Making Your Song Sound the Same When Uploading to Soundcloud

Digital

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

| Overview

With a budget of a few hundred dollars...

y'all can get your digital anthology professionally Mastered and make it bachelor on all the popular stores and streaming services. A ballpark budget starts at around $xl per song for Mastering, plus $50 to Digitally Distribute your anthology and you should permit yourself a few months to consummate these processes.

If you're trying to become your music out without spending anything, do your all-time to "main" the tracks yourself, fix your gratuitous Paypal and Bandcamp accounts, upload your album to Bandcamp and voilà! - you've officially released your music digitally.

Be sure to bank check out the PROMO section for advice on letting the Globe know about your release!

Go Up-to-Spec!

Audio File Formats: You should save your concluding mixes as high-quality (24 bit is standard) stereo WAV or AIFF files bounced at the same sample rate you've been mixing in. These WAV or AIFF files are what yous will submit to the Mastering Engineer, what you will go back from the Mastering Engineer, and what y'all will then upload to digital stores and services (they will not have MP3's!).

Artwork: To be condom, save your Digital anthology comprehend artwork as a 2400 10 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at least 72 dpi and in RGB color mode. (2400 x 2400 pixels is the largest dimension recommended - many stores accept a smaller version, only if you offset with the 2400 ten 2400 version, yous tin always downsize.)

UPC and ISRC codes: To sell your music on iTunes or whatever of the other major services, yous volition need to go through a Digital Distributor and they volition provide yous with both a UPC lawmaking for your album (this identifies your album and monitors your sales) and ISRC codes for each of your tracks (same thought, but for private songs).

Hither is a useful rundown on the applicability of UPC and ISRC codes for indie artists.

If you lot adopt to license your own personal UPC and ISRC codes, you lot can find single UPC's for as low equally $10.00 and ISRC'due south are a quondam $95 fee for a company/brand prefix.

| Mastering

To accept your final mixes professionally Mastered you lot volition need to have a starting budget of roughly $twoscore per song and should program on waiting 4-eight weeks from the day y'all submit your files to the day you download your finished masters.

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

Why?

Considering mastering dependably makes your mixes sound better. 😎

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 audio clearer and smoother (they apply the kind of Howdy-Fi equipment most of us tin merely 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 lot're non budgeted to Master professionally or if you aren't convinced that it's worth it, please at to the lowest degree exercise your audience the favor of trying your best to "principal" the tracks yourself!

Mastering Engineers

Here are some recommendations for affordable Mastering Engineers with slap-up reputations (toll per song approximate - and since rates fluctuate based on # of songs/amount of time being mastered, these approximations might be low for a single and high for an anthology - always double check!):

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

[*2021 update: a great fashion of finding the right Mastering Engineer is to look at the credits on any new music yous think sounds actually good and and then google them and run across what their rates and availability are.]

| Distribution

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

Note: Turnaround times for Digital Distribution are pretty fast these days - from a few days to a few weeks - though you tin specify your release date when you lot become through the gear up-upward process. Be sure to give yourself enough fourth dimension - at least a month (industry standard is 3 months) earlier your release date to get your EPK together, send out press releases, service radio and push your information.

The three Digital Distributors I'm most familiar with are Tunecore, CD Baby and DistroKid. All have like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use dashboards that guide you lot through the set-up process, offering clear and thorough reports on your sales, and allow y'all to easily withdraw any money you've made by Check, Straight Eolith or Paypal.

Tunecore vs. CD Baby vs. DistroKid

Tunecore charges $29.99 to distribute your anthology for the first yr and then raises it to an annual accuse of $49.99, for continued distribution, every twelvemonth after that - merely they don't take whatsoever percentage of your music sales.

CD Baby, on the other paw, only charges a one-fourth dimension fee of $49 per album for distribution, merely they take a 9% cutting of everything yous sell, for the duration of their service.

DistroKid allows you to upload unlimited music for an annual cost (starting at $xix.99/year), and lets you lot keep 100% of your royalties (paid monthly). Definitely the best deal, especially if you're planning to release more than than one album. Bonus from DistroKid is that thanks to Spotify'south minority investment, y'all get instant verification on Spotify (including the bluish checkmark on your Spotify artist folio) when you submit your music through DistroKid.

Other options

There are a number of other Digital Distributors worth checking out, including Stalk, Music Kickup, Aded.us, Ditto Music, iMusician, Catapult and Traxx.infinite. Here'south a good detailed breakdown of distributors and their features via Ari Herstand at Ari's Accept.

AWAL

AWAL is a cool Distro visitor y'all may desire to endeavour submitting to. Information technology's curated, so they don't accept everything, but if y'all manage to perk their ears, they offering good terms for digital distribution (a straight fifteen% sales commission on a rolling xxx-solar day contract) and they are known for actively pitching your record for store placement and features. To submit your music to AWAL, you'll first need to fill out a "Join Us" class, which you tin find hither.

