Soundcloud Putting Already Uploaded Tracks Into an Album

Digital

[Overview | Mastering | Distro | Bandcamp | Publishing, Licensing, Copyrights]

| Overview

With a budget of a few hundred dollars...

y'all can go your digital album professionally Mastered and make it available on all the popular stores and streaming services. A ballpark budget starts at around $forty per vocal for Mastering, plus $50 to Digitally Distribute your album and you should permit yourself a few months to consummate these processes.

If you're trying to get your music out without spending annihilation, do your all-time to "master" the tracks yourself, ready your free Paypal and Bandcamp accounts, upload your anthology to Bandcamp and voilà! - you've officially released your music digitally.

Be sure to check out the PROMO section for communication on letting the World know about your release!

Become Upwardly-to-Spec!

Audio File Formats: Y'all should save your final mixes as high-quality (24 fleck is standard) stereo WAV or AIFF files bounced at the same sample rate you've been mixing in. These WAV or AIFF files are what y'all will submit to the Mastering Engineer, what you lot will go back from the Mastering Engineer, and what you will then upload to digital stores and services (they will non accept MP3's!).

Artwork: To be safe, save your Digital album cover artwork equally a 2400 10 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at least 72 dpi and in RGB color mode. (2400 x 2400 pixels is the largest dimension recommended - many stores have a smaller version, but if you start with the 2400 x 2400 version, y'all tin e'er downsize.)

UPC and ISRC codes: To sell your music on iTunes or any of the other major services, y'all volition demand to go through a Digital Distributor and they will provide you with both a UPC code for your anthology (this identifies your anthology and monitors your sales) and ISRC codes for each of your tracks (same thought, but for private songs).

Here is a useful rundown on the applicability of UPC and ISRC codes for indie artists.

If you prefer to license your own personal UPC and ISRC codes, you can notice single UPC's for as low equally $10.00 and ISRC'southward are a ane-time $95 fee for a visitor/make prefix.

| Mastering

To have your final mixes professionally Mastered you will need to have a starting budget of roughly $40 per song and should plan on waiting iv-8 weeks from the mean solar day you lot submit your files to the day you download your finished masters.

If you lot're looking for a quick reply to the question "Should I get my digital files mastered?", the answer is "YES!"

Why?

Because mastering dependably makes your mixes audio better. 😎

Mastering engineers specialize in standardizing and refining the dynamics, loudness, consistency and timing of your tracks. They're experts at applying complimentary levels of EQ and Compression, helping each chemical element of your music audio clearer and smoother (they use the kind of Howdy-Fi equipment nearly of us tin can only dream of putting our mixes through!) For more on the history and effects of mastering, I recommend this podcast interview with ane of my favorite engineers, Carl Saff.

If y'all're not budgeted to Master professionally or if you aren't convinced that it's worth it, delight at least do your audience the favor of trying your all-time to "master" the tracks yourself!

Mastering Engineers

Here are some recommendations for affordable Mastering Engineers with swell reputations (toll per song approximate - and since rates fluctuate based on # of songs/amount of time being mastered, these approximations might exist low for a single and high for an album - always double check!):

The Boiler Room ($50/song), Lucky Lacquers ($50/song), Sky Onion ($l/song), Carl Saff ($60/vocal), Eureka (Mike Nolte) ($60/vocal), Focus (Doug Van Sloun) ($60/song), Taloowa ($75/song), Josh Bonati ($85/vocal), Table salt (Paul Gold) ($100/song), Gilt Mastering ($100/vocal).

[*2021 update: a great way of finding the correct Mastering Engineer is to wait at the credits on whatever new music you think sounds really good and then google them and see what their rates and availability are.]

| Distribution

To make your music bachelor on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Tidal etc., yous'll demand to sign up with - and pay! - a Digital Distributor.

Note: Turnaround times for Digital Distribution are pretty fast these days - from a few days to a few weeks - though you lot can specify your release engagement when you get through the set-up process. Be sure to give yourself enough time - at least a month (manufacture standard is three months) before your release date to get your EPK together, send out printing releases, service radio and push button your data.

The 3 Digital Distributors I'm most familiar with are Tunecore, CD Infant and DistroKid. All have easy-to-utilise dashboards that guide y'all through the set-upwardly procedure, offering clear and thorough reports on your sales, and allow yous to easily withdraw any coin you've made past Check, Direct Deposit or Paypal.

Tunecore vs. CD Babe vs. DistroKid

Tunecore charges $29.99 to distribute your anthology for the outset yr and then raises information technology to an almanac charge of $49.99, for continued distribution, every yr after that - simply they don't take whatever pct of your music sales.

CD Babe, on the other mitt, only charges a quondam fee of $49 per album for distribution, simply they take a 9% cut of everything you sell, for the duration of their service.

DistroKid allows y'all to upload unlimited music for an annual price (starting at $19.99/year), and lets you keep 100% of your royalties (paid monthly). Definitely the best deal, especially if you're planning to release more than one anthology. Bonus from DistroKid is that thanks to Spotify's minority investment, you get instant verification on Spotify (including the bluish checkmark on your Spotify artist page) when you submit your music through DistroKid.

Other options

In that location are a number of other Digital Distributors worth checking out, including Stalk, Music Kickup, Aded.us, Ditto Music, iMusician, Catapult and Traxx.space. Here'due south a good detailed breakdown of distributors and their features via Ari Herstand at Ari'south Take.

