WE LOVE YOUR SONGS BLOG
Friday
6th Apr
Why It's Still Better To Get CDs Manufactured
If you’re an independent artist, expenses are a big concern, and getting CDs manufactured is definitely a significant expense. If you just sold downloads, you could cut that expense out of your budget and save yourself some money.
A lot of artists choose this route, but I’m going to argue that in the long run, you would be better off investing the money to manufacture hard copy CDs.
1 - Raise your profile – A physical CD is evidence that you take your work seriously. There are a lot of artists out there who don’t have CDs out, and having one is a great way to separate yourself from the pack.
2 - Learn about music business – Producing a CD is a great way to learn about copyright, rights management, and distribution. Not only do you gain essential knowledge from first hand experience, it will be a great way to build a foundation for branching out into producing or owning a record label if you choose.
3 - Sell them at shows – You can’t sell downloads at your show, but you can sell physical CDs. It may take a while, but eventually you’ll be able to cover all your expenses and make a profit.
Speaking from my own experience, I invested about $3000 in recording equipment, studio time, hired an engineer, and manufactured hard copy CDs. I can use the recording equipment not only for myself, but to produce albums for other artists as well. If I sell 300 CDs at $10 each, I’ve essentially gained all that for free. I say hard copy CDs are still a worthy investment.
Article written by Isaku Kageyama. You can follow him on Twitter at @isakukageyama.
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