Artist Profiles

A number of the big digital streaming/monetization platforms allow y'all to independently register and customize your Artist contour, which you should definitely do!

Hither are Creative person sign-upwards links for Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora.

| Bandcamp

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

(They also take some valuable features for fans, like being able to "follow" the bands you similar, being notified when the bands you follow release new music, a gratuitous 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, take a 15% commission on all of your music sales and a 10% fee on all merch (compare that to iTunes, which takes a 30% committee on all sales.)

If you're an indie artist and you're trying to put your music out, I encourage you to get set up on Bandcamp regardless of whether you're likewise doing Digital Distribution!

Heads Up!

A common frustration with being new to Bandcamp is that in order to collect the money you make on Bandcamp, you must not simply have a Paypal account, but your Paypal account must be a "Premier" or "Business organization" Account, which means once y'all've set up upwards a Paypal business relationship you'll need to get through an additional process of (free) upgrading on Paypal before you tin actually start collecting everything you've earned. So if you programme to utilize Bandcamp as a platform for selling your music, get your Paypal account in club starting time!

| Publishing, Licensing & Copyrights

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

It is recommended, however, that you do everything yous can to professionally institute the rights to your music. This involves registering your "music compositions" and "sound recordings" with the United States Copyright Office (this tin can be washed together, in one application, for $35), registering with a Functioning Rights Arrangement (or "PRO") as both a Writer and a Publisher ($100 - $150) and registering as an Artist with SoundExchange (gratis). Once these tasks are complete, you'll be covered in case anyone always records, performs, plagiarizes or wants to pay big bucks to license your songs.

(For a actually cracking, detailed look at the realities of Publishing and Licensing, cheque out this article, "Understanding the Music Industry: Music Publishers, Syncs and Licensing" by Budi Voogt.)

Performance Rights Organizations

The three major Performance Rights Organizations - ASCAP, BMI and SESAC - collect and distriubte royalties for the "public performance" of your songs.

For indie artists, your all-time bet is to cull either ASCAP or BMI (SESAC is pretty exclusive and "invitation only" at the moment). Both ASCAP and BMI let you to register as either a "Writer", a "Publisher", or both, but since the royalties they collect go 50/fifty to "Writer" and "Publisher", you'll want to annals every bit both a "Writer" and "Publisher" to collect the entirety of your potential earnings.

The catch: at that place are fees associated with registering. If you become with ASCAP, yous'll need to pay $50 to register equally a "Writer" plus another $l to annals as a "Publisher". At BMI you'll exist able to annals as a "Writer" for costless but then they charge $150 to register equally a "Publisher".

SoundExchange

Later registering with ASCAP or BMI, be sure to sign upwards equally an Artist with SoundExchange. This is a free registration that covers royalties for "non-interactive" streaming of musical content (such equally Pandora and SiriusXM).

Licensing

The skillful news is that if anyone ever wants to license any of your music for Film, TV or Commercials, since yous control your Publishing and Principal Recording rights, y'all (or y'all and your lawyer) can negotiate and go paid directly.

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

While information technology'southward always worth sending an email and mind-link to cool Licensing Agencies similar Bank Robber, Musicbed, The Music Playground and Zync, your best bet in terms of getting a Licensing Bureau interested in your music is to succeed on other fronts similar publicity and radio. If y'all generate some fizz, your licensing opportunities - as well as other opportunities like touring and merch sales - are sure to increase.

Songtradr

Songtradr is a gratuitous service that allows you lot to upload your music, gear up licensing fee prices, submit to diverse projects, and make licensing transactions all through their platform. If you current of air up licensing anything through them, they accept a 17.5% brokerage fee (compare that to Tunecore's twenty%). It'south a new service and I don't know their success charge per unit, but I've worked with some of their team 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 direction with them. The benefit would be that you lot may score some licensing opportunities that you'd otherwise be missing out on. The drawback is that y'all take 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-time set up-up fee of $75 (plus fifteen% of royalties and 20% commission on any Licensing they secure). At that place'due south a decent chance you won't make that $75 back from it, but it will definitely offering you a glimpse into online acquirement streams and put your music out in that location for licensing opportunities.

And CD Baby has two options: a free opt-in feature for "Sync Licensing" where they will brand your music available (and collect the royalties) for Film, Boob tube, commercial and YouTube licensing; and a service called CD Baby Pro ($89/Album or $49/Upgrade), through which CD Babe volition handle your PRO registration and collect and distribute your royalties (taking a fifteen% admin fee).

CD

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Samples | Distro]

| Overview

Information technology'due south 2022. Should you still make CDs?

