What You Need To Know?
Tips & Techniques for doing your own Independent
CD Project
By: Tony Ray Jones
Before your project can
become a reality, as we all know it has to start
with good material.
I recorded my first project in 1986 in Nashville
it cost $25,000 called
"Three Wishes"
produced by
Glen Martin
a great songwriter & producer from Nashville
with Co Hart Publishing. After 20 years in the Music business I
was determined to get a record deal, but
its wasn't so
easy, maybe winning the lottery would be easier.
Also a record deal is great if it’s the right
one FOR YOU. With the way technology has changed
the way we hear and record music.
I have put together a few things that
you need to know before you do your project
below: My Personal project is based on $4000.00
producing myself, choosing the musicians, writing
& arranging all the songs. Note this can vary on
what your willing to take on, it's a lot of work
, but you can do it go for it !
How Do I get a Team
Together?
If
you are playing locally, you probably don’t need
to hire a manager yet, even if you have released
an independent record. At this stage, you are
better off self-managing: booking your own gigs,
doing your own publicity, etc. The bigger the
buzz you build on your own and the more you
learn, the more you’ll have to offer a top
manager, the more you’ll benefit from and
appreciate his or her services, and the less
dependent you will feel.
A new artist may benefit from engaging a friend
as a manager (in my case my sister). In this
event, write up an agreement that articulates
the length of the relationship, defines his/her
role, compensation (if any), and under what
circumstance's) the relationship can be
terminated. This may sound inappropriate,
especially since your new manager is your
friend; however, this agreement ensures both
parties know what to expect down the road. Above
all, be up front: Make your friend aware that
you may want to hire a professional manager if
you decide to pursue a major record deal, since
as an amateur they usually wont have the
experience or the contacts necessary to do so.
This may allow you to terminate the professional
relationship and still keep the personal one.
A good manager can be instrumental in making an
artists career, a bad one can break it sometimes
this process take trail and error. So, do a lot
of research when it comes time to hire a
professional manager. Ask other musicians for
reconditions .It may be wise to wait for a
manager to approach you, but if one does, be
sure to do some background checking before
drawing up contracts. In all you need people
around you that have your best interest at heart
and represents your vision you have for your
career. Your team may consist of members of your
family at first.
"What's the difference between an album project
& a demo project?"
If the target of
your project is to have other industry
professionals listen to you, or your music, to
ultimately make a decision of some type based on
it, then you are producing a demo. There is a
level of quality associated with a demo, many
times on par with albums, but generally "not as
produced sounding." Everyone has an opinion on
what they think that a good demo should be.
Some think that "less is more",
so do just enough to get the idea across. That
may be true if you know the folks you will pitch
to. But with many people producing demos in
digital home studios, it's all the more reason
why your product should sound better that the
rest. Most industry professional expect a fully
produced demo in today's market.
If your project if designed to be duplicated and
sold as a final product, and you desire to go
the extra mile to make it great, and "the
minimum time spent" is not as important as
getting it right, then you are probably wanting
an album project. Albums are usually billed by
the hour and are not produced "in bulk" like a
demo. Generally, the target of the project is
aimed higher, so the result will be better.
There are a lot cost factors that
can be adjusted in the production of an album,
depending on session musicians used, to how much
time spent cutting or pitch correcting vocals,
or mixing. Therefore, the budget is always
higher than a demo. Get someone to help plan
your project, so you will have the best possible
sounding product within your budget.
Normally, a record label will
decide on a producer for a project, and then
assign them a budget to produce the project. The
producer then decides how he/she wants to use
that money to create the project, from the
choice of studios, engineers, and musicians, to
how much time is spent in production.
For independent album projects, it can be very
different. Some people "produce" for them, some
collaborate with a studio, and others hire a
freelance producer. All cases have advantages
and disadvantages. Most people find it hard to
wear a "producer hat" and also be objective as
an artist at the same time. Ultimately you must
decide who will produce your album project, and
decide how your money is spent.
