In other words, the moment your write down or record a new song, you are automatically granted a copyright. Unfortunately, that copyright does not have much viability under a court of law, and  you should consider officially registering your copyright with your government.

Officially registering your music is a voluntary, but important step if you plan on commercially exploiting your recordings or songs. It will legally protect your intellectual property should somebody else blatantly copy it, or if somebody claims you have copied their work. While copyright infringement doesn’t happen often, every year there are always a few stories of a relatively unknown artist making a claim against a major pop act. To make a claim, or defend against one, the most important piece of evidence is the date the work was created and published. The best way to prove this in a court of law is with a properly registered copyright.

If you are a resident of the United States, you can easily register your works with the Library of Congress online at the United States Copyright Office. At the writing of this article, the registration service costs $35. To save money, you can register many works at once, as a single collection.

The process is actually quite easy. Until registration was available online, I procrastinated doing so for my own songs. Today I registered some new pieces in less than 30 minutes. This outline will show you how easy it is to do, and hopefully encourage you to consider it for your own music.

How To Register Your Copyright

To get started, head over to http://copyright.gov and follow the link to the eCO (Electronic Copyright Office). The registration process involves three steps:

1) Application

This is where you fill out all the information about yourself and your works, and therefore is the most confusing part of the process.

First you must select your type of work:

• To register the recording of your music as well as the underlying composition, choose Sound Recording.
• If you are only registering the underlying composition, select Work of the Performing Arts.

Note that for copyright to exist, the work must be in a fixed, tangible form such as a recording or sheet music.

Next you will enter the titles of your work. If you are registering multiple songs under one claim registration, you will need a title for the whole collection. This could be the title of the album, or something less specific. For example, I just registered my latest album, Tributary, plus a number of recordings I created for other purposes, like licensing. I decided to call this Cameron Mizell Anthology. That title is entered as a “Title of Work” and each song is entered as a “Contents Title.”

When registering multiple works under one claim, the ownership must be the same for every work in the collection. In other words, every song must be written by only you, or have the same co-writers on each track. If the writer credits vary from song to song, you can still register the pieces as one claim if all the writers are part of the same umbrella entity, such as a publishing company, and the copyright is registered to that entity.

2) Pay the Registration Fee

Pretty self-explanatory.

3) Submit Your Work

Once you’ve paid, you’ll have to submit your work to the Copyright Office. You can do this by either shipping physical copies to the office, or uploading electronic copies online. Considering the heightened security measures at most government offices, it’s probably best to submit your work electronically. In fact, their official instructions advise “that CDs/DVDs packaged in standard full-sized jewel boxes are more likely to survive the mail radiation process than those packaged in slim-line cases.” Yikes.

Sound recordings can be submitted electronically as MP3s, WAV or AIFF files, or any of the acceptable formats listed in the help section.

If you are uploading a large number of songs, I recommend uploading at 128kbps MP3s because the eCO system will time out after 60 minutes of uploading. Smaller files will simply upload more quickly.

What’s Next?

Once you have completed your registration, you’re done! I’ve learned that the Copyright Office doesn’t file every copyright registration claim right away, but should information on one of your works come into question, they will pull it from their database, see the date they received your claim, and process as normal.

For example, a song by my friend Erika Lloyd of the band Little Grey Girlfriend was arranged for the Grammy award-winning a cappella ensemble Chanticleer, who may record it at some point in the future. Erika registered the copyright for this particular song in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2 years later that the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office contacted her regarding the registration.

This story brings up another great point–registering copyrights isn’t all about protection from being ripped off. It can also make it easier to earn residual income on work you may not even perform yourself anymore. Help make it possible for your catalog to work for you!

Copyright Alternatives

Finally, I should mention alternatives to copyright such as the Creative Commons. Some people believe that copyright law is too restrictive and actually hampers the creative expression. Copyright law was first established as a financial incentive for creators of intellectual property, but over time critics have been concerned that the expansion of copyright laws actually discourage creative collaboration.

I admit that I am no expert on this debate, but I understand that it is an important development in my line of work so I pay attention. If you would like to learn more, start with An Overview of Creative Commons Licensing for Music by John P. Strohm, an excellent article over at KnowTheMusicBiz.com, and then head over to the Creative Commons website.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this web site is provided to you “AS IS”, does not constitute legal advice, and we are not acting as your attorney. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site and its associated sites.

photo credit: The U.S. Army

Recently I played the Imatra Jazz Festival in Finland. The Nato Jazz Orchestra (which I am a proud member of) opened for McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano. McCoy and I even played on the same piano, although it sounded quite different, and infinitely better when he sat down behind it.

It was a blast, we played mostly original arrangements and compositions by guys in the band, and a few well-known standards. The crowd was enthusiastic, the beer was flowing and the vibe was amazing… And Then McCoy and Joe came out!!

All in all a pretty sweet gig.

Since my mission here is to share information about this mysterious job of mine, I thought I would write about some of the various gigs I’ve had over the years.

THE GOOD

1. I’ve never been much of a sports fan, but playing in front of several thousand screaming NASCAR fans is pretty amazing. I was part of a rock band that was the pre-race entertainment for the Daytona 500. We did a 40 minute show right behind the starting line. The setlist included Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and other classic rock and country hits. I took a couple screaming organ solos while my gyrating buddy banged his gigantic cowbell… right by my ear. The crowd ate it up, cheered and sang along. Scantily clad women danced in front of us. We were on the Jumbotron!

The sweetest part however, was when we arrived to set up, long before the race began, they drove the band guys around the track in the pace car – at 140 miles an hour!

2. The Ft. Knox Jazz Combo “The Groove Center of Excellence” was picked to do several college recruiting tours. We would travel to the schools, play some music, answer some questions about the Army Band and then go drink beer. It was awesome. We met lots of cool people, played some great music, and got good and lost in Wisconsin (although that was the fault of our roadie/hand-out-the-pamphlets guy. He said “Hey guys, take me along; I know Wisconsin like the back of my hand, I was raised there.”)

We were getting paid to go on the road for a week, search out BBQ joints and earn vacation days all at the same time. Not too shabby.

3. A Jazz Combo I was running had the pleasure of backing up Don Braden for a night. He had came to the unit to do clinics with our big band the following day, but that night we played. It was a romantic little italian restaurant on post (which is very unusual- the average Army eatery is Burger King), and we were “Jazz Night”. Don was amazing. We played some of his originals, some of mine, plus a couple well known classics. It was quite a rush to be backing up someone of that caliber. The Band stepped up to the plate, and I think our Sax player even gave him a run for his money on a couple tunes.

4. Iraq. Our Rock Band “Average Joe’s” rolled into a camp in dire straights. They had just lost a couple soldiers and the weight of this hung over the small compound like a dark cloud. Nobody joked or smiled, people were just going through the motions, numb.