Sure, if:
✔ you're playing a lot of shows or going on tour (CDs are still a great impulse-buy at the merch table) [*uhh, yeah, this doesn't employ at the moment, just this is the general thought]
✔ yous have a practiced relationship with your local record store and enough of a local presence that you can most likely movement some product
✔ you plan to do a big publicity and/or college radio push and desire to mail service out CDs for consideration
✔ you want your music added to the Allmusic.com/Rovi database, which supplies the bio, prototype and metadata for sites similar Spotify [*2021 update: y'all can really practise this digitally now, by following the instructions under the "My music is a digital release, not a physical product. Can it even so be listed in the database?" at the above link.
✔ you have money in the budget (approximately $800 for 500 CDs)

No, if:
❌ you inappreciably ever play live
❌ the majority of your focus is online/digital
❌ you expect to go 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 budget is tight... If you only have a few hundred bucks and you're debating between professional Mastering and making CDs, I encourage yous to Main!

| Mastering

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

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

If y'all're looking for advice on who to use for professional person CD Mastering, delight bank check out the DIGITAL Mastering section!

| Manufacturing

There are 2 ways to manufacture CDs:

one) "Replication" (the high-quality professional mode)
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 can either get through a Duplicator, or CD Infant and Amazon CreateSpace take options to duplicate-as-needed.

Price Breakdowns for Professional person CD Replication

Note the various 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 colour encompass = $555 ($one.85 per unit)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $657 ($2.xiv per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in jewel cases with full colour cover = $795 ($1.59 per unit)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $790 ($1.58 per unit)
1000 CDs in jewel cases with full color cover = $990 ($0.99 per unit)
grand CDs in full color Digipaks = $990 ($0.99 per unit of measurement)

From Groovehouse:
500 CDs in precious stone cases with full color cover = $795 ($1.59 per unit)
500 CDs in full color Digipaks = $1170 ($ii.34 per unit of measurement)
1000 CDs in precious stone cases with full color cover = $890 ($0.89 per unit)
g CDs in total colour Digipaks = $1390 ($ane.39 per unit of measurement)

From Nationwide Disc:
300 CDs in gem cases with full color cover = $778 ($2.59 per unit)
300 CDs in full color Digipaks = $783 ($2.61 per unit of measurement)
500 CDs in jewel cases with total color cover = $915 ($1.83 per unit)
500 CDs in full colour Digipaks = $915 ($1.83 per unit of measurement)
k CDs in jewel cases with full color embrace = $1134 ($1.13 per unit)
g CDs in full color Digipaks = $1134 ($1.thirteen per unit)

The Math

Equally you lot can see, the more CDs you industry, the cheaper the toll is "per-unit" - as low every bit $0.89 per CD if you make 1000.

This "per unit" cost is useful because it allows you to gauge what your profit margin will be when you actually sell a CD. If CDs are costing yous $i/unit to produce, but you lot're selling them at your merch table for $10 each, you're profiting $9 on each CD. If yous make 1000 CDs at a cost of $900 and you manage to sell all thousand CDs at $10 a pop (that's $10,000!), your full profit is $9100, which is why CDs, in theory, can exist a great investment. (To actually sell 1000 CDs, yet, you'd probably have to exist doing brisk business online and at at least a few tape stores, in which example your profit margin would be a bit lower because you'd demand to factor in the aircraft and packaging costs for mail orders, the commissions for webstores, and the wholesale price for tape shops.)

But agree up. Do you lot actually need 1000 CDs? I can assure yous information technology is extraordinarily difficult to sell 1000 - or 500 - or even 100 CDs these days, and the most probable result of making all those CDs is that they will end up taking upwardly closet space for years to come up.

I call up the wisest advice is to try generating involvement in your music online and/or in your customs beginning and if you sense that there'southward existent demand, that's when y'all start thinking nearly manufacturing.

Kunaki

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

| Samples

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

In order to avert copyright lawsuits, manufacturing companies make sure to articulate themselves of liability in the paperwork they have yous sign too as protect themselves by running every project through sample detecting software before going to press.

If they observe the samples yous've expertly chopped and woven into your songs, they will pull your project from product, notify you of the detected samples and insist upon appropriate clearance for any it is yous're using before your project tin go along.

Getting clearance

Is it worth contacting record labels and publishers most getting clearance to use samples? Not unless you've got the kind of coin that tin can get their attending!

If you're interested in trying anyhow, here is some costless, thorough, legal advice.

Solutions

Since yous won't make it whatever actual trouble for submitting music with samples (and who knows, your timing could exist just right to slip by!), you can e'er take chances with the manufacturing plants. Merely be sure you're approved for product earlier yous pay them anything!

