Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, K-Pop Acts See a Huge Boost in 2024 Sales With ‘Variants’: The Same Album in Different Packages
Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Exclusive bonus tracks… Five different shades of vinyl… Tour booklet with exclusive photos… “Fans First” exclusive picture disc… Boxed set with candle, hoodie and CD… Target exclusive, Amazon exclusive, Urban Outfitters exclusive… exclusive exclusive exclusive… “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. According to Luminate Data’s 2024 mid-year report released Tuesday morning, the top 10 U.S. physical albums of 2024 carried an average of seven different vinyl variants, two cassettes and 13 CDs (the latter mostly for K-pop acts).