We set up in a hanger/garage. They came, and we rocked. We rocked hard. They screamed and shouted. System of a Down, Audioslave, fast, hard and angry. The temperature rose. Dudes were hanging from the rafters, shot gunning near-beers. A shirtless mass moshed in front of the stage. It was bordering on chaos. It was necessary, and it was cathartic. It was what we get paid for. We brought those guys (and girls) a taste of home and an escape from reality.

Laying in my cot at the end of the night, sweaty and exhausted, I felt a great sense of pride and purpose. I never got that from playing “Satin Doll” for the Wednesday dinner crowd at the Holiday Inn.

THE BAD

1. Change of Command Season. The dead of summer. Oppressively hot and sticky. Standing in Marching Band Formation on the parade field at 10am. The Bass Drum (one of my instruments during marching gigs) seems to grow heavier by the minute. Beads of sweat roll down my back and legs, collecting in my socks. I try to remain conscious as the barely audible speeches blur together. Stand perfectly still for 45 minutes, waiting for the end when we can march off playing the Army song.

Then we do it again. Hotter, longer, and duller. My Helmet and boots seem to intensify the midday sun, baking me into the ground. Wriggle your toes, ignore the black spots, scan the crowd for good looking women. You will not pass out.

Grab a quick lunch, pound gatorade in a sad attempt to replace the fluids I’ve lost… and do it one. more. time. Groan.

2. Playing solo piano dinner music before the stage band comes out. One hour turns into three. I’m recycling the same tunes in different keys with new grooves. Swing becomes bossa, ballads become funk, many extended one chord vamps. Finally, the dinner crowd takes a 15 minute break before the stage band show. I rush to the dressing room to wolf down my surely ice-cold dinner. The Band is lounging around waiting to take the stage. I see no food.

Me, hungry and irritable – “You guys see my food?”

The Band – “Oooooh, that was yours? Sorry dude.”

Me – Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Then back on stage for another hour and a half set with the Big Band. I am not a happy camper.

3. Fairbanks, Alaska. The forty piece Concert band is downtown in the central square. We’ve worked up a great summer program and have pulled out all the stops. Chimes, Tympani, minimum 2 hour set up.

Downbeat’s at 8pm. I scan the audience. About ten Band family members, and several inebriated winos mumbling to themselves. On two occasions during the show, we actually have to chase the winos off the stage (I guess they were feeling musical). The crowd never grows. Ah, the life of a rock star.

THE UGLY (or Bizarre)

1. Tikrit, Iraq. USO tour is coming through the camp. I’m backing up some traveling singers from the Army Chorus. We do our tunes, no big deal. Al Franken comes on, does his bit. Very funny. He introduces two exotic looking women covered head-to-toe in black burqas. The crowd goes wild. Most of the Soldiers are here to see the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders. This looks to be them.

The boom box starts pumping. The girls start dancing. The box dies. Al Franken messes with it. Boom boom boom boom, they start to dance again, the crowd cheers, the box dies. My boss looks over and motions toward the piano. I was not planning a solo techno piano gig, besides, I wanted to watch the dance too. Another start and stop. Al tries to make a few jokes, the crowd is starting to boil over. Nobody even notices me heading towards the keyboard at the back right of the stage. I start hammering out ‘Boom boom boom boom’ with my left hand. The girls start to dance. I crank out a few techno-ish patterns with my right hand, craning my neck to watch as the burqas come off ( I HAD been over there about 7 months at this point). The Redskins Cheerleaders are revealed, the dance ends, and everybody leaves happy.

2. A few years back, I had the honor of playing for then President George W. Bush. He was rolling into Ft. Hood to rally the troops and give a speech on the war. We, the marching band, were playing “Hail to the Chief” and other patriotic numbers before the big speech.

The day before the event we’re doing a dry run and getting briefed by security:

“You’ll arrive at 5am. Go through security, and stay in this here holding area. At 7am you’ll move into the bleachers. Entertainment will begin at 8am, that’s not you guys, a band is coming up from Crawford to play. On or around 10am the President will arrive. Now you guys play for 10 minutes. President’s speech. Speech is over. You guys play as the President leaves. You guys play another song and the show ends. Any questions?”

Random Band member – “Should we bring something to eat?”

Security – “no need, a breakfast bar is being provided.”

This had all of us quite excited – visions of hot waffles, fresh squeezed juice and custom made omelets running through our heads. I started to salivate.

The next morning we’re there at 4am. This is the Army, if you’re on time you’re running late. The burrito trucks have parked near security hoping to make a few quick bucks. Several of the guys buy egg sandwiches or coffee. But not me. I’m holding out for the Breakfast Bar!

We go through security and into the holding area. I can taste almost taste the waffles.

Security – “it’s 7am, we’re going to move you into the bleachers. When you pass through this gate you’ll get a small american flag for waving, and the breakfast bar. They come in two flavors, cherry or blueberry. DO NOT take more than one.”

And so it goes….

Thanks for reading – please feel free to ask me any questions you may have, or let me know if there’s a specific topic or idea you’d like me to blog about.

Naturally, the DIY environment is changing increasingly fast as technology makes releasing your own album easier than ever before. When I recorded my first CD in 2004, just making it available to sell online seemed like a big deal. Years later, my latest album has been an entirely different experience. From recording (we went analog this time), to setting up a direct to fan CD pre-order, I’ve been able to produce a far better product today for only a little more money than I spent on my first album.

Better technology does have it’s pitfalls, however. Just because it’s possible to record an album on Monday and have it available on iTunes on Tuesday doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for your music. Taking some time to establish your goals, determine what you can realistically afford and how you will afford it, can help you create the best album possible.

In this article, I’ve tried to give you an idea of a realistic cost scenario for every stage of creating a new album, along with some tips from my own experiences, to help you create your budget. It turns out this is a lot of information. Use these quick links to skip around:

Do It Yourself or Hire Some Help?

Before you start, you need to know what you’re trying to accomplish. Do you want to make a stripped down acoustic album? Or maybe were you hearing a gospel choir singing back up when you wrote that one song. One you might be able to do on your own, the other is going to involve at least a gospel choir for help.

It is so easy to make your own album these days that you might feel like you can do it on your own. Let’s face it, your budget will be much smaller if you do it all yourself. This a valid approach if you can truly assess your capabilities. Learning to work within your limitations forces you to flex your creative muscles and face your own strengths and weaknesses. But just as you specialize in writing and playing music, there are people out there that specialize in the rest, and getting the right people on board can help your vision become a reality.

Furthermore, while making music is the most important part of releasing an album, it is really only the first step. Depending on how far and wide you want your music to travel, you’ll need to create some aesthetically pleasing artwork, manufacture CDs and other products, and market and distribute all these materials in an effective manner. Few people know how to do all of this stuff equally well, and almost none can do it alone or for free.