You can also Practise It Yourself past press inserts, purchasing cases and having the CD faces printed on and then called-for the CDs on your computer...

| Distribution

If yous're hoping to have your CD in record stores across the land, your best bet is to get signed by a record label with a national distribution deal - and even then, in such a competitive market, it requires press, radio play and disquisitional acclamation to be in full issue the week your CD is released to avoid being just another ring lost in the shop-shelf shuffle.

If this is your dream, and you want to attain out to your favorite tape labels in the hopes that they will offer y'all a deal and work tirelessly to become your CD into every store nonetheless standing, just:

✔ Compose an email to the label's contact electronic mail address
✔ Write a paragraph virtually who you are and what kind of assistance y'all're looking for
✔ Paste in the appropriate links to stream your music, and...
✔ Sign off

Chances are y'all won't hear back. But it's your dream. Perhaps you will! ⚡

So what's the best way to sell CDs, across your merch table at shows and from your local record store?

Online Retail

Making your CD bachelor online is every bit easy as signing up with an online retailer similar Storenvy (free) or Big Cartel (complimentary for upwards to 5 items or $ix.99/mo) - or DIY by creating a CASH Music account and using their free tools for creating a store. Once you lot're gear up up, you can link to your storefront from your website and your social media.

If you've set up your profile on Bandcamp, they will host a complimentary merch-store for you (they take a 10% commission on all merch sales), from which yous tin toll, sell and link-to your CDs.

And if you're using CD Baby as your Digital Distributor, they offer a complimentary customizable shop widget you can embed on your site. (CD Baby also offers what they call "Worldwide CD Distribution" for $49 + $iv/CD, assuasive you lot to sell CD's via their online store, on Amazon and through diverse distribution partners).

Vinyl

[Overview | Mastering | Manufacturing | Samples | Distro]

| Overview

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

Getting at that place tin exist a journey, though.

Be prepared to wait

Making actual records takes time. Not just are there multiple steps required earlier production simply the whole vinyl industry is notorious for delays.

$$$

And it takes $$$. You'll demand to exist prepared to pay for Mastering, lacquer-cut, test presses, album-jacket press and aircraft forth with the vinyl manufacturing costs.

$iv per unit, with a minimum of 500 units, is a proficient rough cost estimate ("unit" = the finished packaged product).

In other words, 500 12" LP's in custom-printed Jackets will cost you $2000. (7" records are about half that.)

| Mastering

The same Mastering Engineer you utilise to master your digital files can create a secondary digital master specifically tailored to pressing vinyl - it typically takes a piddling more than time then there's an boosted cost, just engineers and audiophiles will encourage you to do it. (Yes, of course y'all can just employ the digital master for your vinyl but vinyl manufacturing introduces a different set of quirks and dynamics, so if you lot want your record to audio its best, Master for vinyl!)

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

Cutting Lacquers

Subsequently you have your Mastered files there is a second step involved in creating a vinyl main, known as cutting lacquer. This is the process by which the audio from your Main 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 ii ways to cutting lacquers:

i) Transport it to a lacquer-cutting specialist (who will then send it on to the manufacturing plant for production).
2) Take the manufacturing plant you're using cut the lacquer.

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

The benefit of having a specialist practice it is that they are really focusing on y'all and making your vinyl sound equally true to the Principal every bit possible. The negative: the actress time information technology takes to schedule them.

The benefit of having the tape institute exercise information technology is efficiency - it'll save fourth dimension and, every bit long every bit you lot'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 also all happen to be pop Mastering Engineers) (prices per standard 12" approximate):

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

| Manufacturing

Vinyl Manufacturers typically brand a distinction between the services they offering: "Vinyl Manufacturing" is i service, while "Album Art/Jacket/Insert press" is some other (and may require its ain split up order.)

Some people prefer to have their Anthology Jackets and any insert fabric printed past companies that specialize in custom press (such as Imprint or Dorado). *Annotation: 500 is the standard minimum guild for 12" jackets (and 300 for 7" jackets) regardless of whether you utilize a specialist or the vinyl manufacturer. If yous need fewer than the minimum, you'll simply be left with a stack of actress jackets...

As with lacquer cut, the costs are about the same whether you take the Vinyl Manufacturer print your packaging or ship 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 yous at no extra charge (as opposed to having to exercise them all yourself in your studio flat.)

Either way, if you want to go on your LP costs down, stick with the standard or default options and consider limiting the number of colors on your artwork and labels!

