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Disc Makers

Promoting Your Next Show

by Disc Makers March 12, 2010

Lets say you have a concert in two weeks. How would you normally advertise such a thing? Word of mouth? Handbills? Posters on phone poles? Ads in newspapers? Text messages to your friends? Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Posts? An email blast? Writing a blog post?

Self promotion can be a lot of work. Sometimes all we have time for is a few email reminders, a post on MySpace and a text message on the day of the show. Read more…

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How Valuable is Your Database?

by Disc Makers February 23, 2010

Consider this scenario: Let’s say you own a trendy shoe store. To build store traffic, you’ve printed a post card mailing going to 1,000 people. And now you’ve got two equal stacks of addressed mailing pieces in front of you.

In one stack is 500 cards addressed to people on your own list – the marketing database you’ve built customer by customer. You know where they live and what they buy. If you’ve done your homework, you even know how often they come into your store, their shoe sizes, their favorite shoe colors, and whether they buy socks and shoelaces, too. Read more…

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Beyond Classical: Ann Marie Calhoun Stretches Boundaries

by Disc Makers February 16, 2010

Ann Marie CalhounAnn Marie Calhoun has been touring and sharing the stage with music legends Ian Anderson, Steve Vai, and Ringo Starr, as well as composing and recording material for the recently-released Sherlock Holmes’ movie. Soft spoken and thoughtful in person, she’s a different personality on stage with a fiery presence and a knack for sizzling violin solos. Read more…

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CD Baby Introduces the Classical Music Podcast

by Disc Makers February 11, 2010

Explore the best in independently-released Concert Hall music from the Baroque era through modern Avant Garde. CD Baby is home to thousands of fine Classical recordings and each month we’ll share some highlights from our collection in this podcast. We’d love for you to check it out on itunes and give it a good rating. The debut episode features the work of Brahms, as performed by cellist David Requiro with the highly respected pianist Elizabeth DeMio. The San Francisco Chronicle has said of David’s playing “Young lion tames old masters.” The duo’s elegant and charming sound is winning fans worldwide. You can check out their album at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/requirodemio. Read more…

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Disc Makers Palooza X: The Highlights

by Disc Makers January 28, 2010

April MonetDisc Makers hosted its 10th Disc Makers Palooza musical extravaganza on January 15th, 2010 at the legendary World Café Live in Philadelphia. The show featured various musical configurations – each of which included at least one Disc Makers employee. This year’s show raised over $1,600 for the Red Cross’ Haiti relief efforts and Philabundance (a Philadelphia non-profit that provides food for the homeless and needy). Total donations from all 10 Disc Makers Paloozas come to more than $10,000! See photos…

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How Do I Become a Studio Musician?

by Disc Makers January 15, 2010

On the journey to becoming a successful studio musician, a lot of roads lead to the same place. But the way it usually works is that someone hears and likes your playing and either hires you or refers you as a result. Here are some of the many ways it could happen. Read more…

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Frankie Negron: The Next Definitive Voice

by Disc Makers January 13, 2010

Frankie NegronReclining on his couch in a beautifully appointed living area at his New Jersey home, Frankie Negron strikes you as a pretty relaxed guy. As he recounts his accomplishments, it would be understandable for Negron to now finally sit back on this sunny afternoon and coast a little: child performer and student at the school of performing arts, Broadway showman by age 20 and, most famously, salsa superstar, earning him Grammy Award nominations, Billboard Award nods and two Premio Lo Nuestro awards for song of the year, not to mention several number one singles and four gold and platinum album awards to his credit. Read more…

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It’s Called a “Call to Action” for a Reason

by Disc Makers January 11, 2010

All the marketing in the world doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if it doesn’t elicit a response from your audience. That’s why it’s so astonishing that so many marketing materials lack the key ingredient to ensure success: a strong call to action. Read more…

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Tips to Ensure Success with Mastering

by Disc Makers January 11, 2010

Paul Elliott, senior mastering engineer at Disc Makers’ SoundLab mastering studios, offers a few tips to help artists get the most out of their mastering sessions, as well as some of his own opinions about the role of mastering in the album-making process.

First, prepare an accurate track listing – in the proper order – of all the songs you are sending to the mastering engineer. If there are any alternate mixes, be sure those are clearly labeled and tell the engineer which one you prefer be used. Read more…

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John Two-Hawks Receives GRAMMY Nomination!

by Disc Makers January 7, 2010

Wind SongsDisc Makers client John Two-Hawks has received a GRAMMY nomination for his Wind Songs CD for “Best Native American Album of the Year.” Wind Songs, which is comprised entirely of remarkable first-take flute solo improvisations, is Two-Hawks’ 17th musical release to date. This GRAMMY nomination marks yet another milestone for a phenomenal artist whose list of accomplishments already include a Platinum Album award, an EMMY nomination and 6 Nammy (Native American Music Award) nominations. Read more…

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A Musician’s Roadmap To Setting Goals for 2010

by Disc Makers December 22, 2009

What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School (a bestselling book) talks about a research study that was conducted at Harvard between 1979 and 1989:

“In 1979, the MBA graduates were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?”

Only 3 percent had clear written goals and action plans to achieve them.

Thirteen percent of the graduates had goals, but they were not in writing. Read more…

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David Pastorius: It’s not what you think

by Disc Makers December 15, 2009

David PastoriusWhen your last name is Pastorius and you play the bass, it only stands to reason that people will draw some immediate conclusions.

In the case of David Pastorius, they’d probably be wrong.

David, the nephew of the late, great bassist Jaco Pastorius, may share the same last name and instrument of choice as his uncle, but that’s where the similarities end. Read more…

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Networking and the Songwriting Business

by Disc Makers December 11, 2009

You are at songwriting round, open mic, showcase, music conference, music publishing workshop, record release, or other networking event. You attend the event to meet songwriters and other industry professionals, and want to be prepared and leave a great impression on the people you meet. Read more…

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The Worst Album Covers of 2009

by Disc Makers December 3, 2009

sum41 While we usually publish articles about good design and techniques, Pitchfork’s list of “The Worst Album Covers of 2009″ was just too fun to skip.

Our annual tradition highlighting the worst cover art of the year– goofy, offensive, amateurish, and puzzling, it’s all here– continues with the dregs of 2009. Not safe for people at work or those prone to nausea.

Check out the full list here.

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From Your Project Studio to The Sound Machine

by Disc Makers December 1, 2009

Eric Schilling

Eight-time Grammy winner Eric Schilling talks about technique, craft, and saving an emotional reserve.

When you think about major hubs for music, three cities spring to mind: LA, New York, and Nashville. But the immense success of Latin artists like Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Mark Anthony has also put Miami distinctly on the map, and eight-time Grammy winner Eric Schilling is one of the shining stars in the South Beach scene. Read more…

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