AWAL

AWAL is a cool Distro visitor you may desire to endeavor submitting to. It'due south curated, so they don't accept everything, but if you lot manage to perk their ears, they offer skillful terms for digital distribution (a straight xv% sales committee on a rolling 30-day contract) and they are known for actively pitching your record for store placement and features. To submit your music to AWAL, you'll offset need to fill up out a "Join Usa" course, which you lot can find here.

Artist Profiles

A number of the large digital streaming/monetization platforms permit you to independently annals and customize your Artist contour, which you should definitely do!

Here are Artist sign-upward links for Apple tree Music, Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora.

| Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a dynamic, free service that provides you with a customizable profile, full control over setting prices, and some actually useful (costless) services for selling merch and generating download codes.

(They also have some valuable features for fans, like being able to "follow" the bands you like, existence notified when the bands you follow release new music, a complimentary mobile app for streaming your purchases, and options for wish-listing and gifting music.)

Bandcamp has no set-up fees and no almanac charges. They exercise, however, take a 15% committee on all of your music sales and a 10% fee on all merch (compare that to iTunes, which takes a thirty% commission on all sales.)

If y'all're an indie artist and yous're trying to put your music out, I encourage you to get ready upwards on Bandcamp regardless of whether yous're besides doing Digital Distribution!

Heads Upwardly!

A common frustration with being new to Bandcamp is that in order to collect the coin you brand on Bandcamp, you must not but have a Paypal account, only your Paypal business relationship must be a "Premier" or "Business" Account, which means once y'all've set up a Paypal account you lot'll demand to go through an additional process of (free) upgrading on Paypal earlier you lot can actually start collecting everything you've earned. So if you plan to use Bandcamp as a platform for selling your music, go your Paypal account in gild kickoff!

| Publishing, Licensing & Copyrights

As long as you haven't explicitly signed abroad any rights, your Publishing and Master Recording copyrights default to you.

It is recommended, however, that you do everything you lot tin to professionally establish the rights to your music. This involves registering your "music compositions" and "sound recordings" with the United States Copyright Office (this can be washed together, in one application, for $35), registering with a Performance Rights Organisation (or "PRO") as both a Author and a Publisher ($100 - $150) and registering every bit an Creative person with SoundExchange (complimentary). Once these tasks are complete, you'll be covered in case anyone ever records, performs, plagiarizes or wants to pay big bucks to license your songs.

(For a really great, detailed await at the realities of Publishing and Licensing, check out this article, "Agreement the Music Industry: Music Publishers, Syncs and Licensing" past Budi Voogt.)

Functioning Rights Organizations

The three major Performance Rights Organizations - ASCAP, BMI and SESAC - collect and distriubte royalties for the "public performance" of your songs.

For indie artists, your all-time bet is to choose either ASCAP or BMI (SESAC is pretty exclusive and "invitation simply" at the moment). Both ASCAP and BMI allow you lot to annals as either a "Writer", a "Publisher", or both, but since the royalties they collect go 50/fifty to "Author" and "Publisher", you lot'll want to register as both a "Author" and "Publisher" to collect the entirety of your potential earnings.

The grab: there are fees associated with registering. If y'all get with ASCAP, you'll demand to pay $50 to register as a "Author" plus another $50 to register as a "Publisher". At BMI yous'll exist able to register as a "Author" for free simply and so they charge $150 to register equally a "Publisher".

SoundExchange

After registering with ASCAP or BMI, be sure to sign up as an Artist with SoundExchange. This is a free registration that covers royalties for "non-interactive" streaming of musical content (such every bit Pandora and SiriusXM).

Licensing

The good news is that if anyone ever wants to license whatever of your music for Film, TV or Commercials, since y'all control your Publishing and Master Recording rights, you (or you and your lawyer) can negotiate and get paid directly.

The bad news is that the competition for Licensing dollars is super intense.

While it'southward ever worth sending an email and mind-link to cool Licensing Agencies like Banking company Robber, Musicbed, The Music Playground and Zync, your best bet in terms of getting a Licensing Agency interested in your music is to succeed on other fronts like publicity and radio. If you generate some buzz, your licensing opportunities - equally well as other opportunities similar touring and merch sales - are certain to increase.

Songtradr

Songtradr is a gratis service that allows you to upload your music, set licensing fee prices, submit to various projects, and make licensing transactions all through their platform. If you air current up licensing anything through them, they take a 17.5% brokerage fee (compare that to Tunecore's xx%). Information technology's a new service and I don't know their success rate, but I've worked with some of their team before and I would definitely recommend giving Songtradr a shot.

Publishing & Licensing through your Digital Benefactor

If you're using Tunecore or CD Babe as your Digital Benefactor, you may be interested in their options for consolidating your rights management with them. The benefit would be that you may score some licensing opportunities that y'all'd otherwise exist missing out on. The drawback is that yous have to give them contractual permission to place your music anywhere they can, and y'all may not be happy with where your song gets placed, regardless of the payout.

Tunecore offers a "Tunecore Publishing Bargain" for a one-time set-up fee of $75 (plus 15% of royalties and xx% commission on any Licensing they secure). There's a decent risk you won't make that $75 back from it, simply it volition definitely offer y'all a glimpse into online acquirement streams and put your music out there for licensing opportunities.

And CD Babe has two options: a free opt-in feature for "Sync Licensing" where they will make your music available (and collect the royalties) for Motion-picture show, Goggle box, commercial and YouTube licensing; and a service chosen CD Baby Pro ($89/Album or $49/Upgrade), through which CD Baby will handle your PRO registration and collect and distribute your royalties (taking a 15% admin fee).