Price Breakdowns for Professional 12" LP Vinyl Manufacturing

Prices include lacquer cut + *standard 12" Jacket printing* but practise non include shipping (prices are effective Summer '19 - ever double-check!):

From United Record Pressing:
300 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1286 ($4.29 per unit of measurement)
500 records with b/west labels in newspaper sleeves = $1455 ($two.91 per unit)
500 4 color LP Jackets = $695 ($1.39 per unit)
* Best packet deal: 500 records with b/west labels and 500 iv color jackets = $2150 ($four.30 per unit)
+ Digital Download coupons and hosting parcel (1000 coupons) = $275

From Erika Records:
100 records with b/west labels in paper sleeves = $1066 ($ten.66 per unit)
300 records with b/westward labels in paper sleeves = $1308 ($4.36 per unit)
500 records with b/w labels in paper sleeves = $1465 ($ii.93 per unit)
500 4 color LP Jackets = $475 ($0.95 per unit of measurement)
* Best package deal: 500 records with b/westward labels and 500 4 color jackets = $1940 ($3.88 per unit of measurement)

From Groovehouse:
300 records with one color labels in newspaper sleeves = $1394 ($4.65 per unit)
500 records with one color labels in paper sleeves = $1760 ($3.52 per unit)
300 records with one colour labels and 4 colour Jackets = $1815 ($6.05 per unit)
500 records with one color labels and four color Jackets = $2130 ($4.26 per unit)
* Best bundle deal: 500 records with one color labels and 500 4 color Jackets = $2130 ($4.26 per unit)
+ Digital Download cards and hosting parcel (500 cards) = $349

At that place are a number of other Vinyl Manufacturers both in the U.South. and abroad. Here is a expert reference list.

Vinyl On Need

The prices are premium, simply if all you're looking for is a express number of copies of your album on vinyl, there are services that will lathe cutting each record i-by-one, allowing y'all to make as few as 1 copy(!) Keep in listen that lathe-cut vinyl is done by manus and not by the precisely-calibrated machinery of a record plant, so it is susceptible to volume and fidelity fluctuations, merely withal... pretty cool.

Here is some sample pricing from Vinyl On Need (prices are effective Summer '19 and practise not include shipping):
one 7" record in a bare jacket = $25 ($25 per unit of measurement)
20 seven" records in blank jackets = $285 ($fourteen.25 per unit of measurement)
1 12" record in a blank jacket = $48 ($48 per unit)
xx 12" records in bare jackets = $490 ($24.fifty per unit of measurement)

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

Qrates

Forth with being a (fairly premium-priced) professional person manufacturing option, Qrates offers a crowdfunding concern model, where you can create what-will-be your product and then crowdfund information technology through them. In one case your projection is funded, Qrates handles all the manufacturing, takes a 15% cut of sales, and either ships your orders (for an additional 5%) or ships y'all the product (you lot are then responsible shipping out the orders yourself).

| Samples

Yep. Just as with CD Manufacturers, Vinyl Manufacturers are on the look-out for unlicensed samples and will waste no time pulling your project from the production line if they locate any unlicensed samples in your music. (The Manufacturing plants are always the one's that will telephone call y'all out, by the style -- the Mastering Engineer and the Lacquer-cutter won't intendance.)

How have others bypassed the problem? They've taken their chances, and past taking their chances, I mean avoiding the cheaper, high-book Manufacturers and trying to discover smaller Manufacturers who may non have the manpower to run everything through detection software. But unlicensed samples are e'er a risk when having your music manufactured, so consider yourself warned!

| Distribution

To go your LP in record stores beyond the state you lot will need a Distribution Bargain, which is typically only an selection if y'all are signed to an established record label. For more than details, run into CD Distribution.

Without a Distribution Deal, your best bets for selling vinyl are:
✔ from your merch tabular array at shows
✔ at your local record store, where you tin can constitute a relationship with the buyer and clerks
✔ from your band website and from online stores and services such as Storenvy, Big Dare, 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's 2022. Should yous exist making tapes?

Cassette culture, similar vinyl culture, is passionate about the warmth and imperfections of analog sound and the human, tactile pleasance of a physical production.

Is this you?

If it is, there's a pretty vibrant market for tapes and a manufacturing manufacture at that place to back up information technology. Tapes can exist professionally produced for about half the cost of vinyl (roughly $ii/unit) or fifty-fifty done at home for $1/unit or less.

| Mastering

Yous tin can use your Digitally Mastered files for cassette manufacturing, though some people recommend a Mastering treatment closer to what you'd become Mastering for Vinyl to make the best-sounding tapes. Either way, your Mastering Engineer will exist able to make whatever adjustments needed if you plan to manufacture cassettes.

Cassette Duplication companies accept masters in the following formats: sound-cassette, CD-DA, data CD/DVD and 44.1kHz 16-bit .WAVs (you can send college quality merely they will most probable downgrade them to 16-bit).

| Manufacturing

There are two means to get about making Tapes:

i) place an gild through one of the handful of large manufacturing plants that volition professionally duplicate, print and package them for you
2) order blank tapes, cases, labels and j-cards in bulk and exercise the duping and printing yourself

To become a sense of the cost difference betwixt D.I.Y. and professional manufacturing, y'all tin get 100 blank 30-minute tapes, cases, labels and j-cards from National Audio for $92 (or $0.92 per unit - simply then you take to practice the duping, printing and packaging at dwelling).

