Planning A CD Release Show? If So Read This First!

Almost every conversation I have with a band about CD Pressing starts like this:

“We would like to replicate X number of CDs, our CD release is scheduled for…..”

The last thing any band wants to do is to have a CD release without discs.  Also, having a CD release with an album you’re not happy with, or packaged with art that you regret is potentially worse.  CD manufacturing is not a long process (10-12 Business Days in most cases).  However, you have to be ready for the unexpected.  You may have the art files completed, but when you receive the proofs you may notice a typo, or that there is something missing.  Your master may have data issues you may need to address.  You may want to completely change your art, or even your track order.

If you have not booked your CD release, you have all the time you need to fix any issues before you begin the manufacturing process.  I understand the need to share your newly recorded music with the world as soon as you have left the studio, however rushing this final step could completely undo all of the hard work you have put into your album.  Every band wants their CD out as soon as possible, but it's much better to have your CD arrive a month or two early, than one day too late.

So first things first, DO NOT schedule your album release party/show/event while you're still recording.  Once you have your CDs in-hand and you have made sure that you are happy with them, the first thing you should do is begin promoting it.  This is why major studios advertise, give out flyers, have merchandise in kid’s meals, put out hundreds of commercials and put the album/movie/product in your face as many times as possible.  No major studio would ever silently release a CD a week after it was finished mastering and expect anyone to buy it.  Here is some great advice from industry experts:

“Give yourself at minimum three weeks to get the CDs out to local newspapers and magazines in time for them to write a review before or around the same time as the official release date. You can even sell limited signed editions as pre-release copies before the official release. This can help considerably with bringing in a little cash flow to offset all the money you just spent on the recording and production process.”  David Barber – Former President, Colorado Music Association

“Contact local press about your CD release at least one month before the CD release show. Don’t be like every other band when you contact the press either.  Calling on the phone or sending an email is almost the least you can do. Set up a day and time to personally bring an advance copy of your CD to the local entertainment writer(s).  Many writers say very few artists bother doing more than call or email them these days.  Those same writers say that since so few artists actually bother to come to and meet with them personally, they usually write about the artists that do stop in person 100% of the time.”  David Codr – Publisher, The Music Phonebook

“The best advice I can give is to… plan ahead. The biggest mistake is …. I would have to say out of all my orders, 90% of the orders I get from my bands are bands that already have a date for a CD release party, which is usually only a week to three weeks out. They don’t understand that the manufacturing takes three weeks. Every Friday we have bands in our office picking up CDs between sound checks and their CD release party show. When I ask them how much promotion they did for their show, they often say, “None, because we didn’t have any CDs.” And that’s when I say, “There probably won’t be too many people at your CD release party because you didn’t do any pre-releases or proper planning.” Bands tend to think the day they get their CDs should be the day they have their CD release show because they can’t wait. There [is] usually very little planning. There are no reviews in the local newspapers, no Internet reviews. That’s definitely the most common error that I see…  In my experience, bands don’t budget well either. They spend all their money on recording. They’ll spend … as much as $20,000 on recording and then … want the best-looking package on no money. Budgeting and timing always seem to be the biggest issues.” Joe Guyette – Owner, Breakthrough Media

These are the steps you should follow and check off in order:

1.            Recording and Mastering

2.            Graphic Design for Album Art

3.            Replication

4.            PROMOTION

5.            Schedule Your Release

6.            Play Your Show

If you skip any of these, or try to bunch them together, it will not be a smooth ride.  If you run through these in order, you will make more money, be happier with your product and have a stress free process.

Written By:  Aaron Perez

How Do I Get My Music On iTunes?

How do I get my music on iTunes?

It may seem like an obvious statement, but none the less it needs to be said.  “Your music has to be available for sale online.”  Yeah, your fans in your city can buy the CD at your shows.  But that counts for only a small percentage of your potential fan base.  The easiest and cheapest way to release your music globally is through digital distribution.  iTunes has become one of the most popular places where fans buy music ; so you NEED to get your music in there.

I hope that this short article helps you navigate the not so complex world of getting your music on iTunes.

How Do I get my music on iTunes?

