PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic To release a CD yourself or not.

Hi I just found some information that some people may be intereasted in. This link is to an article on about.com. If you decide to release your own album this should be of help to you. It is called

Do I Need A Record Deal?

Almost 2 years ago one of our members gave me the below link.
Apparently 20+ folks he knew had used it and were very happy.

I have used them. Am very happy with their quality and also turn
around time. Of course they are little over 120 miles from me.

It is a "Robot" company, almost everything is automated.

One requirement is hi-speed connection.

http://kunaki.com/home.asp

Google them, and their techniques.

They are ONLY a production company, not a Label company.

I have no connection with them other than purchasing 65 CD's
with them.

Pretty much, if you do it yourself your sales will approach, but not exceed, the number of friends you have. No matter how good it is, without a PR machine nobody outside your little burgh, wherever that burgh is, will ever even know you are alive.

We sold them at every show we did.
Sold way more CD's than I have friends..

IMHO, unless you have a distribution system that can move many hundred thousand CD's you are spitting into a very strong wind.

Later,

Bob (the OP), the article tells you the same thing we shared with you back 9 months to a year ago when you first started posting here, as it pertains to DIY approach or getting a record deal. Getting a record deal is nearly impossible. DIY is the way to go to make a little bit of money, follow rharv's example. Money is made these days at shows, with merchandise sales. That's almost all that there is. Get a great local following going - your 1000 true fans (read this website without any rose-colored lenses on http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php ) and see if you think you can generate that kind of following. Try it. See if you can build it up to that point. If not, don't bother attempting a 'record deal'. No record company in their right mind will give you a deal if you can't show that you already have a fan base. Plain and simple. To think that a record company will sign you before showing this rather small-scale amount of fan support is delusional at best. The article takes some time to read and digest. You should read it before you approach any label or decide to create your own label.

Prove that you have generated fans on your own, then go after a deal. This will be hard work. It may involve profound disappointment. It may involve a serious shift in perspective and priorities as to why you record and create music.

The good news is that you can use what talent you might have and social media to help you get started. These are the lamp-post flyers of today.

-Scott

Eddie,

I sold on Ebay..... this is my business model..

Cost me bout $1.50 to sell/ship it, not including the CD cost....

So glad, have fixed income..... to feed us, and buy few extras, like BIAB.

But always loved projects. Putting together the music, the artwork,
the mixing and beginners "grasshopper mastering", then purchasing, the
production etc. was a great joy for me.

And a lot of it was due to you folks, your postings, specific guidance for me,
listening to your music.

And of course all of the PG Music folks.

Over the years I have sold a LOT of CDs at the venues where the various acts I've been involved play.

The venue is where the people will buy your CD.

It may not be a million sales, but it darn sure helps pay the bills.

And lots of folks really do appreciate them.

Typically we sell 'em for 10 dollars ea at a table somewhere. The wives and girlfriends can be tapped to run the tables and are appreciative as we share the take.

One band, we ended up having six separate "releases" on sale at the same time.

There were folks who bought all six at one pop after listening, dancing and, of course, perhaps a bit of imbibing of adult beverages.

I don't understand taking the tack of, "If I can't sell a million then I won't try to sell any at all."


--Mac

@Bob (the OP of this thread)

Do you see a common thread here? There is a huge difference between getting a record deal and releasing a CD. 20 years ago, that was not the case - the second required the first.

These days, it's rather simple to release your own CD through CDBaby and other sites. (though CD Baby has the system down to a science). No record deal involved.

But the place you will move the most CDs, is at your own shows, as rharv and Mac have pointed out and the 1000 true fans article points out in many more words.

At CD Baby, you can even 'release' CDs with minimum quantity of 5. Yes, you read that right, 5 CDs is all you need to supply them to get onto their distribution. They can even be CDs that you burn at home on your computer. Your 'fans' might not like to receive it that way, but there's really not a whole lot to it. Read here: http://members.cdbaby.com/cd-distribution.aspx

Getting a record deal is a whole different ballgame. I suggest using sales on CD Baby to see if you can build up a fan base (though performance or viral videos on YouTube are the way to build up fans so it seems) and then approach record companies. However, they are trolling YouTube as you read this for the latest unsigned musical acts that are skyrocketing. It's almost better to go niche style-wise, and approach small labels that cater to a very specific narrow slice of the musical scene.

Want to see what your competition is clawing for Record Deal attention? Go to Noisetrade.com and you will see at least 20-50 new CD projects from 'Contemporary Christian' artists released FOR FREE, every single day. Some are samplers, but a whole bunch of them are even quite famous people trying to reinvigorate their existing or develop a new fan base. I just got a Charlie Peacock album for free on there. In the 1980s and 1990s, Charlie was one of the top CCM artists and producers. He either intentionally, or by proxy dropped out of the scene. Now he's back - giving his stuff away for free, to gain a new fan base. That album is still free there by the way.

Or check out the 'spiritual' section of CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/style/gospel Take a look at all of the unknown and known artists there. Boatloads. Most of them don't have a current 'record deal'. Most of them can't get the deal. Some of them choose to avoid it. But if they sell a CD on CDbaby, they get the selling price minus 4$ - the portion that CDBaby keeps.

Seeker, that might have been me. I mention Kunaki whenever the opportunity comes up. Why? Because it is a low cost way to get a better looking product than you can make at home, with shrink wrap AND a bar code.

You can try them out by grabbing 5 CD's OR DVD's for $1 a piece, plus S&H....how can ya lose?

Plus they will drop ship pieces to CD Baby, or most anywhere else for you, another nice perk for a great price!

The biggest change since they moved is now the cost is directly related to the demand. It could be as low as .75 cents up to a max of $1.75 per piece, CD or DVD, depending on when you order it.

25 bands - folks I have worked with in my studio has ordered from them, and all have been repeat offenders. All have sold a few 100 CD's at $10 - $15 a pop...they are out there doing it, not siting at home boo-hooing about how hard it is, and they make enough to kept them going.

"I don't understand taking the tack of, "If I can't sell a million then I won't try to sell any at all."

I fully agree. Even tho it has taken 10 years to sell a little over 500 copies of my original music thru Soundclick, MP3.com, CD Baby, etc it is out there in the hands of people that find it worth paying for.

Rich & Famous?

Yes....yes I am....

Kunaki bookmarked here - thanks.

Making your own CDs certainly doesn't mean that you can't get a record deal in the future and in any case it is a way to promote yourself. You won't sell millions - but these days even the biggest acts rarely sell millions (or even one million).

Having a physical release does help somewhat in promotional terms - I have had radio airplay because I have an actual CD - I also have placed my CD into a few shops (and they play it from time to time). You never know who might buy that CD - sell (or give) your CD to the right person and it might lead to bigger things.

Without a CD I wouldn't have any of that...

It's not an either/or thing. Putting out your own CDs won't stop you signing a record contract in the future.

Roger,

Quote:

---

Statistically, you're more likely to get struck by lightning than to get one of these deals. (A surprisingly large number of golfers get struck by lightning every year.)

---

Funny how holding a 4ft metal shaft with a large metal face above your head in an open area during a thunderstorm makes that happen!

Bob, (OP),

I think you're getting fixated on the "record deal" aspect. Just put your music out there, offer it for sale where you're performing and see if you have any takers.

If you don't, then play your music just for your own enjoyment, and if anyone else wants to listen, ... let them.