Big albums queue up for autumn TV push: labels cue up big hitters for mid-September bonanza. (Schedules).

The autumn release schedule is taking shape earlier than ever this year, as labels and retailers position themselves to maximise sales in the final quarter.

Detailed release schedules for September through to November are beginning to come together up to three months in advance, answering pleas from both retailers and media buyers.

Already, albums by Dido, Texas and Sting are lined up for September, with details of October releases coming together too, including titles by Gareth Gates and Travis.

Virgin Retail commercial director Steve Kincaid says, "We know much more about releases than we did last year; people are coming earlier to us with the information and there is much better planning in terms of Christmas.

"I think, with a certain amount of gloom and doom around, if you look at how important the fourth quarter has become--it is absolutely crucial to get those volumes, so the planning needs to be much sharper to maximise that."

Matt Holmes, account manager for media buying agency Vizeum--whose clients include BMG--says the move to set up Christmas earlier this year ties in with a long-standing demand from buying agencies. "A lot of agencies are trying to get their labels to approve earlier," he says.

Tina Digby, director of media buying agency Mediacom EMG--which counts Universal and Zomba among its clients--adds, "We are putting our plans together quite early. The reason for this is it's very competitive out there."