Get Rid of All Album Art Spotify or Soundcloud

Digital

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

| Overview

With a budget of a few hundred dollars...

you can get your digital anthology professionally Mastered and brand it available on all the pop stores and streaming services. A ballpark budget starts at around $40 per song for Mastering, plus $fifty to Digitally Distribute your album and you should allow yourself a few months to complete these processes.

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

Be certain to cheque out the PROMO section for advice on letting the World know about your release!

Get Up-to-Spec!

Sound File Formats: You should salve your final mixes as high-quality (24 bit is standard) stereo WAV or AIFF files bounced at the aforementioned sample rate you've been mixing in. These WAV or AIFF files are what yous will submit to the Mastering Engineer, what yous will become dorsum from the Mastering Engineer, and what you will then upload to digital stores and services (they will not accept MP3's!).

Artwork: To be safe, save your Digital album comprehend artwork every bit a 2400 x 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at to the lowest degree 72 dpi and in RGB color mode. (2400 ten 2400 pixels is the largest dimension recommended - many stores take a smaller version, but if yous first with the 2400 x 2400 version, you lot can always downsize.)

UPC and ISRC codes: To sell your music on iTunes or whatever of the other major services, y'all volition demand to get through a Digital Distributor and they volition provide you with both a UPC code for your anthology (this identifies your album and monitors your sales) and ISRC codes for each of your tracks (same idea, just for individual songs).

Hither 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 detect single UPC's for as low every bit $10.00 and ISRC's are a one-time $95 fee for a company/make prefix.

| Mastering

To have your final mixes professionally Mastered you will demand to have a starting budget of roughly $40 per song and should plan on waiting 4-viii weeks from the day you submit your files to the twenty-four hour period y'all download your finished masters.

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

Why?

Considering mastering dependably makes your mixes sound amend. 😎

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 element of your music sound clearer and smoother (they use the kind of Hello-Fi equipment near of the states tin can only dream of putting our mixes through!) For more on the history and effects of mastering, I recommend this podcast interview with one of my favorite engineers, Carl Saff.

If you're not budgeted to Primary professionally or if you aren't convinced that it'south worth it, please at least do your audience the favor of trying your best to "master" the tracks yourself!

Mastering Engineers

Here are some recommendations for affordable Mastering Engineers with great reputations (price per vocal estimate - and since rates fluctuate based on # of songs/corporeality of time beingness mastered, these approximations might be low for a single and high for an album - always double check!):

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

[*2021 update: a corking fashion of finding the correct Mastering Engineer is to await at the credits on any new music you remember sounds really good and then google them and encounter what their rates and availability are.]

| Distribution

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

Notation: 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 go through the fix-up process. Be sure to requite yourself enough time - at least a month (industry standard is 3 months) before your release date to get your EPK together, transport out press releases, service radio and push your data.

The 3 Digital Distributors I'm well-nigh familiar with are Tunecore, CD Baby and DistroKid. All accept like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use dashboards that guide yous through the set-upward process, offering clear and thorough reports on your sales, and allow yous to easily withdraw any money you've made past Check, Directly Deposit or Paypal.

Tunecore vs. CD Baby vs. DistroKid

Tunecore charges $29.99 to distribute your album for the showtime yr and then raises it to an annual accuse of $49.99, for continued distribution, every yr afterward that - simply they don't have any percentage of your music sales.

CD Infant, on the other mitt, only charges a one-time fee of $49 per album for distribution, but they take a 9% cut of everything yous sell, for the duration of their service.

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

Other options

At that place are a number of other Digital Distributors worth checking out, including Stalk, Music Kickup, Aded.united states, Ditto Music, iMusician, Catapult and Traxx.space. Here's a adept detailed breakdown of distributors and their features via Ari Herstand at Ari'due south Take.

AWAL

AWAL is a absurd Distro company you may want to endeavor submitting to. It'southward curated, then they don't take everything, but if you manage to perk their ears, they offer skillful terms for digital distribution (a directly 15% sales commission on a rolling 30-twenty-four hour period contract) and they are known for actively pitching your record for shop placement and features. To submit your music to AWAL, you'll first need to fill out a "Bring together United states" course, which you can observe here.

Artist Profiles

A number of the big digital streaming/monetization platforms allow you to independently annals and customize your Artist profile, which you should definitely exercise!

Here are Creative person sign-upward links for Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora.

| Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a dynamic, gratuitous service that provides y'all with a customizable profile, full control over setting prices, and some really useful (free) services for selling merch and generating download codes.