Favors from Friends vs. Paid Professionals

Part of creating a realistic budget is looking for places to cut costs. One way is to ask your friends for help. This is especially attractive when your friends are professionals. Why pay when you can get the same quality for free? But anybody that’s ever gotten married and used a friend or family member to handle the photography, catering, or other service knows where I’m going with this–sometimes it just pays to pay.

In my experience, favors are a very slippery slope. You can easily put a strain on your friendship if you don’t like the results or the job is taking too long. If the issues can’t be resolved, you may end up needing to hire somebody else anyway. You know the saying, There’s no such thing as a free lunch? That absolutely applies to this situation. Nothing is free. What you save in money will cost you in time and control.

Consider this: Whenever I use a friend on a job, and especially when they’re working for free, I allow them as much time as they need (within reason), and give them creative control over their piece of the job. Most creative types work to please their clients, and it’s not often they get a job that allows complete creative freedom. If your friends are really excited about working on your project, they are more likely to invest themselves in it. In other words, you want them to feel like the opportunity itself was worth their efforts.

As much as I (and probably most of you) want to believe people love to work on good art for art’s sake, the truth is, money motiviates. If you want to get something done on a schedule, paying for it usually does the trick. If your friends are trying to help you out while juggling paying clients your project becomes a lower priority. One of the advantages to hiring a pro is being treated in return as a pro. As their client, you are their priority.

Here’s a piece of advice when you do hire somebody. Always send it back at least once. Even if you’re blown away by their work, send it back with at least one piece of constructive feedback (but don’t be one of these guys). No matter what you discussed up front, it’s impossible for them to know what you’ll think of something.  Don’t be shy about asking for changes, but don’t be a jerk about it. There’s always something that could be a little better, and a true professional wants you to be happy and get your money’s worth.

The Music

From the first rehearsal until you have the production master in your hand, most of your albums expenses will fall under this category, and it should. The music in and of itself is the product your selling.

1) The Other Musicians

If you are a solo artist, or even a solid four piece band, making a record often involves bringing in extra musicians to fill out your arrangements. The cost of hiring other musicians can vary greatly depending on their skill, how much they contribute, or simply how much their time is worth. Name recognition is also a big factor–hiring a more established artist might help you sell more albums, and is therefore worth more. Here are a few examples of how sidemen might be paid:

Example Rates for Session Musicians:

• By the session. ($50 per rehearsal, $200 per day of recording) This could change based on the number of sessions, the length of each session, and how many songs you expect them to learn.
• By the song. ($50 – $100) Highly skilled session musicians can knock out a song in just a few takes. Because they are more productive than your average player, they might want to be paid per song.
• By the album. ($200 – $500) If you’re a solo artist, using the same musicians for your entire will not only make your album sound more consistent, but can also save you money.
• Supply and demand. Many first-call musicians are in such high demand that to book their time, you have to pay them accordingly. Remember, musicians don’t get paid vacation. If they have to sub out of other gigs or cancel lessons to make your recording sessions, they’ll probably ask to be paid at least as much money as they would have otherwise made that day.

Generally, when it comes to making an independent musician’s album, sidemen or session musicians are paid based the rehearsal and recording time. Royalties for subsequent sales or use of the music (such as being licensed for a commercial) only become an issue if the sideman had a creative contribution to your song.

For example, if you hire me to record lead guitar for one of your songs, a lick, melody, or solo that I wrote or improvised could become a central component of that song. Or say you hire a horn section and need them to come up with their own background parts. In both cases it’s fair to say the sidemen made a creative contribution. This is not necessarily a co-write, but arranging music can sometimes be equally as valuable to the end result. If you believe this could be an issue, discuss royalty rates ahead of time and make an agreement in writing. That will avoid future disputes should you be lucky enough to make a significant amount of money from that song.

2) Rehearsals and Rehearsal Spaces

One of the best ways to save money on your album’s budget is to be prepared before hitting the studio. Rehearsals are cheap compared to recording time, and typically a more relaxed environment for working out the things that matter most on a recording, like dynamics and arrangements. Depending on where you live, rehearsal space could cost about $25 an hour (typical for New York City), or it could be in your basement for free. If you need to pay musicians to rehearse, see the section above.

3) Producer / Recording Engineer

While a producer and recording engineers are two separate roles, it’s not uncommon for producers to be engineers. A producer traditionally oversees the creative direction of a project, while an engineer’s role is to control the entire recording environment. Finding a producer that can also act as the engineer might help you save some money.

If you choose not to use a producer, produce the album yourself, or just look for another person to engineer your album, I’ve found that most freelance engineers work regularly at one or more recording studios. In these cases, their fee is usually bundled into the cost of renting the room. More on this in the next section.

Understanding what you need here is incredibly important, and I recommend reading two other articles that cover this topic:

• “Preparing for the Recording Studio” has a more in depth discussion about the roles of producers and engineers, and can help you understand what to look for depending on your projects needs. As the title suggests, I also give a few more tips to help you get the most out of your studio time.
• “DIY Musician & Working with a Producer” by Gary Melvin has a very well written section on producers fees. If you’re unfamiliar with terms like up-front money, back-end money, credits, and points, then this article will really help prepare you to discuss contracts with a producer.

Both producers and engineers may charge you one of three rates, as discussed in Gary’s article. The monetary amounts I have listed here are based on discussions I’ve had with producers, engineers, and other musicians that work with independent, self-funded artists.

Example Rates for Producers and Recording Engineers:

• By the hour ($25 – $60)
• By the song ($100 – $500)
• By the album ($500 – $3,000)

In my experience these are rates are accurate, but they can vary greatly depending on your project, how prepared you are, and how you want to record. Jazz albums can be recorded in two days if the band is well rehearsed, everybody plays together, and you just hit take after take after take. Other types of albums can require at least two days per song if you need to record many parts individually. Ultimately, you just need to interview producers and engineers, allow them to quote your project, and decide if their rates will work for your budget.

In addition to the up-front fees, a producer may also be interested in royalties for his or her creative contributions (similar to the sideman contributions discussed above). This is called back-end money and is discussed in depth in Gary’s article. If there is potential for the producer to make some back-end money, it is reasonable to expect them to lower their up-front rates.

4) Recording Space and Studio Time

My approach to recording in a studio has always been to find the producer or engineer first, and then discuss the recording location. Many producers have their own studios that could work for much of your project. Other times it might be important to find a studio with good acoustics for group vocals or drums. Chances are your producer or engineer will know where to go to get your desired results.

The space in which you record could be one of the most important factors when making your album. Recording studios like Abbey Road in London or Gold Star in Los Angeles are renowned for the acoustic spaces that produce rich, signature sounds. Now, if we could all afford to record in studios like these, there would be no point to this article. My point is simply that the space can make a difference.

