What is the Difference between Release management and change management?

Release Management starts at the need for an enhancement to IT and continues through design, build, test activities, deployment plans, training plans, etc. Many distinguish between IT Projects and Software projects. I don't since many of the process activities are the same. At the end of this process, you'll have potentially many changes that need to occur to meet the objective of a singular release.

Change Management picks up the ball from Release by assessment of risk and impact for all those individual changes coupled with potentially many other changes from other releases, projects, maintenance activities, facilities work etc. The process ensures all prerequisites are met, no schedules conflict, stakeholders are informed and the appropriate bodies have approved.