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

Bandcamp has no set-upwards fees and no annual charges. They do, however, have a 15% commission 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 yous're an indie artist and yous're trying to put your music out, I encourage y'all to become ready up on Bandcamp regardless of whether you lot're also doing Digital Distribution!

Heads Upwards!

A common frustration with being new to Bandcamp is that in order to collect the money you make on Bandcamp, you must not but have a Paypal account, but your Paypal account must exist a "Premier" or "Concern" Account, which means once you've set up a Paypal account you'll demand to go through an additional process of (gratis) upgrading on Paypal before you can really offset collecting everything y'all've earned. And then if you program to utilise Bandcamp as a platform for selling your music, get your Paypal account in club first!

| Publishing, Licensing & Copyrights

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

It is recommended, nevertheless, that you do everything you tin to professionally establish the rights to your music. This involves registering your "music compositions" and "sound recordings" with the United states of america Copyright Part (this tin exist done together, in one application, for $35), registering with a Operation Rights Organization (or "PRO") as both a Writer and a Publisher ($100 - $150) and registering as an Artist with SoundExchange (complimentary). Once these tasks are consummate, you'll be covered in instance anyone ever records, performs, plagiarizes or wants to pay large bucks to license your songs.

(For a really great, detailed look at the realities of Publishing and Licensing, check out this article, "Understanding the Music Manufacture: Music Publishers, Syncs and Licensing" by Budi Voogt.)

Performance Rights Organizations

The 3 major Performance Rights Organizations - ASCAP, BMI and SESAC - collect and distriubte royalties for the "public functioning" 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 let you to register equally either a "Author", a "Publisher", or both, merely since the royalties they collect become 50/l to "Writer" and "Publisher", you'll want to register as both a "Writer" and "Publisher" to collect the entirety of your potential earnings.

The catch: there are fees associated with registering. If you become with ASCAP, y'all'll need to pay $50 to register every bit a "Author" plus another $50 to register as a "Publisher". At BMI you'll exist able to annals equally a "Author" for free but then they accuse $150 to register equally a "Publisher".

SoundExchange

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

Licensing

The skillful news is that if anyone always wants to license whatever of your music for Motion-picture show, Television or Commercials, since you control your Publishing and Chief Recording rights, you (or you and your lawyer) can negotiate and go paid direct.

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

While information technology's always worth sending an email and listen-link to cool Licensing Agencies like Bank 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 y'all generate some fizz, your licensing opportunities - likewise every bit other opportunities similar touring and merch sales - are certain to increase.

Songtradr

Songtradr is a gratuitous service that allows y'all to upload your music, set licensing fee prices, submit to various projects, and brand licensing transactions all through their platform. If you current of air upwards licensing anything through them, they take a 17.5% brokerage fee (compare that to Tunecore's 20%). It's a new service and I don't know their success rate, but I've worked with some of their squad earlier and I would definitely recommend giving Songtradr a shot.

Publishing & Licensing through your Digital Distributor

If you're using Tunecore or CD Baby as your Digital Distributor, you may be interested in their options for consolidating your rights management with them. The benefit would exist that you may score some licensing opportunities that you'd otherwise be missing out on. The drawback is that you have to give them contractual permission to place your music anywhere they can, and you may non be happy with where your song gets placed, regardless of the payout.

Tunecore offers a "Tunecore Publishing Deal" for a one-fourth dimension set-up fee of $75 (plus xv% of royalties and 20% commission on whatever Licensing they secure). There'due south a decent take chances you won't make that $75 back from it, simply it volition definitely offering you a glimpse into online revenue streams and put your music out at that place for licensing opportunities.

And CD Baby has two options: a free opt-in feature for "Sync Licensing" where they volition make your music available (and collect the royalties) for Film, TV, commercial and YouTube licensing; and a service called CD Baby Pro ($89/Anthology 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'south 2022. Should you still make CDs?

Sure, if:
✔ y'all're playing a lot of shows or going on tour (CDs are notwithstanding a great impulse-purchase at the merch table) [*uhh, yeah, this doesn't apply at the moment, but this is the general thought]
✔ you take a good human relationship with your local record shop and enough of a local presence that yous can about likely move some product
✔ you plan to exercise a large publicity and/or college radio push and want to mail out CDs for consideration
✔ y'all want your music added to the Allmusic.com/Rovi database, which supplies the bio, image and metadata for sites like Spotify [*2021 update: y'all can actually practise this digitally now, by following the instructions nether the "My music is a digital release, not a physical production. Can information technology still be listed in the database?" at the above link.
✔ y'all have money in the budget (approximately $800 for 500 CDs)

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

| Mastering

CD Mastering is the aforementioned procedure as Digital mastering, with the additional consideration of how best to deliver your CD chief to the CD manufacturer. Traditionally, your Mastering Engineer would burn a CD "production main" which you would then mail in to the manufacturer, and while this is still a feasible option (and typically an boosted $25 or and then charge for the disc), the electric current standard is to deliver your CD master electronically as a DDP image.