For example, I have recorded acoustic guitars in two different apartments on many occasions using the same equipment and virtually the same mic placement and levels on the pre-amp. My apartment has an average ceiling height and bookshelves all over the place, and the sound is very dry and unforgiving. You can hear every fret noise, string buzz, and sometimes even my breathing. In comparison, my friends’ apartment is a loft with high ceilings, concrete walls, and an area with a raised wood floor much like a stage. In their apartment, the sound is open, spacious, and extraneous noises are much less noticeable.

Most recording studios will also have much more, and perhaps better, equipment than your average home studio. I believe you should leave the equipment choices to the engineer, but you’re allowed to have a preference. For example, I wanted to record my last album to tape, so I first had to find an engineer that could operate the tape machine, and then find a studio with the right equipment.

I’ve priced out plenty of studios for my own projects, but did a little extra research to get some averages here. In most cases, a recording engineer is included in the price. Again, you’ll notice rates based on different blocks of time:

Example Rates for Recording Studios:

• By the hour ($25 – $100) Hourly rates are best for vocals, overdubs, or whenever tracking does not involve much set up.
• By the day ($400 – $1,000) Many studios only book by the day because it is unrealistic to schedule two clients in the same room on the same day.
• By the album ($500 – $3,000) On some occasions, private studio owners will quote you for your entire project. It usually means they’re willing to block out a week or more to give you exclusive access to the studio.

Other studio expenses might include:

• Piano Tuning ($100)
• Tape Rental ($25 per reel)

One of the most time consuming aspects of recording in a studio is simply getting everything set up, putting microphones in the right places, and getting the levels right. Drums alone can take a couple hours! Therefore the best way to save money is to book consecutive days so you can leave your gear set up over night and get straight to recording on day two.

5) Mixing & Mastering

Despite the fact you’ve finished recording your album, it is still far from finished. This is where many musicians make the mistake of rushing through mixing and mastering because they already booked their CD Release show. Before we discuss the cost of these steps, I can’t stress enough:

Budget plenty of time to mix and master your album.

A properly mixed album can be the difference between a professional sounding project and a beginner’s first home recording. Mixing is a skill that takes practice, experience, and patience. You’ll learn a lot just by listening to somebody else mix your album.

In an ideal world, I prefer at least 4 weeks to mix an album. The actual time spent mixing might just be two or three days, but it’s a good idea to give yourself time to NOT listen to your album. When tracking is done, give yourself a week to not listen to the album so you go into mixing with a fresh set of ears. After the first round of mixing, listen, take notes, sleep on it for a couple nights, take more notes, and then go back for another mix session. In my experience, more time between mix sessions means you’ll need fewer sessions to get things right, which will save you money.

The cost of mixing usually involves hiring both an engineer and a mixing studio. But like sections above, these rates are often combined. Rates for a mixing engineer are similar to booking studio time.

Examples Rates for Mixing:

• By the hour ($25 – $60)
• By the day ($250 – $700)

A professionally mixed 10 track album could very easily cost $1,000 – $1,500!

Mastering is the last step in completing the music on your album. During the mastering process, adjustments to the EQ, compression, and levels of the final mixes will make your music sound bigger, more exciting, and equally balanced from track to track. If you’d like a better understanding of Mastering is something not easily understood by many musicians, especially when making their first album.

Greg Calbi, one of the senior mastering engineers at Sterling Sound in NYC, explains the mastering process in a series of videos on YouTube. If you’re unfamiliar with the process I recommend you start by watching this video. To summarize, he explains that the job of the mastering engineer is to “[take] something which is essentially already finished, and actually [finish] it even more.” In a nutshell, it’s an enhancement process.

The cost of mastering can vary greatly based on the equipment at the mastering house and the experience of the engineer.

Examples Rates for Mastering:

• By the song ($50 – $100)
• By the hour ($75 – $250)
• By the album ($500 – $1,500)

A professionally mastered 10 track album could likely cost $1,000.

Be wary of mastering “deals” bundled with CD manufacturing or distribution services which might seem very inexpensive, but you’ll get what you pay for. I’m not saying you can’t get good results, but the only time I’ve ever heard anybody tell me they were unhappy with their mastering experience was when they used a bundled deal. It’s always better to know the work of the person who will master your album and discuss the job with them beforehand.

A better way to save money is to look at the people who mastered some of your favorite albums, find out where they work, and see if you can book a “junior” engineer at the same studio. Most mastering houses have staff engineers with less experience than the senior engineers whose names you might see on many albums, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the result is of lower quality. They use the same equipment and many of the same techniques as the expensive guys, but just don’t have the clout to charge as much.

Artwork & Packaging

Now that you’ve spent so much money recording your music, it’s time to blow through the rest of the process so you can release your album! Whoa, not so fast. Reward your efforts so far with an equally stunning visual presentation. This doesn’t have to be much, but an eye catching cover image and a few updated professional photographs of you will tempt more people to sample your music and hopefully like what they hear.

Far too many musicians try to save money here by doing everything themselves. If you can do it, then by all means go for it. But just because you have a pirated copy of Photoshop doesn’t mean you’re a designer. Plan your time and budget accordingly, do some research to find the right people to work with, and you can have a very professional looking album for less money than you might think.

For more thoughts on album design, see Before Designing Your Next Album…

1) Photographer

Not every album design needs photographs, but every professionally released album includes a photoshoot. By updating photos on your website, press materials, and social networking sites, you’re sending the message that something is going on, like a new release. Because a few photos can go a long way, investing in a professional photoshoot should be a no-brainer.

Rates for a professional photographer range from $200 to $1500.

Prices will vary based on how many shots are needed, how long the shoot takes, and how much post-production (ie. retouching) is done.

To get the most of your photoshoot, discuss your needs with your photographer and plan accordingly. Album covers are square, website headers are wide, headshots are usually 8″ x 10″, and the list goes on. Set up your shots to fit these various crops to save yourself a headache in post-production.

2) Designer

In my experience, a good designer is as vital to your new album as a good mastering engineer. People tend to notice when something looks wrong more than they notice when something looks right. If you want your album to look like it belongs next to your favorite artists’ albums, you need a great looking cover design.

In addition to the aesthetic considerations, there’s the technical aspect of design and print production most musicians don’t fully understand. If you don’t have the skills to create a print ready design in your manufacturer’s templates, then you’ll probably end up paying one of their in house designers to bring your files up to spec. At the very least, I’d recommend hiring a designer to help get your design into the proper templates and ready to print.

Examples Rates for Album Design:

• By the hour ($25 – $75) Hourly rates are ideal for smaller packages, or placing a design into templates.
• By the album package ($200 – $1,000) Prices will vary depending on how many panels you are in your package, including any inserts or booklets.
• By the project ($500 – $1,500) Along with your album, you may need promo materials and merch designed as well.

Get the most out of your designer and consider all the items you need using their design. The continuity between your album, promo materials, and merch designs will help you sell more in the long run.

3) Should I make CDs?

