Planning your album release

As the old saying goes: “Fail to plan, plan to fail.” Unless you have a huge and dedicated fan base, the world needs to know about your next album release or release day or you might have poor concert turnout. Likewise, if you don’t rehearse well, gigs can be bad and damage your band’s reputation. It all takes careful planning that allows enough time to sort things out without putting the band members under pressure that may be avoidable, but without taking too much time at all.

The following checkpoints are not the only considerations you will need to make, but they are definitely a good place to start:

Are your deadlines achievable?

Patience is key, but deadlines are also helpful to keep everyone focused. Just make them realistic. Before you make a plan, you should first have a good idea of ​​how long each step will take. If you order more than 1,000 CDs, you may want to consider CD replication as a manufacturing process that can take up to 2 weeks depending on the order quantity. There is a cost savings when using CD replication instead of CD duplication, especially with orders over 5,000 units.

Take possible delays into account. Allowing a couple of grace days here and there may sound a bit pessimistic, but if something goes a little wrong, then it won’t be the end of the word. Don’t try to do everything at the last minute and rely on split-second timing. Then you’ll have some breathing room to make sure you can get a CD duplication sample before the main batch is produced, especially if you’re using a duplication company for the first time. You can spend some extra time on rehearsals to make sure everyone is comfortable and stress-free.

There are certain activities you can avoid while working on the CD master, such as the CD artwork for the disc and the CD packaging, and also the acknowledgments – you know who’s been involved up to this point. Take promotional photos of the band and design and manufacture concert posters. Advertise early on your band’s website (have them design one if you don’t have one!), but don’t do it so soon that people lose interest before the main event.

Copyright – Protect ownership of your work

Any original work you produce, whether in audio, visual, or written format, is automatically copyrighted, but until you register that copyright, it’s nearly impossible to prove ownership should another party infringe on your copyright. It is very simple and very important to register ownership of your work before it is released into the public domain. Visit the ipo website or the copyright service website for more information and to register online.

Do not infringe copyright

If your master recording contains samples of another artist’s work, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner and submit a proof to your CD duplication company before CD manufacturing can take place. Also, if your album includes covers of songs by other artists, you’ll need to get permission from the copyright holder. Note that there are typically two copyrights associated with a song. The first is a copyright on the actual sound recording and the other is for the musical composition and lyrics of the song. Permission may be granted through a “collecting society” from which you may purchase a license on behalf of the actual owner of the copyright.

The collecting societies you should contact are PPL or PRS for Music. Check out their websites to get the license you need. If neither can provide the license you need, you may need to approach the copyright holder directly for permission, but PPL and PRS for Music cover most modern music.

Visit their websites and see which of their licenses are right for you, most can be obtained online with minimal effort and expense.

What about your CD printing design?

You may intend to produce the CD print artwork yourself before arranging CD duplication, or you may have a good idea of ​​what you want to see and are looking for a CD packaging and print art designer.

Regardless of which route you choose for a design, you need to make sure you get the right template from the company you choose to do CD printing and duplication, as there can be subtle differences with different company templates and you can avoid delays by talking to them. your chosen company before starting the design work. A good CD printing company will also be happy to advise or approve different aspects of your artwork. You should ensure that any photographic images you wish to use are of a high enough resolution (minimum 300 dpi), and if they are not your own images, then whether the image may be copyright controlled, in which case you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holder to use the image in question.

If your budget is tight for your project, there are also a myriad of CD printing options available to reduce the cost of printing while also resulting in an original, eye-catching design that really looks good. For example, a 2-color screen print that allows the silver surface of the disc to show through as part of the design can be very effective and would nearly halve the cost of getting a full color photo lithograph CD.

Have you got the CD package for your release?

Unless the CD bundle is something you’ve gotten before, you may not be aware of the incredible variety of options available. Suddenly, being presented with a myriad of options takes a good deal of time out of your no doubt already busy schedule. Again, your CD duplication company (if you’re using one) will be able to offer good advice and take some of the hassle out of you.

If you plan to produce the CD packaging artwork yourself, you should contact your CD duplication company for templates and image tips, just like with CD printing artwork for the disc itself. Budget constraints may influence your choice of packaging; For example, printed CD card wallets are a cheaper option than a standard CD jewel case with printed pieces of paper and are also a better option if you intend to mail CDs for promotional purposes or transport them to concerts for the post-concert merchandise booth.

For packaging with a WOW factor, you can opt for a Digipack to help your album release stand out from the others on retail store shelves. There are a variety of Digipack templates for use with up to 8 folding panels and can accommodate multiple CDs or DVDs of additional content if required. They can also accommodate a printed paper booklet with up to 32 pages for album information, lyrics, and thanks.

If your album is headed to stores, don’t forget to make a provision for the barcode on the back of the package. Your CD duplication company should be able to provide you with a barcode.

Beware of the copyright of the images

If you intend to use artwork other than your own photos or digital creations, make sure you are aware of the copyright status of that image. Is it royalty free? Does the owner require recognition? If you’re not sure and can’t find out for sure, don’t use it or you could end up in hot water.

Double check your audio master

As an independent artist, the sound quality of your release is critical. Your sound is the reason people show up at your gigs and wear your t-shirts, so that has to show up in your master audio. You’ve taken the time to write and record these songs to the best of your abilities, so don’t go skimping here, anywhere else, just not here.

How are the volumes of the individual tracks? Are they consistent?

• Check the clarity and volume level of all instruments for each track and make sure all the musicians involved are happy

• Make sure the equalizer is balanced so that the end user can adjust it to their particular preferences.

• Check your track spacing

• Check your fades

• Get a second, third or fourth opinion, if you can, from new expert ears.

• Double check all printed materials

After thoroughly checking for typos and grammatical errors, ask a third party to do the same, preferably someone with good spelling and grammar skills. Even if it’s a word processing program, you need to be 100% sure everything is correct to avoid embarrassing mistakes that make you look like a fool.

When you get the final artwork design proofs from your designer or CD duplication company, check that everything is ok one more time.

CD Manufacturing Checklist

• audio master

• Audio and, if necessary, image copyright documentation.

• Approved CD Disc and CD Packaging Design

• ISRC codes (your CD duplication company should be able to provide these)

Full payment (most CD duplication companies will ask for full payment before proceeding with work, unless they are billing a limited company, don’t assume you can rely on album sales to foot the bill after the event )

Order quantity (the more CDs you order, the lower the unit cost). If you don’t order enough the first time, you may be surprised when you try to order a smaller quantity after the main batch. Consider merchandise booth sales, promotion, online sales, etc.

Get a barcode if your album will be sold in a retail setting. Again, your CD duplication company should be able to figure this out for you.

What do you need for the merchandise stand?

A good portion of your gang’s income could come from the merchandise stand or, if you haven’t thought about it long before, it could be a new opportunity for you. Almost anything can be printed, so you can think about the less obvious items, albeit in small quantities at first to see how sales go. Consider the following:

• T-shirts or hoodies printed with the band’s logo, album release information, tour details, etc.

• DVD of live band performances

• signed printed photos

• signed CDs

• iPhone cases printed with your band logo

• printed mugs

• Printed stickers and posters with information about the band.

You’ll want to make sure the printers have enough time to get your order to you, again don’t do everything at the last minute. Place your order and give yourself a week’s grace to save your sanity.

Summary

Hopefully, we’ve captured the vast majority of considerations that need to be made on the way to a successful album release and a relaxed promotional tour. Good luck and best wishes!