CD

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Samples | Distro]

| Overview

It's 2022. Should yous still make CDs?

Sure, if:
✔ you're playing a lot of shows or going on tour (CDs are still a bully impulse-buy at the merch table) [*uhh, yes, this doesn't use at the moment, but this is the general idea]
✔ you accept a proficient human relationship with your local tape store and enough of a local presence that you can most likely move some product
✔ you plan to do a big publicity and/or college radio push and want to mail out CDs for consideration
✔ you want your music added to the Allmusic.com/Rovi database, which supplies the bio, image and metadata for sites like Spotify [*2021 update: you tin can actually exercise this digitally now, by following the instructions nether the "My music is a digital release, not a physical product. Tin can it all the same be listed in the database?" at the in a higher place link.
✔ you take money in the upkeep (approximately $800 for 500 CDs)

No, if:
❌ yous hardly e'er play alive
❌ the majority of your focus is online/digital
❌ you expect to get your CD in record stores across the land (this takes a physical distribution deal, which first requires getting signed to an established record label!)
❌ your upkeep is tight... If you only have a few hundred bucks and y'all're debating between professional Mastering and making CDs, I encourage you to Principal!

| Mastering

CD Mastering is the aforementioned process every bit Digital mastering, with the boosted consideration of how best to evangelize your CD master to the CD manufacturer. Traditionally, your Mastering Engineer would burn a CD "production primary" which you lot would so postal service in to the manufacturer, and while this is notwithstanding a feasible selection (and typically an additional $25 or and so accuse for the disc), the electric current standard is to evangelize your CD main electronically as a DDP prototype.

Be certain to let your Mastering Engineer know upfront about the dissimilar formats you program to release your music in.

If y'all're looking for advice on who to use for professional person CD Mastering, delight check out the DIGITAL Mastering department!

| Manufacturing

There are 2 ways to manufacture CDs:

one) "Replication" (the high-quality professional manner)
2) "Duplication" (for low quantities - basically the aforementioned equally burning CDs from your calculator).

300 CDs is the typical quantity threshold for professional Replication. For smaller runs, you tin either become through a Duplicator, or CD Babe and Amazon CreateSpace have options to indistinguishable-as-needed.

Cost Breakdowns for Professional person CD Replication

Note the diverse packaging options and that prices exercise non include shipping (prices constructive Summer 2019 - always double-cheque!):

From Discmakers:
300 CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $555 ($1.85 per unit of measurement)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $657 ($2.14 per unit)
500 CDs in jewel cases with full colour embrace = $795 ($1.59 per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $790 ($i.58 per unit)
1000 CDs in gem cases with full colour embrace = $990 ($0.99 per unit of measurement)
one thousand CDs in full color Digipaks = $990 ($0.99 per unit of measurement)

From Groovehouse:
500 CDs in jewel cases with total color cover = $795 ($1.59 per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in total colour Digipaks = $1170 ($2.34 per unit)
yard CDs in jewel cases with full color comprehend = $890 ($0.89 per unit)
1000 CDs in full color Digipaks = $1390 ($1.39 per unit of measurement)

From Nationwide Disc:
300 CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $778 ($2.59 per unit of measurement)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $783 ($2.61 per unit)
500 CDs in jewel cases with full colour cover = $915 ($1.83 per unit)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $915 ($1.83 per unit)
m CDs in jewel cases with full colour cover = $1134 ($1.13 per unit)
thousand CDs in full color Digipaks = $1134 ($i.thirteen per unit)

The Math

As you can see, the more than CDs you industry, the cheaper the toll is "per-unit" - as low as $0.89 per CD if y'all make 1000.

This "per unit" cost is useful because it allows yous to gauge what your profit margin will be when you actually sell a CD. If CDs are costing y'all $1/unit of measurement to produce, just you're selling them at your merch table for $x each, you're profiting $nine on each CD. If you make m CDs at a cost of $900 and you manage to sell all 1000 CDs at $10 a popular (that's $ten,000!), your total turn a profit is $9100, which is why CDs, in theory, can be a great investment. (To actually sell k CDs, however, you'd probably have to be doing brisk business online and at at to the lowest degree a few record stores, in which case your profit margin would exist a chip lower because you'd need to gene in the shipping and packaging costs for mail orders, the commissions for webstores, and the wholesale price for tape shops.)

Merely hold up. Do you really need chiliad CDs? I can assure you it is extraordinarily difficult to sell 1000 - or 500 - or even 100 CDs these days, and the most likely result of making all those CDs is that they volition end up taking upwardly closet infinite for years to come.

I think the wisest communication is to effort generating interest in your music online and/or in your community first and if you lot sense that there's real demand, that's when you start thinking about manufacturing.

Kunaki

Got a hot tip from this reddit #watmm thread near Kunaki, an on-need, no minimums, CD Duplicator. Pros: full-service, cheap and on need. Cons: Duplication (not Replication) and but Jewel-cases offered.

| Samples

Beware: if you have whatsoever uncleared samples anywhere in your tracks, there is a high likelihood they'll exist detected by the manufacturer!

In order to avoid copyright lawsuits, manufacturing companies make sure to clear themselves of liability in the paperwork they have y'all sign as well as protect themselves past running every project through sample detecting software before going to press.

If they detect the samples yous've expertly chopped and woven into your songs, they volition pull your project from production, notify you of the detected samples and insist upon appropriate clearance for whatsoever it is y'all're using before your project tin can proceed.

Getting clearance

Is it worth contacting record labels and publishers nearly getting clearance to use samples? Not unless y'all've got the kind of coin that can become their attending!