Many musicians are saving money by simply not making any physical product at all. It’s understandable, given that digital distribution is affordable and digital sales can easily outpace CD sales for independent artists. Yet fans still buy CDs at shows, and CDs are still the preferred format for radio and promotions. Perhaps most importantly, a great looking CD still helps legitimize you and your album in the eyes of potential fans.

The cost breakdown of CDs can vary greatly depending on your package options. Jewel cases with a two side insert will always cost less than a 6-panel digipak with a 16 page booklet. Luckily, it’s very easy to get exact quotes for yourself online. The prices below assume you are choosing from the most standard packaging options.

Example Costs for CD Packaging

• Large Runs, minimum 1000 Units ($800 – $2,000) For higher quantities, CDs are created using a process called replication, which essentially means the actual CDs are created specifically for your music. Because of the manufacturing parts required for replication, this method is only cost effective at high quantities.
• Short Runs, 100-500 Units ($200 – $1,000) Options for smaller quantities are typically more limited. For starters, the discs themselves are duplicated onto CDRs, which is essentially the same process as burning a CD at home (with a really nice CD burner).
• On Demand Manufacturing ($1 – $8 per CD) Some companies offer this option for very small quantities. Depending on how simple your packaging is and how much shipping costs, this is a nice option if you only need a few copies for promotions or to quickly replenish your inventory while on tour.

One other option is to get creative and make CDs yourself. I’ve seen this done very successfully first hand. Lauren Zettler designed a handmade package for her On Your Back Porch EP we recorded last year. Check out this video to see The Making of On Your Back Porch. Making her own CDs adds a personal touch to the album, and it makes it easier to maintain inventory in our small NYC apartments that really don’t have much room to store boxes of CDs. But the cost per CD actually isn’t that much lower, and the time investment is also a big factor. Luckily my wife really enjoys making EPs!

Marketing & Promotions

Finishing your album’s music and artwork is really just the preliminary stage of a new release. Now the real fun begins. If you want to make some of your money back, you’ll need to tell people about your new music! Save a little room in your budget for some marketing and promotional materials and services to give you that extra edge.

1) Promo CDs

Even if you opt for a digital only release, there are some instances where you still need a CD to hand somebody. Record labels make promo CDs, usually well before the artwork is even done, so radio, retail accounts, reviewers, and other press contacts can hear the music prior to the release date.

Promo CDs (sometimes called advances) typically just have black printing on the silver disc, and a single black and white insert or disc tray that includes the track list, credits, and release information. If the cover art is ready, another nice option is to print cardboard wallets, or minijackets. Full color artwork adds a little extra to the price, but they can double as CDs to sell at gigs. Keep in mind, however, that the current industry standard is to use a jewel case with a spine so the CD can be easily shelved.

Example Costs for Promo CDs

• Jewel Cases / CDs Only ($1 – $3 per CD) To save money, order bulk CDs and jewel cases separately, then print your own inlays.
• Minijackets / Wallets ($2 – $4 per CD) This option is usually only available for quantities of 100 units or more.

2) Merch

The brilliant thing about good merch, like t-shirts, is that fans happily give you money to proudly advertise your band on their chest. Even though merch can be a profit center for bands and musicians, I’m still going to categorize it as marketing materials because, well, we’re musicians, not clothing designers. If it’s not the music, it’s only purpose is to support the music!

Example Costs for Band Merchandise

• T-Shirts ($5 – $12 each)
• Hoodies ($15 – $25 each)
• Hats / Caps / Skullies ($5 – $15 each)
• Bags / Totes ($1 – $5 each)

The options for merch are virtually endless. Anything you can slap your logo on could work, you just have to know your audience. If your fans are older, professional types, maybe coffee mugs or flash drives are better than t-shirts. How about some custom reusable grocery bags? Do something different and turn some heads. I ordered custom label hot sauce for my latest album, and a lot of people ordered it along with the CD!

If you’re crafty, you can save money by making your own merch. I know somebody that knits hats while on the road and sews custom patches with her band’s logo on the front. The personal touch and one-of-a-kind nature of every hat goes over really well with their fans.

3) Posters, Postcards, Stickers, etc.

If you’re going on the road, posters are invaluable. Most clubs will expect you to send some ahead of time. Postcards, stickers, buttons, magnets and other simple items make great freebies on the merch table as well.

Example Costs for Print Items

• Posters ($0.30 – $2 each)
• Postcards ($0.15 – $1 each)
• Stickers ($0.10 – $1 each)
• Buttons ($0.25 – $5 each)
• Magnets ($0.25 – $3.50 each)

Pricing for these kinds of items will vary based on how many colors you use, and of course, how many you order. Keep in mind that many of these items are printed on large sheets and cut down to size, like postcards or sheets of stickers. Expect to see minimum order quantities for these items. For smaller quantities, check out your local copy shop and see if you can save some money.

4) Advertising and PR

If your music is ready for it, advertising and PR / Marketing services can really help take you to the next level. However, I’ve run into a few companies that simply try to get as many clients as possible, run a standard campaign, and don’t produce many results. If you’re going to invest in these kinds of services, make sure you have something going on, like a tour, that could really benefit from a solid marketing campaign.

Example Rates for Advertising

• Print Ads ($200 – $1000) Print ads depend greatly on the publication, size of ad, and placement.
• Online Ads ($20 – $500) Online advertising is generally bundled in two ways: by impressions or by start/end dates. Paying per impression (the number of times your ad appears on the site) is most cost effective.

Example Rates for PR / Marketing Services per Campaign

• College Radio Promoters ($1,000 – $3,500) Radio promoters will send your music to stations and follow up with calls trying to get targeted stations to play your music. They may also set up radio interviews for you.
• Press and Publicity ($1,000 – $5,000) These campaigns will send your music and press materials to specific press contacts. Prices will vary depending on how many contacts you would like to reach.
• Marketing Services ($500 – $2,500) Marketing teams can help coordinate all your promotions efforts and maximize exposure across different markets. They can be especially helpful if you are trying to run a broader campaign that covers tour and retail promotions, publicity, and advertising.

When you hire these kinds of services, you need to look for experience. This part of the business is built on relationships and reputations. Hiring people that are well known and have good reputations among the press and radio stations they’ll be contacting. Otherwise you might as well be doing it yourself.

Other Expenses

Finally, there are a few other items that might cost you a little more money. I’m sure I’m missing a few things, feel free to add them to the comments below.

1) Your Website

Releasing a new album is always a great time to update your website, or get your own website if you don’t have one yet. Designing a simple website on your own, using pre-existing templates is easy enough, or you can hire a web designer to make a slick, professional looking custom site.

For more thoughts on musician websites, see Website Design for Musicians and Bands and Designing a Website for a Freelance Musician.