An average budget for a label quality album is
between $10K - 25k. That may sound like a lot,
but consider the time and experience that that
money buys. It pays quality musicians, and
quality engineers and for the extra time spent
making it right. It is normal to spend 1-3 hours
per song cutting just the lead vocal, spend and
2 to 4 hours recording multiple passes of
stacked background vocals, and 3-6 hours mixing
a song to really hone the song down to
perfection.
What Goals Should I Set ?
Envision what you want to achieve through
releasing your own CD. Sit down with your band
mates or manager and establish realistic goals.
Do you want a CD just to sell at gigs? Do you
want to use it as a demo to shop your act to
record labels? Do you just want to showcase your
newest songs? Do you want the CD distributed
throughout the country? The world? Maybe you
want just 50 copies for family and friends? Sell
it out of the back of your car like I use to
do…. ha. Your answers to these questions will
help determine your budget.
How Do I
Determine A Budget For My Project ?
Start by deciding
how much you can spend on the entire project. Do
you want to spend more on the studio or the
manufacturing? Of course the sound is important,
but if the package doesn't look professional and
worthy of peoples hard-earned cash, they won't
buy it. A general rule the more you want to get
out of your release, the more you should invest
in it. If you just want the CD to help you earn
a little extra money at gigs, you don't have to
sell your house for a major-label-quality
recording. Count on spending about $1,000 or
more per tune in the studio for radio-ready
sound. Playing live with no overdubs will
obviously save some money.
What Does a Demo Cost ?
What are
some prices for demos ?
(Pricing
varies depending on Studio)
There are just samples below to give you an idea
Live Band Demo (basic tracks) $250.00 -$400.00
to $1000.00
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Bass
Drums
Keyboards /Piano/Steel/
Mandolin/ Banjo
Acoustic Guitar Demo $75.00 to $150.00- $250.00
Vocal & Guitar Mixed
Harmony Vocal extra $30-to $100.00
Vocal Tracks Mixed with existing tracks
$50- $100 per hour
Before you go into the Studio
(Time Savers)
A & B
Record your songs live even a simple cassette
recording or CD which ever you have an available
so you can reveal weak spots and parts you need
to fix.
Have all your vocal and musical solos worked out
ahead of time (Know your parts it save you time
and money in the studio. If you can write charts
that’s a plus.
Rehearse more songs then you plan to record,
some songs may sound different as you are
cutting. If you plan on a 10 song CD…. prepare
for 13 just in case.
Eat good get rest before you go in to cut, don’t
over expose yourself to loud sounds keep your
ears clear.
Be respectful to all musicians even if you may
not agree on some things, they can make you or
break you, if your dealing with pro’s most time
you don’t have many problems & IT MOVES THINGS
ALONG FASTER.
Setting up In the Studio
Time savers (B)
1.Be early
some studio time starts when you get there, so
find out how they charge by the hour or by a
flat rate per session.
2.Make sure you contact several different
studios for the one that best suits your
project, mostly a comfortable, relaxed place
where u can feel at home even if you are on a
time schedule.
3.You will need to make sure the Engineer has
the same visions you do…play him or her your
songs before you record them so they can get an
idea of the sound your wanting. Also ask to hear
some projects they have completed.
4.Plan how many tracks you think you will use 8,
16, 24, or 48 track .analogue or digital. These
days computer recording is so much faster as
well as affordable.( Cubase & Pro Tools)
etc...
5. Use new strings, whatever kind of instrument
you use make sure it is in top-notch condition
as far as intonation & pitch.
Recording
Process
1 Emotion
and feeling make a great song, not just the
technical rendition, so put all you emotion into
it live the song.
2 Don’t try to force something that don’t fit,
simple is always best. (Example) don’t over do
drum parts with busy ness.
3 Keep focused on your music, such as pay
attention to getting your vocals right.
4.Get the sound while your recording, sometimes
the best tracks are done on first takes or
second.
5. Know when to stop, such as being too tried,
always can come back tomorrow if your tired it
shows up on tape.