Be sure to permit your Mastering Engineer know upfront near the different formats y'all plan to release your music in.

If you're looking for communication on who to use for professional CD Mastering, please cheque out the DIGITAL Mastering section!

| Manufacturing

In that location are 2 ways to manufacture CDs:

1) "Replication" (the high-quality professional way)
2) "Duplication" (for low quantities - basically the same as burning CDs from your computer).

300 CDs is the typical quantity threshold for professional Replication. For smaller runs, you tin either go through a Duplicator, or CD Baby and Amazon CreateSpace accept options to duplicate-as-needed.

Toll Breakdowns for Professional CD Replication

Note the diverse packaging options and that prices do non include shipping (prices effective Summer 2019 - e'er double-check!):

From Discmakers:
300 CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $555 ($ane.85 per unit)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $657 ($ii.xiv per unit)
500 CDs in precious stone cases with full color comprehend = $795 ($one.59 per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $790 ($1.58 per unit)
grand CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $990 ($0.99 per unit)
1000 CDs in total colour Digipaks = $990 ($0.99 per unit)

From Groovehouse:
500 CDs in jewel cases with full color comprehend = $795 ($1.59 per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $1170 ($2.34 per unit of measurement)
one thousand CDs in gem cases with full color cover = $890 ($0.89 per unit of measurement)
1000 CDs in full color Digipaks = $1390 ($i.39 per unit of measurement)

From Nationwide Disc:
300 CDs in jewel cases with full color comprehend = $778 ($ii.59 per unit)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $783 ($2.61 per unit)
500 CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $915 ($1.83 per unit)
500 CDs in total color Digipaks = $915 ($i.83 per unit)
1000 CDs in jewel cases with full colour embrace = $1134 ($i.13 per unit)
1000 CDs in total color Digipaks = $1134 ($1.13 per unit of measurement)

The Math

As you can see, the more than CDs you industry, the cheaper the price is "per-unit" - as low as $0.89 per CD if you make chiliad.

This "per unit of measurement" cost is useful because information technology allows you to gauge what your profit margin will exist when you really sell a CD. If CDs are costing yous $1/unit of measurement to produce, but you're selling them at your merch table for $10 each, you lot're profiting $ix on each CD. If y'all make k CDs at a cost of $900 and you manage to sell all 1000 CDs at $ten a popular (that'southward $ten,000!), your total profit is $9100, which is why CDs, in theory, tin exist a slap-up investment. (To actually sell 1000 CDs, however, you'd probably have to be doing brisk business online and at at least a few record stores, in which instance your profit margin would be a flake lower considering you'd need to cistron in the shipping and packaging costs for mail orders, the commissions for webstores, and the wholesale cost for record shops.)

But hold up. Exercise you actually need 1000 CDs? I tin clinch you it is extraordinarily difficult to sell g - or 500 - or fifty-fifty 100 CDs these days, and the nigh likely result of making all those CDs is that they volition cease upward taking up closet space 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 existent need, that's when you start thinking about manufacturing.

Kunaki

Got a hot tip from this reddit #watmm thread nigh Kunaki, an on-need, no minimums, CD Duplicator. Pros: total-service, inexpensive and on demand. Cons: Duplication (not Replication) and only Gem-cases offered.

| Samples

Beware: if you take whatever uncleared samples anywhere in your tracks, there is a high likelihood they'll be detected past the manufacturer!

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

If they detect the samples y'all've expertly chopped and woven into your songs, they will pull your project from production, notify you of the detected samples and insist upon appropriate clearance for whatever information technology is you lot're using before your project can keep.

Getting clearance

Is it worth contacting record labels and publishers well-nigh getting clearance to utilize samples? Not unless y'all've got the kind of money that can get their attending!

If you're interested in trying anyhow, here is some free, thorough, legal communication.

Solutions

Since you won't go in any actual trouble for submitting music with samples (and who knows, your timing could be just right to slip past!), yous can always adventure with the manufacturing plants. Just be sure yous're approved for production before you pay them anything!