If you're interested in trying anyway, here is some gratuitous, thorough, legal advice.

Solutions

Since you won't get in whatever actual trouble for submitting music with samples (and who knows, your timing could be just right to slip by!), y'all can always take a chance with the manufacturing plants. Just be sure you're approved for production before you pay them anything!

You can too Do It Yourself by printing inserts, purchasing cases and having the CD faces printed on and then called-for the CDs on your calculator...

| Distribution

If you're hoping to have your CD in record stores beyond the country, your all-time bet is to become signed past a tape label with a national distribution deal - and even then, in such a competitive market, it requires printing, radio play and critical acclaim to be in full effect the calendar week your CD is released to avoid being merely another band lost in the store-shelf shuffle.

If this is your dream, and you want to attain out to your favorite record labels in the hopes that they will offer you a deal and piece of work tirelessly to become your CD into every store still standing, simply:

✔ Etch an e-mail to the label's contact e-mail address
✔ Write a paragraph about who yous are and what kind of assistance you lot're looking for
✔ Paste in the advisable links to stream your music, and...
✔ Sign off

Chances are you won't hear back. But it's your dream. Perhaps you will! ⚡

And then what's the all-time way to sell CDs, beyond your merch tabular array at shows and from your local record store?

Online Retail

Making your CD bachelor online is as piece of cake as signing up with an online retailer similar Storenvy (free) or Big Cartel (free for up to v items or $nine.99/mo) - or DIY by creating a Cash Music account and using their costless tools for creating a store. One time you're set, you can link to your storefront from your website and your social media.

If you've fix upwardly your profile on Bandcamp, they will host a free merch-store for you (they take a ten% committee on all merch sales), from which you can toll, sell and link-to your CDs.

And if you're using CD Babe as your Digital Distributor, they offer a complimentary customizable store widget you tin can embed on your site. (CD Babe besides offers what they call "Worldwide CD Distribution" for $49 + $four/CD, allowing you to sell CD'southward via their online shop, on Amazon and through diverse distribution partners).

Vinyl

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Samples | Distro]

| Overview

Nothing's sweeter than the day UPS shows upward with a box full of your very own hot-off-the-press LP's!

Getting in that location can be a journey, though.

Be prepared to wait

Making actual records takes time. Not but are there multiple steps required before production but the whole vinyl industry is notorious for delays.

$$$

And it takes $$$. You lot'll need to be prepared to pay for Mastering, lacquer-cutting, test presses, album-jacket printing and shipping along with the vinyl manufacturing costs.

$four per unit, with a minimum of 500 units, is a good crude price estimate ("unit of measurement" = the finished packaged product).

In other words, 500 12" LP's in custom-printed Jackets volition price you $2000. (7" records are nigh half that.)

| Mastering

The same Mastering Engineer yous utilise to master your digital files can create a secondary digital master specifically tailored to pressing vinyl - it typically takes a fiddling more time and then at that place's an additional cost, but engineers and audiophiles will encourage y'all to do it. (Yep, of form you can just use the digital master for your vinyl but vinyl manufacturing introduces a different set of quirks and dynamics, so if y'all desire your record to sound its best, Master for vinyl!)

For a listing of recommended Mastering Engineers, bank check out the DIGITAL Mastering section.

Cutting Lacquers

After you have your Mastered files at that place is a 2d step involved in creating a vinyl master, known as cutting lacquer. This is the process by which the sound from your Master is transferred by a mastering lathe onto the lacquer, cutting the grooves into it. Hither's a fly-on-the-wall video demo:

There are 2 ways to cutting lacquers:

1) Send it to a lacquer-cutting specialist (who will then send it on to the manufacturing plant for production).
2) Accept the mill you're using cut the lacquer.

Both options cost about the same amount of money (approximately $350 for standard 12" or $150 for 7").

The benefit of having a specialist practice information technology is that they are really focusing on you lot and making your vinyl sound every bit true to the Master as possible. The negative: the actress time it takes to schedule them.

The benefit of having the tape plant practice it is efficiency - information technology'll salvage time and, as long as you're happy with your digital Masters, it should sound fine. Simply a record constitute is cutting a huge amount of lacquer and they're non really promising the service of a "close" listening.

Some lacquer-cutting specialists with sterling reputations (they too all happen to be pop Mastering Engineers) (prices per standard 12" approximate):

Sky Onion ($260), Carl Saff ($330), Lucky Lacquers ($350), Bonati Mastering ($350), Taloowa ($350), Salt Mastering ($370) and Gilt Mastering ($450).

| Manufacturing

Vinyl Manufacturers typically make a distinction between the services they offer: "Vinyl Manufacturing" is ane service, while "Album Art/Jacket/Insert printing" is some other (and may crave its own separate order.)

Some people prefer to take their Album Jackets and any insert material printed by companies that specialize in custom printing (such every bit Imprint or Dorado). *Notation: 500 is the standard minimum order for 12" jackets (and 300 for 7" jackets) regardless of whether you use a specialist or the vinyl manufacturer. If yous demand fewer than the minimum, you'll only be left with a stack of extra jackets...

Equally with lacquer cut, the costs are about the aforementioned whether yous have the Vinyl Manufacturer print your packaging or ship it to a specialist. I advantage of having the Vinyl Manufacturer print the Jackets is that they will typically insert the records into the jackets for you at no extra charge (as opposed to having to practise them all yourself in your studio apartment.)

