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Feb 26, 2015 By Mike Hilleary

The global recording industry has announced that it will universally adopt Friday as the worldwide release day for new albums, according to a report by Billboard. For years, Tuesdays have served as the weekly release date for albums in the U.S., with UK and most European releases on Monday.

According to a statement by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents 1,300 record companies around the world, Friday was selected as future universal date due to the fact Fridays and Saturdays are when physical and digital consumer traffic is at its highest. The IFPI also believes that a single, global release date will help combat leaks and piracy. “Music fans live in the digital world of today,” write IFPI head Frances Moore. “Their love for new music doesn’t recognise national borders. They want music when it’s available on the internet—not when it’s ready to be released in their country. An aligned global release day puts an end to the frustration of not being able to access releases in their country when the music is available in another country.”

While this new standard release date was not met with enthusiasm by eveyone, including the Entertainment Retailers Association, the American Association of Independent Music and various independent music labels, the new system will take effect sometime this summer.