You can also Do It Yourself by printing inserts, purchasing cases and having the CD faces printed on and and so burning the CDs on your figurer...

| Distribution

If you're hoping to have your CD in record stores across the country, your best bet is to get signed by a tape label with a national distribution deal - and fifty-fifty then, in such a competitive market, information technology requires press, radio play and critical acclaim to be in full upshot the calendar week your CD is released to avoid beingness just some other band lost in the shop-shelf shuffle.

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

✔ Etch an email to the label'south contact email address
✔ Write a paragraph about who you are and what kind of aid y'all're looking for
✔ Paste in the appropriate links to stream your music, and...
✔ Sign off

Chances are you won't hear dorsum. But information technology'due south your dream. Perchance you will! ⚡

Then what's the all-time way to sell CDs, across your merch tabular array at shows and from your local tape store?

Online Retail

Making your CD bachelor online is as easy equally signing up with an online retailer like Storenvy (free) or Big Cartel (free for upwards to 5 items or $nine.99/mo) - or DIY by creating a Cash Music account and using their free tools for creating a store. Once yous're set upwardly, you can link to your storefront from your website and your social media.

If you've set upward your contour on Bandcamp, they will host a free merch-store for you (they take a x% commission on all merch sales), from which you can price, sell and link-to your CDs.

And if you're using CD Baby equally your Digital Distributor, they offering a free customizable shop widget y'all can embed on your site. (CD Baby also offers what they call "Worldwide CD Distribution" for $49 + $iv/CD, assuasive you to sell CD'south via their online store, on Amazon and through various distribution partners).

Vinyl

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Samples | Distro]

| Overview

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

Getting in that location tin can be a journey, though.

Exist prepared to wait

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

$$$

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

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

In other words, 500 12" LP's in custom-printed Jackets will cost you $2000. (vii" records are about half that.)

| Mastering

The same Mastering Engineer yous use to main your digital files can create a secondary digital master specifically tailored to pressing vinyl - information technology typically takes a little more time so there's an additional cost, but engineers and audiophiles volition encourage you lot to exercise it. (Yes, of course yous tin can just use the digital master for your vinyl but vinyl manufacturing introduces a dissimilar ready of quirks and dynamics, then if you want your record to sound its best, Master for vinyl!)

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

Cutting Lacquers

Afterwards you accept your Mastered files there is a second pace involved in creating a vinyl principal, known as cut lacquer. This is the process by which the audio from your Master is transferred by a mastering lathe onto the lacquer, cutting the grooves into it. Here's a fly-on-the-wall video demo:

There are 2 ways to cut lacquers:

ane) Send it to a lacquer-cutting specialist (who volition and so ship it on to the manufacturing found for production).
2) Have the manufacturing found you're using cutting the lacquer.

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

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

The benefit of having the record constitute practice it is efficiency - it'll save fourth dimension and, as long equally you're happy with your digital Masters, it should sound fine. But a record plant is cutting a huge amount of lacquer and they're not really promising the service of a "close" listening.

Some lacquer-cutting specialists with sterling reputations (they besides all happen to be popular Mastering Engineers) (prices per standard 12" gauge):

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

| Manufacturing

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

Some people adopt to have their Album Jackets and any insert material printed by companies that specialize in custom press (such every bit Banner or Dorado). *Note: 500 is the standard minimum social club for 12" jackets (and 300 for vii" jackets) regardless of whether you use a specialist or the vinyl manufacturer. If you lot need fewer than the minimum, you'll simply exist left with a stack of extra jackets...

As with lacquer cutting, the costs are about the same whether y'all accept the Vinyl Manufacturer print your packaging or transport it to a specialist. One 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 do them all yourself in your studio flat.)

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

Price Breakdowns for Professional person 12" LP Vinyl Manufacturing

Prices include lacquer cut + *standard 12" Jacket printing* but exercise not include shipping (prices are effective Summer '19 - always double-check!):

From United Tape Pressing:
300 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1286 ($4.29 per unit)
500 records with b/westward labels in paper sleeves = $1455 ($2.91 per unit)
500 4 color LP Jackets = $695 ($one.39 per unit of measurement)
* Best packet deal: 500 records with b/w labels and 500 4 color jackets = $2150 ($four.30 per unit of measurement)
+ Digital Download coupons and hosting bundle (chiliad coupons) = $275

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

From Groovehouse:
300 records with one color labels in paper sleeves = $1394 ($four.65 per unit)
500 records with one colour labels in newspaper sleeves = $1760 ($3.52 per unit)
300 records with one colour labels and four color Jackets = $1815 ($6.05 per unit)
500 records with one colour labels and 4 color Jackets = $2130 ($iv.26 per unit)
* Best package deal: 500 records with i color labels and 500 iv color Jackets = $2130 ($4.26 per unit)
+ Digital Download cards and hosting package (500 cards) = $349

There are a number of other Vinyl Manufacturers both in the U.S. and abroad. Hither is a good reference list.

