Posts tagged as:

album release

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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What is a Free CD Worth?

by Scott James March 9, 2010

I recently had someone on the Disc Makers blog ask me about a promotion they were thinking of doing for their upcoming CD. The idea was to give out 50-100 CDs to fans who were willing to recruit a certain number of their friends to join the band’s Facebook fan page. I thought it brought up some things that are worth thinking about. Here was my response:

My first thought is that you might get a better return on investment with Facebook advertising. Read more…

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Digital Mixtapes: Case Study – Lil Wayne

by Dexter Bryant Jr. March 4, 2010

lil wayneLil Wayne (aka Weezy F. Baby) is a name that most people who know music are familiar with.
Whether or not you like his work is a different matter entirely. Lil Wayne’s pop superstardom in recent years can largely be attributed to his stranglehold on the rap mixtape market.

Since 2006 Lil Wayne has released a seemingly endless flurry of mixtapes. With each one the bond between Weezy and his audience grows stronger. Read more…

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Digital Mixtapes: Case Study – A Hustler’s Spirit Mixtape by Ludacris

by Dexter Bryant Jr. March 2, 2010

A Hustler's SpiritSavvy businesspeople recognize and envision the revenue that mixtapes can generate when marketed wisely. Ludacris, an astute businessman (and my favorite MC), released his A Hustler’s Spirit mixtape in January 2010.

So what’s so special about this particular mixtape?

A Hustler’s Spirit is sponsored by Conjure Cognac–a joint venture between Ludacris and Norwegian cognac house Birkedal Hartmann. Read more…

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Digital Mixtapes: The Future of Music Distribution

by Dexter Bryant Jr. February 19, 2010

Mixtapes have been a staple in hip-hop culture for decades. Artists primarily use them to build buzz for their commercial releases in an effort to increase their album sales. As useful as mixtapes have been for the artists who use them, it wasn’t until relatively recently that their effectiveness as promotional vehicles surfaced in pop culture. Read more…

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Update: The Jason Parker Quartet

by Disc Makers October 27, 2009

Disc Makers client The Jason Parker Quartet was featured two weeks ago in one of our Artist Showcases. At their CD release party for No More, No Less, they tried the “pay what you can” model for their CD sales. I asked Jason to report back to me after the show and let me know how the test worked out. This is what he had to say:

Throughout the CD Release Party on Saturday I announced that I wanted everyone there to leave with a CD, no matter what it took. I had a “suggested donation” price of $15, but told the crowd they could pay $10, $5, $2…or just take one for free.

Read more…

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9 Ways Releasing a CD Can Help Your Career

by Andre Calilhanna October 15, 2009

The news surrounding the music industry these days might make you wonder if anyone is buying CDs any more. Major-label CD sales are down again. Downloads are up. So the question on the table is: As an independent artist, do you really need to make CDs these days? Read more…

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Artist Showcase: Hardcoretet

by Disc Makers October 14, 2009

HardcoretetDisc Makers client Hardcoretet performs music inspired by the desire of its members to write compositions with enough depth to satisfy the musically obsessed and a groove everyone can nod their head to. With years of formal jazz study and performance combined with a set of diverse influences from Robert Glasper to Soundgarden to Hermeto Pascoal, the band has built a singular sound reminiscent of early Return to Forever, Chris Potter Underground and Dave Douglas and Keystone, focused more on group vibe and concept than on individual flash and fireworks. On stage, Hardcoretet represents a departure from your average unrehearsed solo-centric jazz. Read more…

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Artist Showcase: The Jason Parker Quartet

by Disc Makers October 13, 2009

Jason Parker QuartetDisc Makers client The Jason Parker Quartet is releasing their second album, No More, No Less later this month. We are very interested to see how the “pay what you can” model for their CD sales works out, as we have heard such good things about this technique in the past. The JPQ will celebrate their new album with a CD Release Party at Lucid Jazz Lounge in Seattle on October 24, 2009 at 9:30pm. The JPQ is made up of Jason Parker (trumpet), Josh Rawlings (piano), Evan Flory-Barnes (bass) and D’Vonne Lewis (drums). They are joined on three tracks by special guest Cynthia Mullis on tenor sax. Read more…

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Sneak Preview: David Pastorius and Local 518’s Sense of Urgency

by Disc Makers October 12, 2009

David PastoriusBassist David Pastorius and his band, Local 518, are about to release their second album in the U.S., Sense of Urgency.