Example Website Related Costs

• Custom Domain Name ($10 per year) At the very least, you should own [your-band-name-here].com!
• Hosting ($10 – $200 per year) Pricing really depends on all the fixings you get with your hosting package. There are some excellent musician-oriented hosting services out there that include everything you need to create a slick musician site.
• Web Design Services ($200 – $1,000) Prices will vary based on the complexity and customization of your website.

2) Distribution

If you plan on selling your music anywhere other than your shows and website, you’ll need distribution. Distributors are responsible for getting your music to retailers, collecting the money from those retailers, and then paying you. In the current state of the industry, independent musicians are probably only concerned with digital distribution. The prospects of getting your album in brick and mortar stores is slimming by the day, although it is possible.

For the sake of this article, I’m simply going to focus on the two most popular digital distribution models by CD Baby and Tunecore. Both services are great, some people just prefer one pricing model over the other.

Example of CD Baby Digital Distribution Costs

• $35 Set up fee (one time cost per album)
• $20 Barcode (required if you don’t have one already)
• 9% Commission for CD Baby (on all digital sales, no annual fee)

Example of Tunecore Digital Distribution Costs

• $46.99 Album set up (includes all available stores up to 100 tracks)
• $19.98 Annual fee (due one year after initial distribution, no commission charges)

These rates are subject to change, but current at the publication of this article.

3) Cover Songs

If you have any cover songs on your album, you’ll need to license them for both physical and digital copies you will sell. I recommend using Limelight’s online licensing service to pay royalties for any cover songs. With Limelight, you’ll pay a $15 service fee per song, plus the statutory rate for your mechanical license. To learn more about cover songs, see our article “Recording, Releasing, and Performing Cover Songs.”

Example Rates for Mechanical Licensing with Limelight

• 1,000 copies x $0.091 (statutory rate) + $15 (fee) = $106 per cover song

The royalty rate increases for songs over 5 minutes long. You can pay for as few as 25 licenses with Limelight. Also, don’t forget that you will need to license songs for both digital and physical releases, each requiring a separate transaction.

Additional Reading

Here’s a list of related articles on MusicianWages.com:

photo credit: vestman

Railroad ridership peaked during World War II, as troops and supplies are moved toward the coasts to fight in the European and Pacific theaters. After the war, though, increased automobile and plane travel led to a decline in rail travel.

By the 1950s and 60s the interstate highway system, modern trucking and the first jetliners took a huge bite out of railroad ridership. As the industry took a dive, they adapted with mergers and consolidations.

Musician Mergers

Most industries respond with mergers and consolidations when times get tough. Take, for instance, the recent merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Or the merger of Washington Mutual Bank with Chase Manhattan when the recession hit.

We’ve seen it in our own business as boutique record labels were swallowed up into The Big Four (…and sometimes dissolved entirely…). When times get tough, businesses consolidate. For better or worse, there is strength in numbers.

I was watching TV today and I saw two commercials in succession. The first was for Earth, Wind and Fire & Chicago (who have merged) and the second was for Carole King and James Taylor (who have consolidated). These mega-groups are opening for each other, they are combining their concerts into one concert.

This isn’t anything new (I should note that Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have been doing this for awhile now). I’m sure you can think of a million examples of all-star bands and mega-star collaborations.

Good Business

It’s good business to combine expenses and resources. It doesn’t have to be mega stars and railroads that combine for more strength – everyday working musicians can do it too. Think of all the different ways you could work with similar acts in your area.

Here’s an interesting project in NYC, NewMusicalTheatre.com. This is a sheet music website that features the music of new, contemporary musical theatre composers. What a great idea.

You could start something like this too – maybe a joint website of all the bands in your area similar to yours. Your scene will be a lot stronger if you cross-pollinate your fanbase. I remember growing up outside Chicago in the 1990s and listening to endless punk and punk-ska albums from local bands. There were so many! They all had the same fan base – which at the time was everybody. The scene was so strong you just couldn’t escape it. Alkaline Trio, The Smoking Popes, Screeching Weasel – these were all bands that grew out of the strength of that scene.

Here’s another example of strength in numbers. Check out the Mayfair Workshop, also out of Chicago. This group has 11 composers in the team. When a business needs music or a jingle, they come to the Mayfair Workshop. All 11 composers write something for the jingle, and the client picks the one they like. Most of the money goes to the composer who’s song was picked, but a small percentage goes to everyone. (For a less fun, true crowd-sourcing version of this model, see MusikPitch.com).

This is a tough business, and always will be. It’s a great idea to find people to merge, consolidate and collaborate with. Who are you working with?

Editors note: After several months of talks with the U.S. Army, we’re happy to add Staff Sergeant Joshua DiStefano as a regular guest blogger to MusicianWages.com.

Josh has played piano as a soldier with the U.S. Army for 14 years and is currently stationed in Belgium as a pianist and arranger with the NATO band. He brings with him a wealth of experience, several tours of duty and the blessings of the U.S. Army to tell us his thoughts on the job. We’re very proud to have him with us.

We’ve asked Josh to write about his Army job in the way that we’ve previously written about cruise ship jobs on our site. We want him to tell us the good, the bad, and all of the details in between. If you have a question about enlisting and working as an Army musician, please post a comment below and we’ll have it sent to Josh. He’s told us that he is really looking forward to hearing from our readers and to answering questions as best he can.

Expect an article from Josh about once a month, as his schedule permits. His first post is below.

Boot Camp and Military Music School

“Get those duffel bags over your heads, Privates!” Barked the Drill Sergeant. A huge intimidating man, with fire in his eyes.

“I don’t want to see any elbows bending! Hey you, straighten out those arms!”

It was about this time that I began to question my decision to join the Army Band.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I’d had a plan. Had worked it all out my senior year between exams and keg parties:

I was to going move back to LA and score music for film and television (I did major in film scoring, after all), with a fallback plan of being a rock star.

Upon my return, I’d landed a couple interviews with smaller production companies. They went like so:

Me – “How did you like my demo reel?”

Them – “We weren’t that impressed.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry kid, but we’re looking for someone with a little more experience.”

“If nobody hires me, how can I get any experience?”

“That’s a very good question… well, thanks for stopping by.”

And that was that.

Seeing as my rock band had dissolved, the back-up plan wasn’t looking so hot, either.

I needed a job.

I could have taught school. They were so desperate for teachers at that time, they were hiring anybody with a college degree. I could have hustled for gigs and taught lessons. This was the option of choice for most of my colleagues. I could have walked down the block and gotten a job at In ‘n Out Burger. They do have tasty burgers.

But instead, I enlisted and shipped off.

I left the comfort of my old bedroom (at my mom’s house) and stepped into the great unknown.

I was scared and anxious, all my friends were trying to talk me out of it. I had no cousins or uncles to ask about it. My Dad never served in the Army, and had no war stories for me to fall back on.

All I knew about the Army was what I’d seen on TV. Platoon, Full Metal Jacket (I know they’re Marines, but you see my point), G.I. Joe (the cartoon). Hardly an informed decision.