Vinyl On Demand

The prices are premium, but if all you lot're looking for is a limited number of copies of your album on vinyl, there are services that volition lathe cutting each record ane-by-one, allowing y'all to make as few as 1 re-create(!) Keep in listen that lathe-cut vinyl is done by hand and non by the precisely-calibrated machinery of a record plant, so it is susceptible to volume and fidelity fluctuations, merely still... pretty cool.

Hither is some sample pricing from Vinyl On Demand (prices are effective Summer 'nineteen and do non include shipping):
one 7" record in a blank jacket = $25 ($25 per unit)
20 vii" records in blank jackets = $285 ($14.25 per unit of measurement)
ane 12" record in a bare jacket = $48 ($48 per unit)
20 12" records in blank jackets = $490 ($24.fifty per unit)

Other lathe-cut vinyl specialists to check out: Austin Point, One Groove Vinyl, Tangible Formats and Sound Geography.

Qrates

Forth with being a (fairly premium-priced) professional manufacturing option, Qrates offers a crowdfunding business concern model, where you lot can create what-will-be your product and and so crowdfund it through them. Once your project is funded, Qrates handles all the manufacturing, takes a 15% cut of sales, and either ships your orders (for an additional v%) or ships you the product (you are and so responsible shipping out the orders yourself).

| Samples

Yep. Simply every bit with CD Manufacturers, Vinyl Manufacturers are on the look-out for unlicensed samples and volition waste no time pulling your projection from the production line if they locate whatsoever unlicensed samples in your music. (The Manufacturing plants are always the i'due south that volition telephone call you lot out, past the way -- the Mastering Engineer and the Lacquer-cutter won't care.)

How accept others bypassed the trouble? They've taken their chances, and past taking their chances, I hateful avoiding the cheaper, high-volume Manufacturers and trying to find smaller Manufacturers who may not have the manpower to run everything through detection software. But unlicensed samples are always a take a chance when having your music manufactured, so consider yourself warned!

| Distribution

To get your LP in record stores across the land y'all will need a Distribution Deal, which is typically only an option if you are signed to an established tape label. For more 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 store, where you tin establish a human relationship with the buyer and clerks
✔ from your band website and from online stores and services such every bit Storenvy, Big Cartel, CD Baby, Bandcamp and Greenbacks Music (and by linking to whichever stores/services you're using from your social media)

Cassette

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Distro]

| Overview

It'due south 2022. Should you be making tapes?

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

Is this you?

If it is, there'southward a pretty vibrant market for tapes and a manufacturing industry there to support it. Tapes can be professionally produced for about half the cost of vinyl (roughly $2/unit) or even done at habitation for $1/unit or less.

| Mastering

You lot can use your Digitally Mastered files for cassette manufacturing, though some people recommend a Mastering handling closer to what you'd go Mastering for Vinyl to make the best-sounding tapes. Either way, your Mastering Engineer will be able to make whatsoever adjustments needed if you plan to industry cassettes.

Cassette Duplication companies accept masters in the following formats: sound-cassette, CD-DA, data CD/DVD and 44.1kHz 16-bit .WAVs (yous tin can send higher quality just they volition about probable downgrade them to 16-scrap).

| Manufacturing

There are two means to go nigh making Tapes:

1) place an order through i of the handful of large manufacturing plants that will professionally duplicate, print and package them for y'all
ii) order bare tapes, cases, labels and j-cards in bulk and exercise the duping and press yourself

To get a sense of the cost difference between D.I.Y. and professional person manufacturing, you lot can get 100 blank xxx-minute tapes, cases, labels and j-cards from National Sound for $92 (or $0.92 per unit - simply so you have to do the duping, printing and packaging at habitation).

To have National Audio do the complete manufacturing for 100 30-infinitesimal tapes and deliver the finished product to your doorstep costs well-nigh $200 (or $2 per unit).

(If you lot plan to order supplies in majority, Delta Media also has bang-up prices on bare Tapes, a variety of cases, Labels and J-cards.)

