From the monthly archives:

November 2010

Fresh Pressed: Summer Fiction

by Disc Makers November 30, 2010

Hot off our presses this week is a CD from Summer Fiction, the new band by Philly pop song-smith Bill Ricchini. The songs on the self-titled debut record were written to flow into one another and feel of a certain whole piece of work, yet ranging stylistically from late 60s baroque pop to torch songs to folk rock ballads to old time waltzes to country duets. Read more…

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The Print Shop at Disc Makers Earns G7 Certification

by Disc Makers November 29, 2010

What will the G7 Certification mean for Disc Makers customers? It means that Disc Makers’ print shop is conforming to some of the strictest industry standards, that our staff is trained and our equipment maintained to the industry’s best practices, and that ultimately, your print run will be produced to the highest standards possible. Read more…

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Recording with Reverb and Echo – Tips and Lessons from Six Classic Tracks

by Keith Hatschek November 23, 2010

If you’re recording and mixing your own tracks, you may have already begun experimenting with reverb and delay, two time-based effects that offer the opportunity to change the perceived time and space coefficient of an individual instrument, voice, or an entire mix. Simply put, the use of reverb and echo effects can create the perception of music being performed in a small concert hall or a 20,000 seat arena, or anywhere in between. We’ll consider the aesthetic use of each, and recommend a few classic tracks worth checking out that make excellent use of these time and space effects. Read more…

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What’s the Best Time to Release Your Album?

by Disc Makers November 19, 2010

All too often, musicians rush their new album’s or EP’s release without considering what the best time-frame for that release may be. Just because your album is done doesn’t mean you have to rush it out – there are numerous factors to take into account before you confirm your release date.

Here are some tips on how to schedule and promote your album’s release: Read more…

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A&R and the Shifting Major Label Landscape

by Rick Goetz November 17, 2010

If you talk about mergers and acquisitions, there’s a philosophical shift that happened, where the big euphemism became branding. Sometime in the mid-2000s, branding became a business and an approach. It became a noun and a verb. When that shift happened, bands started to think of themselves as businesses, and labels started to look at bands as businesses just as they were looking into buying smaller labels that had a niche and could provide them acts that had a sales base and a fan base and could give them credibility with an audience that you can’t have as a major label because you serve every kind of consumer. Read more…

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10 Things Bands Can Do to Book More Live Shows

by Chris Bracco November 16, 2010

Assuming that you have strong songs and an kickass live show, here are ten simple things you can do to get more gigs:

1. Create a YouTube channel for your band.
Upload a live performance video on YouTube that represents your band at its best. Read more…

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Recording Acoustic Guitar

by Jon Chappell November 11, 2010

When recording acoustic guitar, you can obtain great results with either dynamic or condenser mics, used singly, in a blend, or in stereo. For acoustic guitars, generally what you hear is what you get. If you use a better mic, you’ll get a better sound simply because the mic is providing a more accurate picture of what’s there. And while it’s true that some mic characteristics are preferable to others for capturing acoustic guitar… Read more…

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Lyva Music Fest: An Event for the Music, Media and Technology Industries

by Disc Makers November 5, 2010

Lyva Music Fest kicks off in Brooklyn, New York at the legendary Knitting Factory on November 10, 2010. It is a collaboration between the music industry and digital media in the vibrant technology community that is New York. This is a truly unique project and movement in modern music. Read more…

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Recording Electric Guitar

by Jon Chappell November 3, 2010

Electric guitars are far and away the most popular kind of guitar that gets recorded, and the principles you learn here will apply to other electronic instruments and sources that you may record, including keyboards, sound modules, virtual instruments from your hard disk, and even external devices such as an MP3 player. Learning to treat the guitar as a signal source, rather than a performing instrument, is the first step in making the transition from player to recordist. But the objective is always the same: to produce the best sound possible for the listener. Read more…

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Top 10 CD Baby Albums: October 2010

by Disc Makers November 1, 2010

Michael Grimm Dan Kirby Blues Ryan Kelly Check out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby! Here are the 10 best-selling albums in October: See all 10…