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Many musicians have finally wised up to the idea that in order to further their musical careers they have to do more than just record a few demos and send them out randomly to some list of A&R Reps they found somewhere on the internet.
Many musicians have
finally wised up to the idea that in order to further their musical careers they have to
do more than just record a few demos and send them out randomly to some list of A&R
Reps they found somewhere on the internet. If they seriously want to reduce the odds of
failing to make money with their music, the wise musician finds ways to record and
manufacture a full length CD, and then goes one step further than most other
wannabees...actually has money saved up, or left over from recording, designing the
artwork and manufacturing the CD to DO something with the CD...meaning, they realize that
it takes money to promote and market the danged thing.
There, we got that
basic understanding out of the way. You are solely responsible for taking the necessary
steps to become a respected professional.
Many of my previous
articles on this subject of ‘Why Musicians Fail’ have sited examples of bands
and artists who have led the way for you, paving a well trod path of taking every step
they can to insure no opportunity to further their careers was left undone. So, what we
need to look at this time around is some basic economic issues involved with creating and
promoting musical product. A subject that definitely separates the boys and girls from the
men and women who say they want to be a star someday.
For starters, only you
know with your particular genre of music, what the standards of excellence are for
releasing a music CD for your audience. By this I mean, whether you are a punk rocker, or
an alternative music band is one thing. If you are a potential Top 40 pop artist, or a
country musician, the recording quality that is expected of you is very different. Think
of it this way; the more mainstream sounding your music is, the more money you will
probably be spending on recording your CD.
I have read many
helpful articles and books about raising money for recording projects. They go into great
detail about all the options available for raising money to record a record. You can save
up money from each of the gigs you are playing ( you ARE playing live aren’t
you...duh 101, please and thank you!). You can borrow money from family, friends, or take
a long shot with a business loan from a bank (good luck, they see such ventures as very
high risk, and rarely provide such loans). You can do fundraising gigs with other so
challenged bands and artists. Whatever. My point in this article is not to be your
financial advisor, only to show you it can be done. But, please remember, the world is not
waiting for your music.
If you find it so
important to record it, then trust the fundraising gods that be, and look at all the
millions of independent records that have littered the musical landscape for the last
couple of decades. There is a lot of music out there. Others have gone before you and
gotten the job done. So, where there is a will there is a way to raise the money to record
a
Some tips for shopping
for a good studio.
- Ask around. Talk to
other bands and musicians in your neck of the woods. What studios did they use? What was
their experience like at the studio?
- Call the studios you
are interested in and ask for a tour of their facilities. Do not just use a studio because
someone else said to, check it out for yourself. If you do not feel comfortable there, do
you really think you will record your best there?
- Check for deals. Make a
deal with the studio. If you are on a budget, ask if there are slow times, off hours when
they will rent out the studio for a cheaper price.
- What comes with the
studio time. An engineer? Who is he/her? Are they right for your music?
- What about a producer?
Do you have someone in mind? Does the studio recommend someone? How much will they cost?
How many points do they want? (Be sure to sign a producers agreement with any producer
too!)
- After you have found
the right studio, at the right price, rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse!!! Many musicians
spend precious time IN the studio rehearsing the the songs they want to record. That is a
no-no. The clock is ticking! Before you spend countless expensive hours in a recording
studio, be sure you have rehearsed your songs till you dream about them every night, you
know them so well. In the studio, for independent projects my motto is: Get in, Get out.
OK, so now you have
your spreadsheet filled out. You have determined a budget for the recording project, and
you have stayed to it pretty well. Now comes the time to think about the artwork design
and the manufacturing costs. This topic I deal with usually for several hours in the
classes I teach and the consultations I give. For basics. Think VERY SERIOUSLY about these
following topics.
You have spent
countless years or months writing your songs, practicing them in rehearsals, and recording
them. Now...LISTEN UP...this was the creative stuff. From here on out you are leaving your
comfort zone and entering the world of business. You are making the very product that will
represent you to the world for the rest of you life. That’s right, the cover you
design and the manufacturer you choose will combine to create a piece of plastic and paper
wrapped in more plastic that will contain visual images that will not and cannot be
erased. How you spend your money on choosing professional graphic artists who know and
have experience designing CDs will affect your whole promotion and marketing campaign.
Your CD will be in a
bin someday at store filed next to your favorite artist! Are you proud of it? Does it
contain a graphic image that reflects YOUR IMAGE and YOUR MUSIC? If not, you are hurting
yourself in the marketplace.You spared no costs on buying your instrument, and making your
music. Why is it that many distributors are now rejecting countless amateurishly designed
CD covers? One reason...the musicians who made the CD don’t care enough about
spending money on such mundane costs as artwork for a CD. Hell, the music is what it is
all about right? What difference can a CD cover make?...indeed, what a difference a well
designed and attractive cover CAN make. Think about it. Have you ever purchased a CD just
because the cover was so cool, you had to get it? Do not cut costs in this area. Lastly,
please put your name in the top 1/3rd of the front cover. Think about it. Have you ever
been to a store and tried to flip though all the CD’s they cram into a bin? How are
your fans going to find your CD if you put your name near the bottom of the CD? Our eyes
only can scan what we can easily see. Help your fan find your CD. Got it?
Moving right along.
You have managed to get your music recorded, and manufactured. You have spent a lot of
money too doing all of this...but you are not done yet. It is now marketing time!!
Depending on what you have spent on recording, design, and manufacturing, I suggest you at
least double what you have spent on those considerations. But that is ONLY for a local or
regional DIY release. Better to triple what you have spent on making the record. Here are
a few things to spend on promotion and marketing:
- Stamps and mailing
envelopes for your promo copies to the media
- Phone bills for the
hundreds of calls you must make to the media to follow-up on the mailings you sent out.
- Hiring an independent
record promoter and their retail counterparts. If you think you can get significant
national airplay of any kind without hiring someone who knows the contacts and the ins and
outs of college and commercial radio, get real please and thank you. The reason records
cost so much is all the hidden costs of promoting and marketing the record so that it
stands a chance of getting heard.
- Advertising costs that
a distributor will presume you have money for, IF you can even get a distributor on board
these days. (They are REDUCING their inventories at most distributors, and will work only
with well funded labels who have a track record of selling the CDs they have made.)
- Gas money for all the
driving around you will do putting your CD on consignment at local and regional stores.
- Internet connection
fees, and website design costs for making a killer looking site that offers your music for
sale via the many new methods available online. (MP3, a2b, Liquid Audio et al, and good
old fashioned mail order offers)
- Printing and copying
costs for Distributor One Sheets, Promo Packages, response cards, posters, flyers for live
concert sales promotions, and lots of other unexpected expenses that will surely come your
way.
There you have it. An
introduction to concept that you MUST find a way to properly fund the recording and
promotion costs that will come along. If you need encouragement after reading this, go
down to your local record store and walk up and down the aisles and look at the thousands
of other artists and bands who AT LEAST got their music into the store. THAT is an
accomplishment, and if they did it you can do, and IF you do it you are at least in the
company (crowded as it may be) of other musicians who have found a way to raise the money
to try to compete for the disposable income of a music fan who is inundated with choices
to spend their money on.
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