Toll breakdowns for Professional person Cassette Duplication

Quotes include printing and packaging merely exercise non include shipping (prices constructive Summer '19 - always double-check!):

From National Audio Company/Cassetro:
100 up-to-threescore-infinitesimal tapes + printing and packaging = $258 ($two.58 per unit of measurement)
250 upward-to-60-infinitesimal tapes + press and packaging = $510 ($2.04 per unit of measurement)
500 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $960 ($ane.92 per unit)
1000 upwardly-to-lx-infinitesimal tapes + printing and packaging = $1750 ($1.75 per unit of measurement)

From Cassette Works:
250 upwardly-to-threescore-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $400 ($1.60 per unit of measurement)
500 up-to-sixty-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $750 ($1.l per unit)
one thousand upward-to-lx-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $1450 ($1.45 per unit)

From Rainbo Records:
500 upward-to-44-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $659 ($1.31 per unit)
1000 up-to-44-minute tapes + press and packaging = $1075 ($1.07 per unit)

| Distribution

Equally with selling CDs and Vinyl, your virtually dependable options for selling Cassettes are from your merch table at shows, from your local record store, and from your online storefront, website, Distributor and/or Bandcamp.

In that location are a few holy grail names in tape shops, like Mississippi Records in Portland and Burger Records in Fullerton simply I have no inside scoop on how to get them to carry your tape other than to send them a re-create and hope someone takes an interest.

Here are a few recommended record-centric sites to ship a copy of your finished tape for review (along with sending links to the digital versions of your music to your favorite music blogs):
Tabs Out, Creature Psi, Cassette Gods, Ad Hoc and Decoder.

| Electronic Press 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 volition all get into your EPK. The best mode to continue your Kit organized is to make a folder on your desktop, championship it "EPK", and anytime you create something that you lot plan to apply promotionally, make sure it gets in that binder!

Album Artwork

For Digital Distribution, you'll need to make your Album Embrace a 2400 x 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at to the lowest degree 72 dpi and in RGB color mode (for physical press, your file volition need to be saved in CMYK). From here you can downsize the file to any dimensions you need for promotional purposes. If you plan to post an paradigm of your Anthology Cover on your website, in your social media, or in your printing release, a best exercise is to "Save for Web" in Photoshop to optimize the file size. If yous demand assistance designing your artwork, attempt an cheap indie designer like Fiverr ($five-$twoscore) or a crowdsourcing site like 99 designs.

Liner Notes

They typically include who played on the tape, what they played, who wrote the songs, who recorded it, where it was recorded, who mixed it, who mastered information technology and whatsoever shout-outs and thank you's. Y'all'll accept options to input your liner notes when yous set your album with a Digital Distributor, Bandcamp and/or Soundcloud. Liner notes are also pretty standard to accept in your artwork if y'all're making whatever physical products.

Bio

Hither's a secret: whatsoever you write in your Bio and/or Press Release will be used, oftentimes verbatim, in any review or publicity you receive. So write your Bio exactly the way you desire your audience to read it. In full general, your Bio should exist a paragraph or ii that quickly covers who y'all are, where you're from, any pertinent accolades or press quotes yous've received and then your all-time endeavour at making the record you lot're promoting sound, in words, like something someone would want to take time out of their life to listen to. Be honest! Be thoughtful! Exist concise! Let your bio serve every bit a time capsule of where your band is at - and leave it there, no reason to ramble on! P.Southward. I recommend that you write your Bio to be pretty interchangeable with your offset Printing Release.

Publicity Photos

If y'all're fortunate enough to get any press, they'll want a high-res (300 dpi at a standard photo size like 4x6 or 5x7) publicity photo or ii, and then effort to be prepared. Nothing fancy - have someone take a few shots with a digital camera or smartphone and upload them to your computer. If you have a photo editing application like Photoshop (fifty-fifty iPhoto or Picasso will exercise), mayhap crop it a flake, and accommodate it to look its best. Be sure to save a few high-res options for press and then "Save For Web" copies of the photos to use in your social media and in your press releases.

