How many times have you seen a live band? And how many live bands have you seen with their own Cd's, cassettes, or vinyl for sale? How many have you bought? With the modern advances and lower costs in recording and duplication technology, it is now common for any band to produce and market their own album of music. Although the final product is a tape or CD that you can easily hold in your hand, there is a lot of work involved to produce it. Here is a brief overview of the steps involved in the process of producing and releasing musical product. Even if you are not a musician and have no plans to release an album, this will give you an appreciation of how much work and money went into it.
First the band has to decide what songs to put on their product. Should they write their own originals or do cover tunes? Most bands write their own material, but any song that has already been released can be re-recorded, as long as a compulsory license is filed and the author of the song is paid. If the band does not write well, they could also record a new song written by an outside songwriter. Sometimes it might be a combination of all of these. This can be the hardest part, to get everyone to agree to the songs to be used. Many bands break up at this stage, due to musical differences. It can also be the most fun and rewarding.
Next comes the recording process. There are many options available, and the band has to decide how much they want to spend and what they have available. The cheapest route to take is record at your rehearsal space with a tape deck fed from your mixing board. This will not give you the best sound, but if you know what you are doing and take plenty of time, you can get a usable master tape. Many musicians have already invested in home recording equipment. Even if the band members do not have any, they probably know some one who does and who might help. There are also plenty of small studios that are reasonably priced, and recording schools, colleges and churches that have studio time available for free.
Before you go into the studio, be sure to have the songs well rehearsed. There is no reason to waste time in the studio learning songs. Also have a producer that will be in charge of the session to keep it moving and to listen to everything to be sure you capture your best sound and performance. This can be a designated member of the band, or someone outside of the band that you all respect and trust in their musical judgment.
The next decision is the format of your product. Compact Discs are the preferred format, but cassettes are still very common and are the preferred format for rap music. Vinyl 7 inch singles are also used, although primarily for dance music and for promotional uses. It depends on your your available budget; you could produce multiple formats, or start with one and release others later. You will also need to decide how you want the cover of the product to look, photos, artwork, credits, liner notes, colors, etc.
Duplication and manufacturing of cassettes and CD's has grown tremendously in the last few years, and there are hundreds of companies doing this across the country. You can find them listed in various trade directories and advertised in music magazines. Shop around to see who can do your project best. You have the option of having one company do it all: artwork, layout, printing, duplication, assembly, and shrink wrap. Or you may elect to split out each part to different companies to get the best price or delivery.
There are many ways to sell your product, but live gigs will be your best sales method. Don't be afraid to announce from the stage that your album is available. Have a table set up to sell your products and any other merchandise you may have, such as T shirts, hats, etc., or sell them direct off the stage at the end of each set. Some record stores will stock your product on a consignment basis. This means they will pay you when the record sells, less a percentage they keep. You can also sell thru the mail to your fan club, other band's fan clubs, and via your World Wide Web home page. If you sell a lot on your own, you may be able to work out a distribution deal with a distributor or record label.
Now that you have basic knowledge of the process, it is time to discuss the thing you should do first: establish your overall budget. It is very easy overspend in any of these steps, and you need to have a plan on how much you want to spend on each phase of the project. I have seen small numbers of decent cassettes produced for as low as a couple of hundred dollars, but a more realistic price would be a couple of thousand. Estimate how many you think you can sell, and be sure to include some free ones to give out for press reviews, bookings, band members, close friends, etc. You can sell your product in the $5 to $15 range, depending on the format and number of songs on it. This will give you a rough idea of how much money you may make, and you need to spend less than this to make a profit.
This is the basic process of producing and releasing musical product, and most of today's major label acts did it this way before they signed the big contract. So the next time you are enjoying live music and the band asks you to buy a CD or tape, buy it! Insist that they autograph it, you never know who will be the next Hootie and the Blowfish!
About the author: Steve Bussey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and is currently the owner and general manager of GeoSynchronous Records (http://www.pan.com/geosync, Listening Line 800 235 9193, ask for a free catalog), an indie label handling artists such as Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. Prior to this, Steve earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Acoustics from Georgia Tech, designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and supervised design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.