Either way, if you want to keep your LP costs down, stick with the standard or default options and consider limiting the number of colors on your artwork and labels!

Price Breakdowns for Professional 12" LP Vinyl Manufacturing

Prices include lacquer cutting + *standard 12" Jacket printing* but do not include aircraft (prices are constructive Summer '19 - e'er double-check!):

From United Record Pressing:
300 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1286 ($4.29 per unit)
500 records with b/due west labels in paper sleeves = $1455 ($2.91 per unit)
500 4 color LP Jackets = $695 ($one.39 per unit)
* All-time bundle deal: 500 records with b/w labels and 500 iv color jackets = $2150 ($4.30 per unit)
+ Digital Download coupons and hosting package (1000 coupons) = $275

From Erika Records:
100 records with b/west labels in newspaper sleeves = $1066 ($10.66 per unit of measurement)
300 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1308 ($4.36 per unit)
500 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1465 ($ii.93 per unit)
500 4 color LP Jackets = $475 ($0.95 per unit)
* All-time package deal: 500 records with b/westward labels and 500 iv colour jackets = $1940 ($three.88 per unit of measurement)

From Groovehouse:
300 records with ane colour labels in newspaper sleeves = $1394 ($4.65 per unit)
500 records with i color labels in paper sleeves = $1760 ($3.52 per unit of measurement)
300 records with ane color labels and 4 color Jackets = $1815 ($6.05 per unit of measurement)
500 records with i color labels and 4 color Jackets = $2130 ($4.26 per unit)
* Best package deal: 500 records with one color labels and 500 4 color Jackets = $2130 ($4.26 per unit of measurement)
+ Digital Download cards and hosting parcel (500 cards) = $349

There are a number of other Vinyl Manufacturers both in the U.S. and away. Here is a good reference listing.

Vinyl On Demand

The prices are premium, only if all you're looking for is a limited number of copies of your album on vinyl, at that place are services that will lathe cut each tape one-by-one, allowing you lot to make every bit few as 1 copy(!) Keep in mind that lathe-cut vinyl is done by hand and non past the precisely-calibrated machinery of a record plant, so it is susceptible to volume and allegiance fluctuations, just nevertheless... pretty cool.

Here is some sample pricing from Vinyl On Demand (prices are constructive Summer 'nineteen and do not include aircraft):
1 vii" tape in a blank jacket = $25 ($25 per unit)
20 7" records in blank jackets = $285 ($xiv.25 per unit)
1 12" record in a blank jacket = $48 ($48 per unit)
20 12" records in blank jackets = $490 ($24.50 per unit of measurement)

Other lathe-cut vinyl specialists to cheque out: Austin Signal, Ane Groove Vinyl, Tangible Formats and Audio Geography.

Qrates

Along with being a (adequately premium-priced) professional manufacturing option, Qrates offers a crowdfunding concern model, where you lot tin can create what-will-exist your product so crowdfund it through them. Once your project is funded, Qrates handles all the manufacturing, takes a xv% cut of sales, and either ships your orders (for an additional 5%) or ships you the product (you lot are and then responsible shipping out the orders yourself).

| Samples

Yep. Just equally with CD Manufacturers, Vinyl Manufacturers are on the await-out for unlicensed samples and volition waste no time pulling your project from the product line if they locate any unlicensed samples in your music. (The Manufacturing plants are ever the one'due south that will telephone call yous out, by the way -- the Mastering Engineer and the Lacquer-cutter won't intendance.)

How have others bypassed the problem? They've taken their chances, and by taking their chances, I hateful avoiding the cheaper, high-volume Manufacturers and trying to detect smaller Manufacturers who may not have the manpower to run everything through detection software. Merely unlicensed samples are ever a gamble when having your music manufactured, and so consider yourself warned!

| Distribution

To get your LP in record stores across the land you lot will need a Distribution Bargain, which is typically only an option if you are signed to an established tape characterization. For more than details, see CD Distribution.

Without a Distribution Deal, your best bets for selling vinyl are:
✔ from your merch table at shows
✔ at your local record shop, where you lot tin establish a relationship with the buyer and clerks
✔ from your band website and from online stores and services such as Storenvy, Large Cartel, CD Infant, Bandcamp and CASH Music (and by linking to whichever stores/services you're using from your social media)

Cassette

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Distro]

| Overview

It's 2022. Should you be making tapes?

Cassette culture, like vinyl culture, is passionate about the warmth and imperfections of analog audio and the man, tactile pleasure of a physical product.

Is this you?

If it is, there's a pretty vibrant market for tapes and a manufacturing industry in that location to support it. Tapes can be professionally produced for nigh half the cost of vinyl (roughly $2/unit) or even done at home for $one/unit of measurement or less.

| Mastering

You lot can use your Digitally Mastered files for cassette manufacturing, though some people recommend a Mastering treatment closer to what you'd get Mastering for Vinyl to make the best-sounding tapes. Either way, your Mastering Engineer will be able to brand whatever adjustments needed if y'all plan to manufacture cassettes.

Cassette Duplication companies accept masters in the following formats: audio-cassette, CD-DA, data CD/DVD and 44.1kHz sixteen-flake .WAVs (y'all can ship higher quality but they will most likely downgrade them to 16-bit).

| Manufacturing

There are two ways to go nearly making Tapes:

one) place an order through one of the handful of large manufacturing plants that will professionally indistinguishable, impress and parcel them for you
two) lodge blank tapes, cases, labels and j-cards in bulk and do the duping and press yourself

To become a sense of the cost divergence between D.I.Y. and professional manufacturing, yous tin get 100 bare xxx-minute tapes, cases, labels and j-cards from National Audio for $92 (or $0.92 per unit - but then you have to do the duping, printing and packaging at dwelling).