Video

Music videos, however amateur, 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 dependable in your social globe to assistance make a video for yous. Once information technology'south done, upload it to YouTube and/or Vimeo and then link to it in a press release and embed it on your website, and in your social media. (Fifty-fifty 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 y'all know someone whose remix skills yous admire, hit them up! A practiced remix of ane of your songs is a neat way to cross-pollinate audiences, deepen the interest in your album and is another excuse to drum upwards some social media and publicity buzz. Most people capable of doing remixes prefer to have "stems" of your songs. You tin can save anybody time past making sure, when you're mixing, to bounciness stems for annihilation and everything you think might be worth remixing. My advice is to motion on getting any remixes going as soon as yous've got your terminal mixes - it'due south impossible to get them finished and into your EPK folder too before long!

| Publicity

If you think y'all'd like to effort hiring a Publicist, keep in listen that they are extremely picky about who they cull to work with (which is good, since they take to believe they can become yous some publicity if they're going to take your coin!) And they are non cheap - expect to pay at to the lowest degree a few thousand dollars for a publicity campaign, and that'southward for "Indie Music" publicists.

If you accept the confidence in your tape and the money in your upkeep, here's a good list of cool Publicists to transport an introductory e-mail and heed-link to: Chromatic, Force Field, Terrorbird, Toolshed, Press Here, Motormouth, Stunt Company, Grandstand and Tell All Your Friends.

For the bulk of bands, who are not able to afford or retain a Publicist, getting word out about your music depends on yous.

⚡ Here is how to practise it: ⚡

Press Release Strategy

A skilful strategy is to practise three press releases, each serving a distinct but complimentary purpose (if yous're also trying to push a single earlier your album, a press release for the single is customary a few weeks before you announce the full album details):

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

#ii: "The Friendly Reminder" (seven-10 days before your release engagement) -- ideally y'all'd build upon your original press release with something fresh - a video or a remix or bout dates or a press blurb -- just even without any of that, a "friendly reminder" with the core details tin't injure -- especially if you have some press outlets you're really targeting.

#3: "The Follow Upwards" (one-2 weeks after your release engagement) -- the follow-up is probably most effective if you can either quote from some of the press (or social media responses) you've received or have something new to offer (video, remix, bout dates etc). Otherwise y'all're just kind of banging the drum -- then again, banging the pulsate is how you heighten sensation in the first place, so... don't surrender!

Creating Your Showtime Printing Release

ane. Research and make a thorough listing of email contacts for all the Music Blogs, Magazines and local press outlets y'all want to send a press release to.
2. Make sure either the entirety of your anthology or whatsoever select songs you desire to share are properly hosted at a linkable source (such every bit Bandcamp or Soundcloud).
3. Etch a paragraph or two announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your upcoming Album.
four. Compose an email to yourself that looks something similar this:

"Your Anthology Title" past Your Band Name
Your 250px 10 250px "Saved For Web" Album Cover Your 250px 10 250px "Saved For Spider web" Publicity Photo

A paragraph or ii describing and tastefully hyping your new album. Exist honest. Exist thoughtful. Be concise! What are the handful of most important and nigh original things you tin say virtually it? Where's your ring from? Where was your album recorded? What makes this anthology of yours special? The things you 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 section as though you were the music writer! Not a great writer? Inquire a friend who knows your music to help!

Your Release Engagement (on Your Release Format(s)) on Your Tape Characterization/Imprint/or "Self Released"

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

Thank you!

Your Proper noun/Band Name

Your Contact Info

If you lot have rich-text-editing capabilities in your email service (like Gmail, Yahoo or Mac post), be sure to give the layout some Pop! If you need help inserting images into your email, here are instructions for Gmail, Yahoo, Mac mail, and Outlook.

five. Examination it by sending information technology to yourself. Make sure your links are working! Once you're happy with information technology, create some other e-mail to yourself, re-create/paste your content into the body of the new e-mail, make sure the Bailiwick line has all the right info, enter the email addresses you've researched into the BCC field and ship information technology out! (Using the BCC field on an email addressed to yourself is recommended for bulk electronic mail ship-outs. If yous take specific blogs that you want to connect with, it's a skilful idea to send an email addressed exclusively to each one, personalizing it nonetheless y'all see fit.)

Congratulations - you lot've sent out your kickoff Press Release! 👏

Now What?

Starting time thinking about how you can brand your "friendly reminder" stand out. Simply think: publicity outlets are nether no obligation to be - or stay - in bear on. It's safe to presume that if someone wants to write virtually your music, they'll let you know. The best follow upwards is some other Press Release (or two), up to and through your release appointment, anytime y'all have something press-worthy to add (videos, remixes, tour dates, press or social media blurbs)!