To accept National Audio practice the consummate manufacturing for 100 30-minute tapes and deliver the finished product to your doorstep costs about $200 (or $ii per unit).

(If you plan to order supplies in bulk, Delta Media also has great prices on blank Tapes, a diverseness of cases, Labels and J-cards.)

Price breakdowns for Professional person Cassette Duplication

Quotes include printing and packaging but do not include shipping (prices constructive Summer '19 - always double-check!):

From National Audio Company/Cassetro:
100 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $258 ($ii.58 per unit of measurement)
250 upwards-to-sixty-minute tapes + press and packaging = $510 ($2.04 per unit of measurement)
500 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $960 ($1.92 per unit of measurement)
one thousand up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $1750 ($ane.75 per unit)

From Cassette Works:
250 up-to-60-infinitesimal tapes + printing and packaging = $400 ($1.60 per unit)
500 upwardly-to-sixty-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $750 ($1.fifty per unit)
1000 up-to-60-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $1450 ($i.45 per unit of measurement)

From Rainbo Records:
500 up-to-44-minute tapes + printing and packaging = $659 ($i.31 per unit of measurement)
yard upwardly-to-44-minute tapes + press and packaging = $1075 ($1.07 per unit)

| Distribution

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

At that place are a few holy grail names in record shops, like Mississippi Records in Portland and Burger Records in Fullerton but I have no inside scoop on how to go them to carry your tape other than to send them a copy and hope someone takes an interest.

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

| Electronic Press Kit

Electronic Press Kits, or "EPK'south", consist of all the standard tools yous'll use to promote your record. Your Album Artwork, Liner Notes, Bio, Publicity Photos, Music Video(south) and Remixes will all go into your EPK. The best fashion to proceed your Kit organized is to make a folder on your desktop, championship it "EPK", and anytime you create something that you plan to use promotionally, make certain information technology gets in that folder!

Album Artwork

For Digital Distribution, you'll demand to brand your Album Encompass a 2400 x 2400 pixel .JPG or .PNG file, at at least 72 dpi and in RGB color fashion (for physical printing, your file will demand to be saved in CMYK). From here you tin can downsize the file to whatever dimensions you need for promotional purposes. If y'all plan to post an image of your Album Cover on your website, in your social media, or in your press release, a all-time practice is to "Save for Web" in Photoshop to optimize the file size. If you demand help designing your artwork, effort an inexpensive indie designer like Fiverr ($5-$40) 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 information technology was recorded, who mixed it, who mastered it and whatsoever shout-outs and give thanks you'southward. You lot'll have options to input your liner notes when you set up your album with a Digital Distributor, Bandcamp and/or Soundcloud. Liner notes are also pretty standard to have in your artwork if you're making any physical products.

Bio

Hither's a secret: whatever y'all write in your Bio and/or Press Release will be used, often verbatim, in any review or publicity yous receive. And so write your Bio exactly the way yous want your audition to read it. In general, your Bio should be a paragraph or two that rapidly covers who you are, where you're from, any pertinent accolades or press quotes you've received and so your best attempt 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! Exist thoughtful! Be concise! Permit your bio serve equally a fourth dimension capsule of where your band is at - and get out it there, no reason to constitutional on! P.Southward. I recommend that yous write your Bio to exist pretty interchangeable with your first Press Release.

Publicity Photos

If yous're fortunate enough to get any press, they'll want a loftier-res (300 dpi at a standard photo size like 4x6 or 5x7) publicity photo or two, so try to be prepared. Goose egg fancy - have someone have a few shots with a digital camera or smartphone and upload them to your figurer. If you accept a photo editing application like Photoshop (even iPhoto or Picasso will do), maybe crop information technology a scrap, and adapt information technology to look its best. Be sure to save a few high-res options for printing and then "Relieve For Spider web" copies of the photos to utilise in your social media and in your press releases.

Video

Music videos, still apprentice, are a huge asset to your EPK and my advice is to either dedicate yourself to making one before your release date or notice someone skilled and dependable in your social world to help make a video for you. Once it's done, upload it to YouTube and/or Vimeo and so link to it in a printing release and embed it on your website, and in your social media. (Even 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 you know someone whose remix skills y'all admire, hitting them upwards! A good remix of one of your songs is a corking way to cross-pollinate audiences, deepen the interest in your album and is another excuse to drum up some social media and publicity fizz. Nigh people capable of doing remixes prefer to have "stems" of your songs. You tin can relieve everyone fourth dimension by making sure, when you're mixing, to bounciness stems for anything and everything y'all think might be worth remixing. My communication is to move on getting any remixes going every bit soon equally y'all've got your final mixes - it'south incommunicable to get them finished and into your EPK folder too before long!

| Publicity

If y'all call back you lot'd like to try hiring a Publicist, continue in mind that they are extremely picky virtually who they choose to work with (which is good, since they have to believe they can go yous some publicity if they're going to accept your coin!) And they are not cheap - look to pay at to the lowest degree a few thousand dollars for a publicity campaign, and that'south for "Indie Music" publicists.