To have National Audio practise the complete manufacturing for 100 30-minute tapes and deliver the finished production to your doorstep costs about $200 (or $ii per unit).

(If y'all plan to order supplies in majority, Delta Media also has neat prices on blank Tapes, a variety of cases, Labels and J-cards.)

Price breakdowns for Professional Cassette Duplication

Quotes include printing and packaging but practice not include shipping (prices constructive Summer '19 - ever double-check!):

From National Sound Company/Cassetro:
100 up-to-sixty-minute tapes + press and packaging = $258 ($two.58 per unit of measurement)
250 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $510 ($2.04 per unit)
500 upwards-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $960 ($ane.92 per unit)
chiliad up-to-60-minute tapes + press and packaging = $1750 ($ane.75 per unit)

From Cassette Works:
250 up-to-sixty-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $400 ($1.sixty per unit)
500 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $750 ($1.50 per unit)
1000 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $1450 ($ane.45 per unit)

From Rainbo Records:
500 up-to-44-infinitesimal tapes + printing and packaging = $659 ($ane.31 per unit)
1000 up-to-44-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $1075 ($1.07 per unit)

| Distribution

As with selling CDs and Vinyl, your most dependable options for selling Cassettes are from your merch tabular array at shows, from your local record store, and from your online storefront, website, Distributor and/or Bandcamp.

There are a few holy grail names in tape shops, like Mississippi Records in Portland and Burger Records in Fullerton but I have no inside scoop on how to get them to carry your tape other than to ship them a copy and hope someone takes an involvement.

Here are a few recommended tape-centric sites to send a re-create of your finished record for review (forth with sending links to the digital versions of your music to your favorite music blogs):
Tabs Out, Animal Psi, Cassette Gods, Advertizement Hoc and Decoder.

| Electronic Printing Kit

Electronic Press Kits, or "EPK's", consist of all the standard tools you'll employ to promote your record. Your Album Artwork, Liner Notes, Bio, Publicity Photos, Music Video(s) and Remixes will all go into your EPK. The best way to keep your Kit organized is to make a folder on your desktop, championship information technology "EPK", and someday you lot create something that y'all plan to use promotionally, make sure information technology gets in that folder!

Album Artwork

For Digital Distribution, y'all'll need to brand your Album Comprehend a 2400 x 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at least 72 dpi and in RGB color mode (for physical printing, your file volition need to be saved in CMYK). From here you lot can downsize the file to any dimensions you need for promotional purposes. If you plan to mail service an paradigm of your Album Cover on your website, in your social media, or in your press release, a all-time do is to "Save for Web" in Photoshop to optimize the file size. If you need help designing your artwork, effort an cheap indie designer like Fiverr ($five-$forty) or a crowdsourcing site like 99 designs.

Liner Notes

They typically include who played on the record, what they played, who wrote the songs, who recorded it, where information technology was recorded, who mixed it, who mastered it and any shout-outs and give thanks you's. Y'all'll take options to input your liner notes when you set your anthology with a Digital Benefactor, Bandcamp and/or Soundcloud. Liner notes are also pretty standard to take in your artwork if you're making whatsoever physical products.

Bio

Here's a secret: any yous write in your Bio and/or Printing Release volition exist used, oftentimes verbatim, in any review or publicity you lot receive. Then write your Bio exactly the way you want your audience to read it. In general, your Bio should be a paragraph or two that quickly covers who you lot are, where you're from, any pertinent accolades or press quotes yous've received and then your best endeavor at making the tape yous're promoting sound, in words, like something someone would want to take time out of their life to listen to. Exist honest! Exist thoughtful! Be concise! Let your bio serve as a fourth dimension capsule of where your band is at - and leave it there, no reason to ramble on! P.South. I recommend that you lot write your Bio to be pretty interchangeable with your first Press Release.

Publicity Photos

If yous're fortunate enough to get whatsoever press, they'll want a high-res (300 dpi at a standard photograph size similar 4x6 or 5x7) publicity photo or 2, then endeavor to be prepared. Nil fancy - take someone have a few shots with a digital photographic camera or smartphone and upload them to your reckoner. If you lot have a photo editing application like Photoshop (even iPhoto or Picasso will do), possibly crop it a scrap, and accommodate information technology to await its best. Be sure to salvage a few high-res options for printing and then "Save For Spider web" copies of the photos to utilise in your social media and in your printing releases.

Video

Music videos, nevertheless apprentice, are a huge asset to your EPK and my advice is to either dedicate yourself to making one before your release engagement or find someone skilled and undecayed in your social world to assist make a video for you. In one case it's done, upload information technology to YouTube and/or Vimeo and then link to information technology in a press release and embed it on your website, and in your social media. (Even uploading a "music video" that simply shows your album art while the song plays is useful, since information technology allows your music to be discoverable (and monetizable) on YouTube.)

Remixes

If you know someone whose remix skills yous admire, hit them up! A skilful remix of ane of your songs is a neat way to cross-pollinate audiences, deepen the involvement in your anthology and is another excuse to drum upwardly some social media and publicity buzz. Virtually people capable of doing remixes prefer to take "stems" of your songs. You tin can save everyone time by making sure, when y'all're mixing, to bounce stems for annihilation and everything y'all call back might be worth remixing. My advice is to move on getting any remixes going as soon as you've got your final mixes - it'due south impossible to become them finished and into your EPK folder too soon!

| Publicity

If you think you'd like to try hiring a Publicist, go on in mind that they are extremely picky about who they choose to piece of work with (which is good, since they have to believe they can get you some publicity if they're going to take your money!) And they are not cheap - look to pay at least a few thousand dollars for a publicity campaign, and that'due south for "Indie Music" publicists.