They promised me I would see the world , jam with amazing players, experience things other folks only dream about…. And they would pay off my student loans!

“I want to go to Japan.” I said.

“How about Alaska?”

“Uhhhhh…. ” stammer stammer. “…sure, just get me out of here.”

Shaved my head, said my goodbyes, drove away in a government car.

Basic Training

“Lift your duffel bags over your heads! Come on Privates, we haven’t got all day! Now drop ‘em!”

Machine gun-like thumps as the 40 pound bags hit the ground.

“Oh, you don’t want to do it together, No team players here. We got us a bunch of individuals! Let’s try it again! Lift ‘em up! Higher Privates, we’re waiting on you! Okay, on three, drop ‘em. One, two… three!”

Thumpity – thump. A far cry from the single unified thud we so desperately wanted to hear.

“If you can’t follow simple instructions, how the hell are you supposed to survive in combat?! You just got your buddy killed!! Now lift ‘em up!!”

This grueling scene repeated for about an hour.

Push ups, running, shouting, no sleep, more shouting, more push ups, less sleep. Meals woofed down in 5 minutes.

It was a long 8 weeks.

My main goal was to be invisible, have the Drill Sergeants not even know my name. I wanted to be a faceless body in the middle of the group. This was not as tough as it sounds. The beauty of Basic Training was that there was always somebody slower, fatter, or someone who had a real problem with authority and was just itching to tell off the Drill Sergeants (I could never understand where these people came from, I mean it’s the Army. What were they expecting?).
I just kept my mouth shut and did what I was told.

Run, shoot, roll in the mud. Counting down the days until it was over, and I was back in music school…

Military Music School

Similar to college, with more yelling, less debauchery, and lots of horn players REALLY into drum corps.

Sprinkle in couple urinalyses and the occasional room inspection, and you’ve got some quality Army music training.

On the weekends, I would pound cheeseburgers and pitchers of cheap beer with my classmates. This kept us sane. We were excited to graduate and get to our perspective bands. Sharing what we’d heard about this band versus that one, comparing Basic Training horror stories and college pranks.

And then, one sunny September morning it was official – I was an Army Bandsman.

I packed my things and headed north. Fairbanks, Alaska. I was the new pianist for the 9th Army Band.

It was the best decision I ever made.

Before you release it to the world, take a couple days to prepare your music and artwork for all the opportunities that may present themselves. When I talk about an album being finished, I mean the audio has been mastered and the artwork is complete. If you’re pressing CDs, you’ve probably just sent everything to your manufacturer. This is stuff you can do before you have CDs in your hand–in fact, it’s a great way to pass the time before all those boxes arrive. And I’ll be honest with you, none of this is all that fun, but it really does help and you’ll probably never get around to it once the album is released.

Note that this article is not about how to release your own album, it’s about everything else you can do before it’s released so all the effort you’ve put in up to this point, and all the marketing and promotion you’ll do later, will have maximum effect. If you’re looking for information about releasing your album–digital distribution options, production schedules, CD manufacturing, and legal considerations–check out our 4 part series on the Self-Released Album.

Create a Metadata Document

Metadata is a fancy word for all the information about your album. It’s your track list, your credits, the barcode, catalog number… basically everything that isn’t the music itself. Create a spreadsheet or text document (or perhaps a Google Doc that you can access from any computer) and put all this information in one place:

The Album Basics:

Why do this?

Once you start uploading your album to different websites or digital distributors, it’s helpful to have all the information you could possibly need in one place and in a format that easy to copy and paste. Ultimately, you will benefit from consistently putting as much information as you can alongside the album wherever it appears online. You never know when somebody might be searching for examples of the mix engineers’ work, find your music, and unexpectedly become a fan.

Most of this information can also be embedded in your MP3 files. For example, if you select a track in your iTunes library and choose “Get Info” you’ll find plenty of fields for information. Fill out as much of this as possible, especially on the tracks you intend to give away for free.

Encode Your Audio

Once you have your final, mastered version of your album, it’s a good idea to rip, or import, the audio onto your computer in several different file formats. I have found that virtually every site I upload my music to asks for a different file at a different bit rate. To make my life easier, I have a space on an external hard drive that stores all of my music in at least a few different formats.

The formats I suggest are:

Create separate, clearly labeled folders for each file type. All those MP3s will have the same extension and will try to replace each other if you’re saving them to the same folder.

Before you begin, encode as much metadata as possible onto the uncompressed files and if possible, add the cover artwork as well. This is all easy to do in that “Get Info” window in iTunes, especially if you’re just copying and pasting from your metadata document.

Now, when you create the MP3s from the WAVs or AIFFs, all the metadata will transfer, saving you extra data entry.

Why do this?

For starters, it’s good to know where you’ll be uploading your music and what file types they require. Sites that sell and distribute your music, such as Bandcamp or CD Baby, will require the uncompressed, CD quality files so they can do the encoding themselves. Sites that can help you license your music, such as YouLicense, usually ask for both uncompressed formats and compressed formats at various bit rates.

However, I’m willing to bet the most common places you’ll upload your music are sites where people simply go to listen, such as MySpace, Last.fm, The Sixty One, Fairtilizer, Tumblr, etc. Some of these sites will ask for a minimum bit rate quality for your music, and it’s generally a good idea to upload the highest quality file possible. In my experience, they always ask for the MP3 compression format.

Uploading my music to all these sites is a slow, tedious, time consuming task. But if you want more people to hear your music, it’s a necessary chore. In a nutshell, starting with all the file types you need makes it much less painful.

Resize the Cover Art

Along with uploading your audio files to various sites, you’ll need to upload the cover art as well. This will go faster if you have cover art already optimized for the web. First make sure you get a full size, high resolution cover image from your designer. You can do all the resizing very easily with Photoshop. If you don’t have that Photoshop or a similar program, just ask your designer to do this.

Save your cover image at the following sizes, all at 72 dpi:

1000 x 1000 pixels
500 x 500 pixels
300 x 300 pixels
100 x 100 pixels

If you are doing this yourself, here’s a brief How To:

1. Opening the file from your designer. Then open the “Image Size” menu or the equivalent in your image editor.
2. Make the sure the image is perfectly square. Note that digipaks are not square, so the cover image will need to be adjusted.
3. Set the resolution to 72 dpi, which is the optimal resolution for the internet. This step will help your images load faster online.
4. Now “Save As…” and save this image as a JPEG. Use a file name that includes the dimensions, like albumname-cover-1500.jpg. From this point on, use this image for resizing and preserve the original file from the designer.
5. Does your image need an outline? If it has a light colored background, an outline will help define the edges on many websites. Simply add a single pixel line of medium or light grey around the edges.
6. Now re-size your image to the dimensions listed above, and “Save As…” for each new size.

Why do this?

