many albums originally released on CD or earlier formats have been reissued onSACD,DVD-Audio, digitalmusic downloads, and onmusic streaming services.
Beginning withPickwick Records, which acquired the rights to reissue many ofCapitol Records' non-current albums at a low price in venues other than record stores, several record companies started "budget" or "drugstore records" subsidiaries to sell their deleted items at lower prices.
This could be where a self-released work in one territory signs a proper record deal in a new territory. For example, an act in North America who self-release an album may re-release it via an official label in Europe a couple of years later.
When one record label buys out another record label or acquires an individual recording artist's back catalogue, their albums are often reissued on the purchasing label. For example,Polydor Records reissued many ofJames Brown's albums which were originally released on his former label,King Records. King Records had itself previously reissued albums andsingles by Brown that were originally recorded for its subsidiary label,Federal Records.
Recordings are reissued to meet continuingdemand for an album that continues to be popular after its original release. In other cases, albums are reissued to create interest in and hopefully revive the sales of a release which has sold poorly. For example, theheavy metal labelRoadrunner Records is notorious for reissuing their artist's works' only months after releasing the original album. According to US music magazineBillboard, reissues target "casual consumers who hadn't picked up the album when it was originally released, as well as obsessives who need to own every song in an artist's catalog."[1]
In the late 2000s to early 2010s, reissues of studio albums with expanded track listings were common, with the new music often being released as stand-aloneEPs. In October 2010, aVanity Fair article regarding the trend noted reissues and post-album EPs as "the next step in extending albums' shelf lives, following the "deluxe" editions that populated stores during the past few holiday seasons—add a few tracks to the back end of an album and release one of them to radio, slap on a new coat of paint, and—voila!—a stocking stuffer is born."[2] Examples of such releases includeLady Gaga'sThe Fame Monster (2009) following her debut albumThe Fame (2008), andKesha'sCannibal (2010) following her debut albumAnimal (2010).
Some recordings are reissued to celebrate their popularity, influence, or ananniversary of the artist or the recording.
Some recordings are reissued soon after their original release because one of the tracks was seen in a negative light. "Cop Killer" byBody Count was one such example.[3]
Some recordings areremixed and reissued in an effort to erase prior band member's contributions. Two such examples wereOzzy Osbourne’sBlizzard of Ozz andDiary of a Madman, whereBob Daisley andLee Kerslake's original bass and drum parts with new parts recorded by drummerMike Bordin and bassistRobert Trujillo after Daisley and Kerslake had successfully sued Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon in court, winning songwriting credits and royalties for their contributions to Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Osborne retaliated by replacing their bass and drum parts to avoid paying more royalties.[4][5][6] British girl groupSugababes reissued their studio albumTaller in More Ways followingMutya Buena's replacement withAmelle Berrabah. "Do What U Want" by Lady Gaga featuringR. Kelly was removed from all streaming and online versions and new vinyl and CD pressings of Gaga's third studio albumArtpop in light of the documentarySurviving R. Kelly.
Some recordings are reissued when one or more songs come into question. A notable example isMichael Jackson's posthumous albumMichael, which had three songs ("Keep Your Head Up", "Monster" and "Breaking News") removed in later releases due to controversy concerning the authenticity of Jackson's vocals.[7]
Some reissued albums were released for making sequel of the promotion project. This is different to special or limited album, where both special and limited album were released for certain event like Christmas or group's anniversary. An example isFunky Town byT-ara, where this repackage album was released as the sequel of their previous EP,Black Eyes. The album was released for their drama video project where the video was released as the sequel of their previous drama video,Cry Cry from the previous EP. Another example isTwicecoaster: Lane 2 byTwice. The repackage album is the sequel of their previous EP,Twicecoaster: Lane 1.
Common additions to reissued albums include:
For the purposes of quantifying sales, an album's original and subsequent releases are counted together. For example, if an album sold 300,000 of its original release and 700,000 in reissues, it would be entitled toplatinum certification. However, the musical contents of the original disc must remain the same on a reissue for it to count towards certification.[citation needed]
Somerecord labels specialize in reissuing recordings originally released on other labels. Four of the biggest reissue labels areRhino Records,Craft Recordings,Hip-O Records, andLegacy Recordings. Each of these companies reissues material from the labels of a major musicconglomerate:Warner Music Group,Concord,Universal Music Group, andSony Music Entertainment, respectively.Collectables Records is another prolific reissue label thatlicenses recordings from other labels.