If you accept the conviction in your tape and the money in your budget, here'south a skillful list of cool Publicists to send an introductory email and listen-link to: Chromatic, Forcefulness Field, Terrorbird, Toolshed, Press Here, Motormouth, Stunt Company, Grandstand and Tell All Your Friends.

For the majority of bands, who are not able to beget or retain a Publicist, getting word out about your music depends on you.

⚡ Hither is how to exercise it: ⚡

Press Release Strategy

A skilful strategy is to do three press releases, each serving a singled-out merely gratuitous purpose (if you're also trying to push a single before your album, a press release for the single is customary a few weeks before yous announce the full anthology details):

#1: "The Annunciation" (4-6 weeks before your release date) -- this is where you lot denote your release and your release date and provide anthology details, listen links and social media links to press.

#ii: "The Friendly Reminder" (7-10 days before your release date) -- ideally you'd build upon your original press release with something fresh - a video or a remix or tour dates or a printing blurb -- just even without whatsoever of that, a "friendly reminder" with the core details can't hurt -- particularly if you accept some press outlets you're really targeting.

#three: "The Follow Upwards" (1-2 weeks after your release date) -- the follow-upwards is probably most effective if you can either quote from some of the printing (or social media responses) you've received or have something new to offer (video, remix, tour dates etc). Otherwise you're just kind of banging the pulsate -- then again, banging the drum is how y'all raise awareness in the first identify, so... don't give upward!

Creating Your First Press Release

1. Research and make a thorough list of electronic mail contacts for all the Music Blogs, Magazines and local printing outlets you want to ship a press release to.
ii. Brand certain either the entirety of your album or whatever select songs you lot want to share are properly hosted at a linkable source (such as Bandcamp or Soundcloud).
3. Compose a paragraph or 2 announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your upcoming Album.
iv. Compose an e-mail to yourself that looks something like this:

"Your Album Title" past Your Band Name
Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Spider web" Album Cover Your 250px ten 250px "Saved For Web" Publicity Photo

A paragraph or ii describing and tastefully hyping your new album. Be honest. Exist thoughtful. Be concise! What are the handful of most important and well-nigh original things you lot can say about it? Where'due south your band from? Where was your anthology recorded? What makes this anthology of yours special? The things you say in this department of your press release will frequently exist used verbatim past people writing about your release, so one approach is to write this department as though y'all were the music writer! Non a great writer? Ask a friend who knows your music to help!

Your Release Date (on Your Release Format(due south)) on Your Record Label/Banner/or "Self Released"

Stream "Your Album Championship/Song Championship": your stream link here
Download "Your Album Title/Song Title": your download link here (optional)

Your Website/Social Media Link 1
Your Website/Social Media Link 2 (optional)
Your Website/Social Media Link 3 (optional)

Cheers!

Your Name/Band Proper noun

Your Contact Info

If yous have rich-text-editing capabilities in your electronic mail service (similar Gmail, Yahoo or Mac mail), exist sure to give the layout some Pop! If yous need aid inserting images into your email, hither are instructions for Gmail, Yahoo, Mac postal service, and Outlook.

5. Exam information technology past sending it to yourself. Make sure your links are working! Once you're happy with it, create another e-mail to yourself, copy/paste your content into the torso of the new e-mail, brand sure the Subject field line has all the right info, enter the e-mail addresses y'all've researched into the BCC field and transport it out! (Using the BCC field on an email addressed to yourself is recommended for bulk email send-outs. If you lot have specific blogs that you lot want to connect with, it'southward a good thought to send an email addressed exclusively to each i, personalizing information technology notwithstanding you lot see fit.)

Congratulations - y'all've sent out your first Press Release! 👏

At present What?

First thinking nearly how you can make your "friendly reminder" stand out. Merely call up: publicity outlets are nether no obligation to be - or stay - in touch. It's prophylactic to assume that if someone wants to write about your music, they'll let you lot know. The all-time follow up is another Press Release (or ii), upward to and through your release date, anytime you take something press-worthy to add (videos, remixes, tour dates, press or social media blurbs)!

Newsletter Services

Some people prefer to use email/newsletter services like MailChimp (free), Mad Mimi (free) or Campaign Monitor (most $10 per entrada) for Printing Releases. The benefits are the custom formatting they offer, as well as, if you're into it, the detailed analytics they provide y'all almost who is checking out your electronic mail and what they're clicking on. One potential disadvantage is that these services make information technology piece of cake for the bloggers you lot're sending it to to "unsubscribe", and many will...

Paid Campaigns

In that location are a number of services out in that location that will promote your music to bloggers, influencers and playlisters - for a fee.

A few of the services worth checking out:

SubmitHub is a service that attempts to connect your goal of getting your music heard by music bloggers to the music bloggers involvement in being financially rewarded for taking the time to listen to your music.

There are 2 tiers: a free "Standard" selection, and a "Premium" tier that starts at $1 per credit (a credit allows yous to send one song to one blog in the network and ensures that you will, at the very least, receive listening notes dorsum from them). Credits get cheaper the more than you lot buy.

Either way, with SubmitHub y'all get the statistical satisfaction of seeing if and when your song has been at least listened to by whatsoever of the blogs in their network.

