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What Do 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 a song.
I began with a vision about 3 years ago of a song project called (Driven
By Love) well as the years went by I thought is this ever gonna come to
past? I spent 25 years in the Music business and thought I knew enough to
get a record deal, but its not that easy, maybe winning the lottery would be
easier. Also a record deal is great if it’s the right one FOR YOU.
Well after trying and struggling to get someone to hear me and record me as an
artist, I decided I would try to do this thing on my own with the knowledge I
have gathered through the years on the road playing gigs opening for other
main acts, and doing studio work in Nashville, I just went for it !
So I started my own publishing company & started back writing with some
really good writers in Nashville and thought I would give music another
shot, in a different direction and goal in mind, mainly the music I wanted
to record and release as an independent artist, where I would have total
control over the final project, where as with a Major label you may not get
that chance.
So I started doing some research, and asking some of my friends in the music
business what I needed to do. So this is what I got from it all and I
thought this would be helpful and give someone else insight who wanted to do
the same thing. So I have put together a few things that you need to know
before you do your project below: My Personal project is based on $5000.00 producing myself,
choosing the musicans,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 or more
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Bass
Drums
Keyboards /Piano
Acoustic Guitar Demo @30.00 to $150.00
Vocal & Guitar Mixed
Harmony Vocal extra $30-$50
Vocal Tracks Mixed with existing tracks
$50- $100
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 .anologe or
digital. These days computer recording is so much faster as well as affordable.(
Cubase & Pro Tools)
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!
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
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 © 2006 [TRAYJ MUSIC PUBLISHING ] All rights reserved.
NASHVILLE, TN
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