If you have the confidence in your tape and the money in your budget, hither's a skilful list of absurd Publicists to ship an introductory email and heed-link to: Chromatic, Force Field, Terrorbird, Toolshed, Press Hither, 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 give-and-take out about your music depends on you.

⚡ Here is how to do it: ⚡

Press Release Strategy

A good strategy is to exercise iii press releases, each serving a distinct only complimentary purpose (if you lot're also trying to push button a unmarried before your album, a press release for the single is customary a few weeks before yous announce the total album details):

#ane: "The Declaration" (iv-6 weeks before your release date) -- this is where y'all denote your release and your release appointment and provide anthology details, listen links and social media links to press.

#2: "The Friendly Reminder" (seven-10 days earlier your release date) -- ideally yous'd build upon your original press release with something fresh - a video or a remix or tour dates or a press blurb -- merely even without any of that, a "friendly reminder" with the core details tin't injure -- especially if yous take some press outlets you're actually targeting.

#iii: "The Follow Upward" (1-2 weeks after your release engagement) -- the follow-up is probably most effective if you tin can either quote from some of the printing (or social media responses) y'all've received or have something new to offer (video, remix, tour dates etc). Otherwise you're merely kind of banging the drum -- and then once more, banging the drum is how you lot raise sensation in the first identify, and so... don't give up!

Creating Your Beginning Press Release

i. Research and make a thorough list of email contacts for all the Music Blogs, Magazines and local printing outlets you want to transport a press release to.
2. Make sure either the entirety of your album or whatever select songs you lot want to share are properly hosted at a linkable source (such as Bandcamp or Soundcloud).
three. Etch a paragraph or two announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your upcoming Album.
four. Compose an email to yourself that looks something like this:

"Your Album Title" by Your Band Proper name
Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Anthology Cover Your 250px ten 250px "Saved For Spider web" Publicity Photograph

A paragraph or ii describing and tastefully hyping your new album. Exist honest. Be thoughtful. Be concise! What are the scattering of almost of import and most original things you lot can say virtually it? Where'due south your band from? Where was your album recorded? What makes this album of yours special? The things you say in this section of your press release volition often exist used verbatim past people writing about your release, so one arroyo is to write this section as though you were the music writer! Not a great author? Ask a friend who knows your music to help!

Your Release Date (on Your Release Format(due south)) on Your Record Characterization/Imprint/or "Self Released"

Stream "Your Album Title/Song Title": your stream link here
Download "Your Album Title/Vocal Title": your download link here (optional)

Your Website/Social Media Link 1
Your Website/Social Media Link two (optional)
Your Website/Social Media Link 3 (optional)

Thanks!

Your Name/Ring Proper noun

Your Contact Info

If you have rich-text-editing capabilities in your email service (like Gmail, Yahoo or Mac mail), exist certain to requite the layout some Pop! If you demand help inserting images into your email, here are instructions for Gmail, Yahoo, Mac mail, and Outlook.

5. Test it by sending information technology to yourself. Brand sure your links are working! Once yous're happy with information technology, create some other email to yourself, copy/paste your content into the body of the new electronic mail, make sure the Subject line has all the right info, enter the email addresses you've researched into the BCC field and send information technology out! (Using the BCC field on an email addressed to yourself is recommended for bulk e-mail send-outs. If you have specific blogs that you lot desire to connect with, it's a skilful thought to transport an email addressed exclusively to each i, personalizing it however you lot see fit.)

Congratulations - you've sent out your first Printing Release! 👏

Now What?

Starting time thinking nearly how you lot can make your "friendly reminder" stand up out. Just recall: publicity outlets are under no obligation to be - or stay - in touch. It's condom to presume that if someone wants to write almost your music, they'll allow you know. The best follow up is another Press Release (or ii), up to and through your release date, someday you have something press-worthy to add (videos, remixes, tour dates, press or social media blurbs)!

Newsletter Services

Some people prefer to employ email/newsletter services like MailChimp (free), Mad Mimi (free) or Campaign Monitor (about $x per campaign) for Press Releases. The benefits are the custom formatting they offer, also as, if you're into it, the detailed analytics they provide you about who is checking out your email and what they're clicking on. 1 potential disadvantage is that these services brand it easy for the bloggers you lot're sending it to to "unsubscribe", and many will...