Crosshair connects the music you submit to playlisters and social media influencers for $250 per campaign.

PlaylistPush does just that - pitches your music to popular playlists for an average campaign price of $450.

StoryAmp

StoryAmp is a complimentary service that helps tailor your printing release(south) and bout date info to Music Journalists and media outlets. Promoting your music through a service like StoryAmp - especially if y'all're touring - can exist a overnice compliment to your own DIY music blog send outs.

| Radio

To professionally service Radio, you need to hire a Radio Agent - only Radio Agents, just like Publicists, Booking Agents, Licesning Agents and Record Labels, are super picky about who they choose to work with. Only being able to afford ane is ofttimes not enough. They have to desire to piece of work with you. And if they've never heard of y'all, and you have no inside connections, they probably won't exist interested.

Is it worth a shot? Sure! Attempt sending an introductory email with listen-links to any of the Radio Agencies you'd similar to hire. Typical Radio campaigns are a few thousand dollars (sometimes less, depending on duration and whether or not you lot're sending out physical copies).

Here's a list of cool indie Radio Agencies y'all can try reaching out to: Terrorbird, AAM, Vitriol, Distiller, Fanatic, Pirate!, Crowd Control, Planetary Group, Tinderbox, A homo A plan A culvert and Team Claremont.

If you're one of the majority of bands who can not afford, or tin can not pique the interest of, a Radio Agent, getting your music considered by radio stations depends on y'all.

⚡ Here is how to practise information technology: ⚡

Submitting Your Music to Radio Stations

*Yous should submit your album to radio stations 4-6 weeks before your release engagement

1. Submit your music to Pandora.
2. Research and make a thorough list of email addresses for all the College Radio and Internet Radio stations y'all'd like to contact.
3. Make certain a stream of your album is properly hosted at a linkable source such as Bandcamp or Soundcloud. (If you want to keep your album private, you can do so on Bandcamp with Bandcamp Pro and on SoundCloud via their "Clandestine Links".)
4. Upload a .zip file of your album in Mp3 format to your web server or to a fileshare platform like Dropbox, Hightail, Mediafire or Google Drive - or create a Secret Download Link to your Album on Soundcloud.
5. Compose a paragraph or two announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your Album (tin exist the same as your Printing Release).
6. Create an email to yourself that looks something like this:

"Your Album Championship" by Your Band Proper noun
Your 250px 10 250px "Saved For Web" Album Cover Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Publicity Photo

Delight Consider for Airplay "Your Album Title" by Your Band Name out Your Release Date on Your Record Label/Imprint/or "Self Released"

A paragraph or two describing and tastefully hyping your new album. Be honest. Be thoughtful. Be concise! What are the scattering of about important and most original things you can say about it? Where's your band from? Where was your album recorded? What makes this album of yours special? The things yous say in this department of your press release will often be used verbatim past people writing about your release, so one approach is to write this department as though you were the music writer! Not a great author? Enquire a friend who knows your music to help!

Stream "Your Anthology Title/Vocal Title": your stream link here
Download "Your Album Championship/Vocal Title": your download link here

"Your Album Championship'south" Tracklist:
1. Name of Track 1 (Track one duration - for example: 4:01)
2. Name of Track 2 (Track 2 duration)
three. Proper noun of Runway 3 (Rails iii duration) *EXPLICIT (Be sure to marking as "EXPLICIT" any tracks with explicit linguistic communication!)
four. Proper noun of Rail 4 (elapsing) *Recommended (Be sure to marker as "Recommended" 2 or 3 tracks that you recommend!)
5. Name of Rails v (duration) *Recommended
etc.

Your Website/Social Media Link one
Your Website/Social Media Link 2 (optional)
Your Website/Social Media Link 3 (optional)

Thanks!

Your Proper name/Ring Name

Your Contact Info

vii. Test information technology by sending information technology yourself. Make sure your links are working! Once you lot're happy with it, create another email to yourself, copy/paste your content into the body of the new e-mail, make sure the Subject line starts with "DIGITAL DELIVERY", enter the email addresses you've researched into the BCC field and send it out! (Using the BCC field on an e-mail addressed to yourself is recommended for bulk email send-outs. If you accept specific stations that you want to connect with, ship an e-mail addressed specifically to them.)

Congratulations! You've successfully delivered your album to Radio. 👊

Follow Upward

If there are specific stations you want to follow upwardly with - in particular your local and/or favorite station(s) - bank check into the Station Director's office hours (Station Managing director role hours are normally listed on the station's website) or telephone call in and talk to one of the DJ's you like. ("Hey, I really honey this station. I recently submitted some music to you guys and was wondering whether you'd had a adventure to listen to information technology...")

*Also worth considering: both Tunecore and CD Baby have easy and complimentary options for servicing Net radio, bachelor to members and subscribers.

| How To Release A Record

I'm Zach Hangauer and I started the indie characterization Range Life Records in 2005.

I designed this site to serve equally a quick, candid and hopefully empowering guide through the maze of the release process.

If y'all take whatever questions, success stories, tips, or want to reach out for any guidance, please get in touch on: howtoreleasearecord(@)gmail.com

How To Release A Tape on Twitter

Life In Music interview (xi/26/sixteen)

Interested in Indie Film? Cheque out the new resource site I did all about the Mumblecore film genre: mumblecore.info

New!: I did a podcast interview with ACPG, earthworks in to some of the site content - check it out:

hamiltoncounde.blogspot.com

Source: http://howtoreleasearecord.com/

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