6 Keep the control room clear of only those who
have a part in helping you produce the CD.
7 Make copies after every session, so you can
listen to make sure that’s what sound your
wanting.
8. Drink water, room temp not ice water, lemon
is good with tea, no caffeine, use entertainment
secret spray for your throat.
9.Get an overview of time spent that day from
studio, keep up with your time.
10. Listen to your music in the car, most people
will hear I this way, Get away from the studio
and listen to it, even a few days later, you ear
will hear different things you never heard
before in studio.
Mixing &
mastering the final Product
Listen in the
studio to some CD’S you know well like in your
car stereo to get an idea of how the studio
system sounds.
Determine who is going to make a final decision
on the mix, don’t get 4 or 5 different opinions.
When you have appointed the producer or engineer
to mix your project, have them do the first mix.
They know there own gear and they are trained,
and then you can make suggestions.
Try to make sure the mix as a whole arrangement
not just focused on one incensement all
musicians wants the parts loud!!
Don’t mix with different gear try to use the
same studio to do your final mix.
Decide what formats you want to mix down to,
Data- CD- use what’s best for you and
economical.
Budget in unseen delays it can happen!!
Mastering
Your Project For Final Release
What
is mastering and what it does for your project?
In the studio you record one song at a time,
frequently resulting in songs that all peak at
different levels and have different Esq. a
mastering engineer unifies the album by using EQ
and compression to give it a consistent sound
from track to track.
Post production can also raise your albums
overall level through use of compression. In the
digital format, music cannot be louder than the
digital zero ceiling. Transient peaks that creep
into every recording are often too brief to be
audible and prevent the overall level of your
music from being as hot as possible. Once the
mastering engineer eliminates these peaks, he or
she can then boost the entire program without
affecting the music’s dynamic range too much.
When done properly, post-production can make
your music sound hotter than zero.
The difference between a mastered song and a UN
mastered one really becomes apparent when the
two are played back-to-back over the radio.
Radio stations compress songs to such an extreme
extent that UN mastered songs sound tinny and
weak compared to mastered ones.
Post production also goes a long way toward
making your music sound the same whether its
playing through a car stereo, a portable CD
player, or a top-of-the-line home stereo system.
One way you can tell if music has been properly
mastered is if the mix sounds the same at any
volume.
Ok your almost
done, tried yet?
The cost of mastering can range
from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
While you may save money and time by having your
recording engineer master your album, its not
recommended it’s like a writer editing their own
work. Remember, any mastering is better than no
mastering, so you don't need to hoc your car to
achieve decent results, but it is recommended
that you speak with past clients to make sure
they were satisfied.
Packaging & Promoting
(Your final product for release)
There are
thousands of independent musicians out there
trying to sell their CDs. How do you get someone
to buy your CD instead of one of theirs? To
begin with, you have to make your CD stand out.
It has to look better and sound better than the
other guy's CD. Your package design and audio
quality have to stand up to major label
releases. There are some good companies that can
make your CD a success — from package design, to
spine labels, to promotional stickers, and more.
Make sure you put out the best package your
budget can allow very important.
Promoting
your CD
There are various
ways to get your Project exposed to the media,
So you've made your CD... now what?
They should hire someone to design a basic,
reasonably priced professional and informative
Web site to keep fans up-to-date on news, gigs,
sell CDs and merchandise, and build an email
list, too. That can cost anywhere from $200.00
to $2,500. I know that there are free Web sites
available, but it seems to me that the ones I've
visited that had killer graphics, streaming
audio and video, e-commerce, etc., cost a few
grand at least.
And if you have a product that you have invested
10,000 in you properly want a website that would
match up to the same quality as your CD. DON’T
YOU THINK?
Selling and promoting at you gigs is the best
place to get you music out, they hear you live
and you have your CD’S at the venue. I sold my
first Album on the road, at my shows and by
mail, those were the days before Internet
websites were popular.
Your project will only go as far as you make it
available to the public that goes back to one of
our fist questions? Where, and who do you want
this to reach?