There are many of services around that specialize in distributing artists’ music.  Distrophonix is one of those services.   While many distributors charge you a fee to put your music into stores, Distrophonix does not.  It is free to sign up and you get to keep 100% of your rights. They will release your music globally to over 400+ stores including iTunes.  Distrophonix will handle all of the set up and management of your release; as well as tracking your sales and processing your royalties.  That’s right!  You can actually make money selling your music and it doesn’t cost you a dime to sign up through Distrophonix! 

Is iTunes enough?

iTunes is by far the biggest digital music retailer in the world.  They have stores in almost every developed country.  However, not everyone uses iTunes.  Amazon, Spotify, Rhapsody, Napster, and eMusic are other popular mp3 websites.  Don’t miss the chance to sell your music to fans that use the other services.  There are over 400 mp3 stores around, and every single one of them is important. Distrophonix will get your music into practically every mp3 store worldwide. 

Do I need to have some sort of cover art to get into iTunes and the other stores?

Yes, the stores are very strict about this.  Your artwork has to be 1400 by 1400 at 300 dpi.  The artwork also has to include your artist and album name.  If you need help designing a good iTunes album cover, check out Distrophonix’s graphic design services.  http://www.distrophonix.com/graphic-design/

Do I need to have my music mastered before putting it in iTunes?

No you do not.  However, it is highly recommended that you do.  Having your music mastered will help you to have a much more professional sound and it will give a  better listening experience for your fans.  To learn more about mastering check out:  http://www.distrophonix.com/mastering/

Where do I go to sign up to get my music into iTunes and the 400+ other stores?

Distrophonix makes it easy for you to distribute your music.  Simply go to their website, http://www.distrophonix.com/distribution/, click on the “sign up today’ button and the site will walk you through the process.

How do I get people to buy my music on iTunes and the other stores?

Ok… So now your music is posted in over 400 mp3 stores globally…….Now What?   It is time to get to work marketing your music.  Just putting your music into stores without getting the word out will not result in many, if any sales.  Use social networks to spread the news that your music is available.  Encourage people to tell their friends.  Tell everyone at shows that your music is available on iTunes.  Put your street team to work getting the word out.   In short, tell everyone you know, and their mother that your music is available online.

I hope this article helps answer your questions about getting into iTunes and other online mp3 stores.  If you want to learn more about getting your music to the masses check out www.Distrophonix.com

Written By: Kevin Schmidt

Kevin is one of the owners of Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix is a company based in Baltimore, MD specializing in music marketing, distribution, Rock Band Encoding, CD pressing, and mastering for musicians worldwide.
www.Distrophonix.com

Guide To Preparing Your Song For Mastering

Summary: Guide to getting your music ready for high quality mastering results.

Getting the best possible mastered song starts with sending the best sounding mix to your mastering engineer. Here are some tips to getting your song ready for mastering.

Eliminate Noise In Your Mix. Go through your recording with your engineer to eliminate any pops and clicks in your tracks. You should also filter out any hums from air conditioners, refrigerators, and computers. If you have a track that can’t have the noise eliminated through gates and filters now is the time to rerecord it.

Get Your Levels Right. So many times we have artists contact us here at Distrophonix asking us something like when we master the track, can we bring up the vocals or lower the volume of the drums. Unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed in the mastering process, it needs to be fixed during mixing. Make sure that the song you send to your mastering engineer is mixed exactly the way you want it.

Don’t Make Your Mix Too Loud.  The loudest part of your song should peak at no more than -3db. To get the best master possible you should leave the final dynamic control and level engineer. Doing this allows the engineer to make sure that the master you receive back is exactly what you want. The volume and punch you desire should always be added by the mastering engineer.

Do Not Over Use Compressors. If you over use dynamic compressors on the final mix it can make it extremely difficult for the mastering engineer to do his job properly. It’s best to use it sparingly or not at all.

Send The Best File Format Possible. Make sure that you are sending the best quality file to your mastering engineer. Traditionally, AIFF and WAV are best. Make sure that the files you send are kept in the same resolution as what the song was mixed in.

Don’t Be Afraid To Talk To Your Master Engineer. We here at Distrophonix want to make sure that you are 100% satisfied with the work that we do. If you have a particular way that you want your song mastered please let us know and we will accommodate it.

By: Brenden Bosmans

Brenden Bosmans is a Marketing Consultant to Distrophonix LLC. Distrophonix LLC is a music marketing and distribution company based in Baltimore, MD. They design marketing plans for musicians, as well as offer digital distribution, CD pressing, download cards and mastering.
www.Distrophonix.com