Posts tagged as:

CDs

Fundraising with CDs and DVDs: Manufacturing and Packaging

by Andre Calilhanna December 7, 2011

When it’s time to raise money for your club or organization, you may already have your go-to method of procuring funds. But there’s always room to improve, and maybe it’s time to find an additional revenue generator – or it may be time for a totally new solution. Perhaps you’re terrified by the whole concept. Read more…

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An Innovative Approach to an Album Release

by Disc Makers June 17, 2011

Kaiser ChiefsWe are always on the lookout for new album release strategies. Here’s the latest from Billboard.biz and the Kaiser Chiefs:

U.K. guitar group Kaiser Chiefs is taking an innovative approach to the release of its new studio album, “The Future is Medieval” (Fiction/B-Unique Records), by allowing fans to choose their own track listing and album artwork.

Read more…

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Sell the Story – Not the CD

by Scott James April 26, 2011

flannel ballIn 2009 Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn tried out a little experiment. They spent $128.74 on a bunch of yard sale junk and hired professional writers to draw up interesting stories about each item. Then they put everything up on eBay with the stories that they created to see what happened. Read more…

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The Album Release Schedule Is Back!

by Disc Makers February 24, 2011

CD Baby and IndieGuide.com have put together a very interesting and helpful album release schedule – updated for 2011.

Back in the late-90s at Sony Music Entertainment, we had these incredibly detailed setup schedules for albums. That included everything from getting artwork approvals, passing elements to distribution, setting up artist interviews, the works.

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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Top 10 CD Baby Albums: October 2010

by Disc Makers November 1, 2010

Michael GrimmDan Kirby BluesRyan KellyCheck out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby! Here are the 10 best-selling albums in October: See all 10…

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Fresh Pressed: Fierce Bad Rabbit

by Disc Makers October 15, 2010

Fierce Bad RabbitHot off our presses this week is Spools of Thread, a new CD by Fierce Bad Rabbit. We also noticed them in this interesting article on Scene Savvant where they talk about their new record, funding it through donations, and cooking meals for their fans as a reward for said funding. Read more…

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10 Great Tips to Help You Fail as an Independent Artist

by Scott James October 14, 2010

10 Great Tips to Help you Fail as an Independent ArtistWe’ve all seen and read posts and eBooks about how to ‘succeed’ as independent artists and to be honest, I’ve even written a few. But what about those of us who are bent on failure? Those of us who would like to know how to shoot ourselves in the foot as efficiently and painfully as possible? Those of us who would like to be more unsuccessful and confused? Well this post is for you!

Some of these things I’ve done myself, and I can assure you – they work amazingly well! Read more…

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Music Marketing 2.0: The Digital Brand Manifesto

by Dexter Bryant Jr. October 11, 2010

Every artist needs a fully customized DIGITAL BRAND to succeed. Proper branding requires the following:

  1. A unique web domain separate from an artist profile on the record label website. The artist’s website functions as the central web hub for that artist’s digital brand.

  2. A simplified e-commerce system on the artist website. Easy check-out store supporting various forms of payment (PayPal, credit, debit, etc).

Read more…

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Top 10 CD Baby Albums: September 2010

by Disc Makers October 1, 2010

Michael GrimmMichael GrimmMichael GrimmCheck out the latest and greatest indie music from CD Baby! Here are the 10 best-selling albums in September: See all 10…

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Progress vs. Perfection

by Scott James September 29, 2010

About 8 years ago I used to smoke two packs of Marlboro Red cigarettes a day. It was hard for me to imagine what it would really take to quit. I tried to kick the habit cold turkey a few times and it just made me want to crawl out of my skin. Then I heard about the patch and decided to give it a try.

I put it on one morning and made it until about 10PM before I ripped it off and started smoking. The fact that I don’t smoke today has a lot to do with how I chose to look at what happened that day. Read more…

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5 Sales Tips for Independent Artists

by Scott James August 31, 2010

Sell your music better and you’ll have resources to make more music, better-sounding music, and get more people to hear it. Here are five tips to help you generate more sales:

1. Believe In Your Product
It’s difficult to look someone in the eye and ask them to buy something that you don’t believe is a good deal for them. If you’re trying to sell a CD to someone for $10 that you believe is worth $5 then you’re going to have a hard time selling it. The idea is to focus on ‘giving’ them something that’s valuable to them at a fair price. You can always tell when someone is just trying to ‘get’ something from you. Don’t underestimate the intelligence and intuition of your fans. Read more…

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Creating a Budget for Your New Album

by Disc Makers August 6, 2010

creating a budgetCameron Mizell, freelance guitarist, producer, and consultant in Brooklyn, has written yet another excellent article for independent musicians. This article comprehensively details the time and costs involved in creating a new album. Mizell put together “a realistic cost scenario for every stage of creating a new album,” which could serve as an indispensable guide for those about to embark on the process. Read more…

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The Self-Made Musician

by Disc Makers July 20, 2010

Sharon Jones & The Dap-KingsGabe Roth is the bass player, producer, main writer and founding member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the head of their label Daptone records. Gabe also recently won a Grammy award for engineering the Amy Winehouse record “Back to Black”. I was lucky enough to be in a band with Gabe in college back when he was a drummer. He is one of those enviable musicians who can pick up any instrument and make it look effortless. Read more…

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Are You Too Old to Make It?

by Scott James June 28, 2010

Most musicians I know hold a dream to someday ‘make it’ in the music business. To play in front of huge crowds and live a lifestyle that they can only imagine. Many of us believe that we’ll someday get there. Unfortunately most of us find ourselves growing older with an ever increasing fear that we’re missing the boat.

We’re conditioned to believe that if we’re going to make it then we have to do it at a young age. I had already started to have this feeling when I was in my early 20′s. I felt like I was slacking because I hadn’t ‘made it’ yet. Read more…

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