The album features Pastorius on bass with Local 518 members Al Brodeur on guitar and keyboards, Bjarne Jannik Kjaer on drums, steel drums and keyboards, Anthony Darmana on percussion and Dijeradoo and Dave Hoag on keyboards. Other performers on the CD include Alex Petrosky on drums, Ken Page on keyboards and Jowee Omicil on soprano sax. Read more…

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Phil Roy’s In The Weird Small Hours Releases Today!

by Disc Makers September 29, 2009

Phil RoyPhil Roy, a Philadelphia based singer-songwriter has had his songs recorded by Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, The Neville Brothers, Mavis Staples, Widespread Panic, and many others. His songs appear in numerous films including the Academy award winners “As Good As It Gets” and “Leaving Las Vegas.” His previous three solo albums grouchyfriendly, Issues + Options, and The Great Longing have all been released to extensive critical acclaim. Stephen Holden of the New York Times said, “Issues + Options is one of the two or three most satisfying albums by an American singer songwriter.” His latest release is titled In The Weird Small Hours. Read more…

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WPA Releases New Album Today

by Disc Makers September 15, 2009

WPAElite Artist WPA has just released their new self-titled album, WPA!

WPA is Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) and Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas Band), with their friends Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Greg Leisz (Joni Mitchell, Wilco, Beck), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello, Randy Newman) and Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Cracker). An inspired collaboration born out of the musical community surrounding legendary L.A. club Largo, WPA wasted no time or talent in acclaimed producer Jim Scott’s studio (Wilco, Tom Petty , Rolling Stones), recording the entire album plus a number of bonus tracks in 5 days. With a bloodline that represents the finest in American music, WPA unites to create this extraordinary team.

Click here to hear previews of the songs and purchase the album.

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Don’t just monetize, maximize.

by Tony van Veen September 2, 2009

Tony van VeenThere’s no shortage of information online about how to monetize your music: sell CDs in stores and online, downloads, merch, synch licensing, live gigs, etc. There’s not nearly as much written about how to maximize your revenues once you’ve made use of the above selling opportunities. Here’s a quick list of some common sense things the average artist can easily implement (and which will show instant results): Read more…

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The Making of an Album (and why it’s so hard to give away your music)

by Disc Makers August 26, 2009

African AlphabetMusician and Disc Makers’ friend Graeme Sacks writes about his experience of recording an album, marketing and distributing his work, and trying to earn a decent living all the while. Is “free” a sustainable future for music?

We’re about to release our second African-themed kids CD called Stories from the Alphabet Tree (Volume 1). The first CD The African Alphabet was released in 2007 and we had planned to try and release a new one every year. Read more…

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The Folksiness of Bluegrass, the Heartache of Country

by Disc Makers August 21, 2009

The New York Times just posted a review of Works Progress Administration, one of our Elite Artists! The WPA’s new self-titled album releases on September 15.

The members of Works Progress Administration, which goes principally by its abbreviation, WPA, take a companionable approach to conflicted emotion. On Wednesday night at Joe’s Pub, the band’s set began as its self-titled, self-released album does: with “Always Have My Love,” a vow of constancy set against a relationship’s ruins. “So someone might have spent the night beside you,” sang Glen Phillips. “He can’t love you like I do.” Had he not been strumming a guitar, you might have expected a pitiful shrug.

So what came next might have been a corrective measure: “End This Now,” another poisoned-love song from the album, which is due out on Sept. 15. Here Mr. Phillips played the heavy, over a well-groomed honky-tonk waltz.

Click here to read the entire article on the New York Times website.

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