Paid Campaigns

There are a number of services out in that location that will 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 fourth dimension to heed to your music.

There are two tiers: a free "Standard" pick, and a "Premium" tier that starts at $1 per credit (a credit allows you to ship i song to one blog in the network and ensures that yous will, at the very to the lowest degree, receive listening notes dorsum from them). Credits get cheaper the more than you buy.

Either way, with SubmitHub yous get the statistical satisfaction of seeing if and when your vocal has been at least listened to by whatsoever of the blogs in their network.

Crosshair connects the music you submit to playlisters and social media influencers for $250 per entrada.

PlaylistPush does only that - pitches your music to pop playlists for an average entrada cost of $450.

StoryAmp

StoryAmp is a free service that helps tailor your printing 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 squeamish compliment to your own DIY music weblog transport outs.

| Radio

To professionally service Radio, yous demand to hire a Radio Amanuensis - but Radio Agents, only like Publicists, Booking Agents, Licesning Agents and Record Labels, are super picky about who they cull to work with. But being able to beget one is oftentimes not enough. They have to want to work with you. And if they've never heard of yous, and you take no inside connections, they probably won't be interested.

Is it worth a shot? Certain! Try sending an introductory email with listen-links to whatsoever of the Radio Agencies yous'd similar to hire. Typical Radio campaigns are a few chiliad dollars (sometimes less, depending on elapsing and whether or not you're sending out physical copies).

Here'due south a listing of absurd indie Radio Agencies you tin endeavour reaching out to: Terrorbird, AAM, Vitriol, Distiller, Fanatic, Pirate!, Oversupply Command, Planetary Group, Tinderbox, A homo A plan A canal and Team Claremont.

If you're 1 of the bulk of bands who can not afford, or tin can not pique the interest of, a Radio Amanuensis, getting your music considered by radio stations depends on you.

⚡ Here is how to do it: ⚡

Submitting Your Music to Radio Stations

*You should submit your anthology to radio stations 4-6 weeks earlier your release date

one. Submit your music to Pandora.
two. Research and make a thorough list of email addresses for all the College Radio and Internet Radio stations y'all'd like to contact.
iii. Make sure a stream of your anthology is properly hosted at a linkable source such as Bandcamp or Soundcloud. (If you want to keep your album private, you can do so on Bandcamp with Bandcamp Pro and on SoundCloud via their "Secret Links".)
four. Upload a .zip file of your album in Mp3 format to your web server or to a fileshare platform like Dropbox, Hightail, Mediafire or Google Drive - or create a Hugger-mugger Download Link to your Album on Soundcloud.
five. Etch a paragraph or 2 announcing, describing and tastefully hyping your Album (tin can exist the same as your Press Release).
half-dozen. Create an electronic mail to yourself that looks something like this:

"Your Album Championship" by Your Band Proper noun
Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Album Embrace Your 250px x 250px "Saved For Web" Publicity Photo

Delight Consider for Airplay "Your Album Title" by Your Band Name out Your Release Date on Your Record Characterization/Banner/or "Self Released"

A paragraph or two describing and tastefully hyping your new album. Be honest. Be thoughtful. Be concise! What are the scattering of almost important and most original things you can say nigh it? Where'south your ring from? Where was your album recorded? What makes this album of yours special? The things you say in this section of your press release will frequently exist used verbatim by people writing about your release, so one arroyo is to write this section equally though you were the music writer! Not a corking writer? Ask a friend who knows your music to assistance!

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

"Your Anthology Title's" Tracklist:
1. Name of Track one (Track ane elapsing - for instance: 4:01)
2. Name of Rail ii (Track ii duration)
iii. Name of Track 3 (Track 3 duration) *EXPLICIT (Be sure to mark every bit "EXPLICIT" any tracks with explicit language!)
4. Name of Track 4 (duration) *Recommended (Be sure to mark as "Recommended" 2 or three tracks that you recommend!)
5. Name of Runway 5 (elapsing) *Recommended
etc.

Your Website/Social Media Link 1
Your Website/Social Media Link 2 (optional)
Your Website/Social Media Link 3 (optional)

Cheers!

Your Name/Band Name

Your Contact Info

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

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

Follow Up

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

*Also worth because: both Tunecore and CD Baby have piece of cake and complimentary options for servicing Internet radio, bachelor to members and subscribers.

| How To Release A Record

I'1000 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 any questions, success stories, tips, or want to achieve out for whatever guidance, please become in touch: howtoreleasearecord(@)gmail.com

How To Release A Record on Twitter

Life In Music interview (11/26/sixteen)

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

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

hillcorgunts.blogspot.com

Source: http://howtoreleasearecord.com/

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