Newsletter Services

Some people prefer to use e-mail/newsletter services like MailChimp (free), Mad Mimi (free) or Campaign Monitor (about $ten per entrada) for Printing Releases. The benefits are the custom formatting they offer, as well as, if yous're into it, the detailed analytics they provide you about who is checking out your electronic mail and what they're clicking on. I potential disadvantage is that these services brand information technology easy for the bloggers you're sending it to to "unsubscribe", and many volition...

Paid Campaigns

There are a number of services out there that volition 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 past music bloggers to the music bloggers involvement in being financially rewarded for taking the time to listen to your music.

There are ii tiers: a free "Standard" selection, and a "Premium" tier that starts at $i per credit (a credit allows you to transport ane song to one blog in the network and ensures that you will, at the very to the lowest degree, receive listening notes back from them). Credits get cheaper the more you buy.

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

Crosshair connects the music y'all 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 cost of $450.

StoryAmp

StoryAmp is a complimentary service that helps tailor your press release(s) and bout date info to Music Journalists and media outlets. Promoting your music through a service like StoryAmp - especially if you're touring - can be a prissy compliment to your ain DIY music blog send outs.

| Radio

To professionally service Radio, y'all need to hire a Radio Agent - but Radio Agents, just like Publicists, Booking Agents, Licesning Agents and Record Labels, are super picky about who they choose to work with. Just being able to afford one is oftentimes not enough. They have to want to work with you. And if they've never heard of you, and you accept no inside connections, they probably won't be interested.

Is it worth a shot? Sure! Try sending an introductory email with heed-links to whatsoever of the Radio Agencies yous'd like to hire. Typical Radio campaigns are a few thousand dollars (sometimes less, depending on duration and whether or non you lot're sending out physical copies).

Here's a listing of absurd indie Radio Agencies you tin endeavour reaching out to: Terrorbird, AAM, Vitriol, Distiller, Fanatic, Pirate!, Crowd Command, Planetary Grouping, Tinderbox, A man A programme A canal and Squad Claremont.

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

⚡ Hither is how to do information technology: ⚡

Submitting Your Music to Radio Stations

*You should submit your anthology to radio stations iv-half-dozen weeks before your release date

1. Submit your music to Pandora.
two. Research and brand a thorough list of email addresses for all the College Radio and Internet Radio stations you'd like to contact.
3. Brand sure a stream of your album is properly hosted at a linkable source such as Bandcamp or Soundcloud. (If yous want to proceed your album private, you can do so on Bandcamp with Bandcamp Pro and on SoundCloud via their "Undercover Links".)
4. Upload a .zip file of your album in Mp3 format to your web server or to a fileshare platform similar Dropbox, Hightail, Mediafire or Google Drive - or create a Secret Download Link to your Album on Soundcloud.
five. Compose a paragraph or 2 announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your Anthology (can be the aforementioned as your Press Release).
half dozen. Create an e-mail to yourself that looks something like this:

"Your Album Title" past Your Band Proper noun
Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Anthology Cover Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Publicity Photo

Please Consider for Airplay "Your Album Championship" past Your Band Name out Your Release Date on Your Tape Label/Imprint/or "Self Released"

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

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

"Your Anthology Title's" Tracklist:
i. Name of Track 1 (Track 1 duration - for case: 4:01)
2. Name of Track 2 (Runway 2 duration)
three. Name of Runway 3 (Rails iii duration) *EXPLICIT (Be certain to marker as "EXPLICIT" any tracks with explicit language!)
4. Name of Rail 4 (duration) *Recommended (Exist certain to mark every bit "Recommended" 2 or three tracks that you recommend!)
5. Name of Runway 5 (duration) *Recommended
etc.

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

Thanks!

Your Name/Band Name

Your Contact Info

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

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

Follow Upwardly

If in that location are specific stations you desire to follow up with - in particular your local and/or favorite station(s) - check into the Station Manager's office hours (Station Manager office hours are usually listed on the station's website) or call in and talk to i of the DJ's you lot like. ("Hey, I really love this station. I recently submitted some music to you guys and was wondering whether you'd had a chance to listen to it...")

*Besides worth considering: both Tunecore and CD Infant accept easy and free options for servicing Internet radio, available to members and subscribers.

| How To Release A Record

I'g Zach Hangauer and I started the indie label Range Life Records in 2005.

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

If you have whatever questions, success stories, tips, or want to achieve out for any guidance, please get in bear upon: howtoreleasearecord(@)gmail.com

How To Release A Record on Twitter

Life In Music interview (11/26/16)

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

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

cookcarld1981.blogspot.com

Source: http://howtoreleasearecord.com/

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