Many distributors’ are out there and will
promote your CD for a price, on the Internet.
Examples
of places to promote your CD:
1.Internet-myspace.com
2.At your gigs
3.Your own Website-Facebook- Twitter-Youtube
4.A local or national distributors
5.Local book stores places you know the owners
6.It’s unlimited use you imagination ..think of
any others ways let me know ...
  
Press Kit
Whether you're
Major act or travel the country in a car or van
or playing once a month at your local church or
club, you need a press kit. It's essential for
telling writers, radio programmers, record
labels, distributors, and prospective booking
agents who you are and what you're all about.
Sending out a press kit whenever you do business
is a mark of professionalism--one you can't
afford to overlook.
A Press
Kit Consist of the following:
Bio.
Your
biography should tell the history of your band
and the style of music you play. Keep it to one
page. List all band members and their
instrument's), as well as your musical style and
influences. If someone has never heard of your
band, what do you want him or her to know? Was
your music in an independent film or on a hip
compilation? Have you opened up for any big name
acts? Make your bio as unique as your music.
Cover
letter. A
cover letter is essential. Simply put, it tells
who you are and what you want (review my CD,
hire me, mention my gig, etc.). Limit it to one
page, and always include a plan for follow up
such as "Please call me upon receipt of these
materials," or "I'll call you in two weeks."
Unless a band member or fan has writing
experience, consider using a professional
writer. You can find professional music
marketers in almost every city who can write
copy that gets results.
One-sheet. This is a brief synopsis of your
marketing plan including condensed info on your
touring, radio, retail, and advertising plans.
It is used mostly for distributors and retailers
who want to see that you are able to market and
promote the album they may carry.
Photo. 8" x 10"
black and
white is industry standard. Get it shot
professionally and check local music
publications for a vendor who can supply them in
bulk. It usually costs no more to get your bands
logo and address printed on each one.
Press
clippings.
Clip every
article or mention of your act. Photocopy
(two-sided) and staple them together. New bands
can include most everything ever written about
them, while seasoned artists have the luxury to
choose among their best and most prestigious
articles. Realize that most people won't read
more than two or three pages of news on any act,
so keep your most impressive press on top.
Adapting Your Press Kit
Every
press kit you send out will be a little
different, depending on your objective. Here are
some suggestions.
Media.
The press
always looks for special and unique angles for a
story. Are you playing a charity concert in town
next month? Is your next project going to be a
multimedia enhanced CD? Mention this in your
cover letter. If you want the press to promote a
performance, rise above the clutter by boldly
writing the gig date on the envelope. The editor
will immediately know its time sensitive.
Clubs.
Always
include a list of previous clubs you've played
when mailing your press kit to clubs. Whenever
possible, let the club owner know that you will
provide posters to hang around the club and
mention a few dates that you are available to
play in the cover letter.
Record labels.
Instead of
sending your entire CD, consider sending a demo
tape of just the best two to four songs. If the
A&R rep is interested, send another few songs.
This keeps the lines of communication open and
active. It's up to you, but realize if you send
a 12-song CD, you may have nothing further to
send if they are interested.
Look at as
many press kits as you can from other bands,
both signed and independent. They are vying for
attention just like you, so see what is and
isn't effective in their press kits. If you take
the best ideas from 15 other press kits, yours
should be one that gets a second look!
Finally, don’t forget: a press kit creates a
first impression before the listener ever
presses play, so never just slap it together.
Take time and impress them--it may mean the
difference between your music making it into the
player or the trash can.
I
HOPE THIS INFO WILL HELP YOU GET STARTED ON YOUR
NEW PROJECT , AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS EMAIL ME
I WILL TRY TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.
Also if you find this too overwhelming and its
your first CD I will be glad to help you produce
and get you started you can contact me for the
details.
Thanks and blessings
Tony Ray
Copyright © 2011
[TRAYJ MUSIC PUBLISHING ]
All rights reserved.
NASHVILLE, TN
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