Much like your audio files, different sites will require different dimensions of your cover art, and the vast majority of the time they’ll ask for a square image. While many sites will resize the image for you, sometimes their methods will distort the image. This is the first thing people will see when they find your album, and nothing screams amateur like a pixelated, poorly cropped, or squashed looking image. Make sure your image always looks great by having properly sized images on hand.

Create a Digital Booklet

Many major label albums online now come with digital booklets. These are simply digital versions of liner notes and artwork that you get when you buy the CD, but miss out on when you just download the album. Even if you can’t get your digital booklet on iTunes, you can still make it available on your own site, or bundle it with sites like Bandcamp.

Why do this?

Major labels often use extras, like a digital booklet or a video download, as a way to leverage placement with a particular online retailer. In other words, give iTunes an exclusive version of an album with extra goodies, while everybody else just gets the standard version, in exchange for a big feature on the iTunes home page.

You can do a DIY version of this by offering the booklet, or other bonus items, exclusively on a site that pays more to the artists. Bandcamp is a great example of this because they don’t take any of the purchase price; it all goes to you less the Paypal transaction fee. Just tell your fans that they get extras and put more of their money towards the cause by buying your album from the site of your choosing.

Will you need Instrumentals or Stems?

If your music has potential for licensing or remixing opportunities, I highly recommend creating instrumental versions and stems* of your songs. Music supervisors and their clients often want instrumental music behind dialog, and then vocals to appear later, when the dialog stops. Other times they might want to trim an arrangement down so it less distracting, in which case stems are extremely handy. The licensing process, especially for commercials, moves extremely quickly. You could be asked for instrumentals or stems on very short notice, and if you don’t have them on hand, you could miss out on a big money making opportunity!

Creating instrumentals and stems will require working with the original recordings. If you hired somebody else to mix your album, it might be necessary to get them back on the job. Additionally, these new versions will need to be mastered again so they sound as good as the album versions. This might cost you more money, so use your own judgement and only create these versions for the songs with the most licensing and remixing potential.

*Stems are the individual parts of your recording, isolated. In other words, a track of just vocals or just drums.

Why do this?

For every reason mentioned above, it will simply help create more earning potential for your recordings!

Having stems on hand could also be an opportunity to engage your fans. When Radiohead released In Rainbows, they also released the stems for their song “Nude” on iTunes. Fans were encouraged to download the stems, create their own remix, and upload them to Radiohead’s site to be voted on by other fans. More than 2,000 remixes were submitted. Do you think you have enough creative fans that want to play with your music?

Prepare Your Promo List

If you plan on sending free copies of your album to reviewers, bloggers, or anyone else, take some time to make sure you have correct addresses, and maybe even let the people on your list know a CD is on it’s way.

Along with checking contact information, prepare a One-Sheet that says a little something about you and the album. While some people send a lot of information with their CDs, such as a full press kit, I think it’s better to send writers no more than one page of information. As long as your website and contact info is included, they can find out more as needed.

Why do this?

When writers receive a new album, they want to know it’s new. If they get your CD and find out it was released two months ago, what is their motivation to publish a review? When you send it to them ahead of the release date, you’re saying their opinion matters enough that they should get an advance copy. And lets not forget that you want as much buzz surrounding your release date as possible, so make sure your promo copies get to the right places and on time!

The preparation will also save you money. When I released my last CD, I used a promo list that was only 6 months old. Even so, one out of ever four CDs I mailed came back to me because the address was wrong, or the writer had a new assignment. A little extra work would have saved me some money.

There you have it!

__  Create a metadata document
__  Encode your audio
__  Resize the cover art
__  Create a digital booklet
__  Create instrumentals and stems
__  Prepare your promo list

Now make sure you remember how to play your songs!

Charts

Here is how I earned my income, by percentage, in 2008, 2009 and the first 6 months of 2010.

2008
Music Directing	61%
Musical Theatre Performance	29%
Writing	6%
Copyist	3%
Recorded Music	1%

2009
Accompanying	36%
Music Directing	28%
Church Organ	22%
Writing	7%
Recorded Music Sales	2%
Classical Performance	2%
Jazz Performance	2%
Weddings	1%

2010
Musical Theater Accompanying	45%
Church Organ	26%
Writing	13%
Music Directing	9%
Copyist	4%
Recorded Music Sales	2%

Notes:

Musical Theatre Performance – this means playing for shows, but not as the music director. 2nd keyboard, for example.
Accompanying – includes accompanying for classes, auditions and rehearsals. This does not include performances.

Analysis

You can see that in 2008 I was working nearly full-time as a music director for regional theaters and tours. When I wasn’t working as an MD I was playing 2nd keyboards somewhere else. I made a little money from blogging, a little from copyist work and very little from selling albums.

I experienced a sharp decline in music directing jobs in the 2nd half of 2008. Regional theaters had been hard hit by the recession, and many were not hiring or closing their doors. It was clear that I would need to fill in the income gap with other work.

As you can see from the chart, I tried a lot of different gigs and had the most success with accompanying and church organ gigs. I started my church gig in spring of 2009. Around the same time I found a job as an accompanist at college.

In 2009 I remember I was just trying everything to see what took. I was taking jazz gigs, gigs with symphonies, weddings – whatever came my way. I didn’t turn down anything in 2009. You can see that none of that took hold though – it has been the accompanying and church organ that pulled me through the economy.

Recovery

Like most people, the recession changed my career. Once the regional theatre and tour scene declined I moved full-time to New York and, for once, stayed here. Prior to the recession it was difficult for a lot of theatre workers like me to stay in the city. Out-of-town jobs were always calling.

Now that I’ve been in NYC for several years, I’ve set up a life here that I didn’t have before the recession. Things didn’t happened as I expected, I just had to adjust to the changing musician economy. What’s interesting to me is if the economy went back to 2007 levels tomorrow, I couldn’t just jump back into my own scene like nothing happened. With a recession this long, some doors close and some doors open and by the end of it you find yourself in a different room. Who knows how to get back to where you were?

Income from writing has increased – primarily because I put more time into it when the economy changed. I recorded a Christmas album during the down time of the recession, and that helped (marginally) increased income from recorded music. Lately more calls for copyist work has been coming in.

More calls have been coming for music directing work as well – that seems indicative of a recovery in our sector of the economy to me, but it’s purely anecdotal. Even so, it feels like good news to me.

Show Band Musicians

Most lines have an orchestra (aka Show Band) on board.  This 5-10 piece band plays the production shows, headliner shows and big band or top 40 sets on board.  Bass, drums, guitar, keys, sax, trombone & trumpet are the most common instrumentation.

The most important requirement in landing one of these jobs is strong sight reading ability (both jazz charts & notation).  Working on board a ship as an orchestra musician, you’ll find yourself playing new shows daily in front of thousands, and having little to no time at all to prepare.

In order to assure that you’ll be comfortable in that setting, we want to see/hear you sight read similar charts prior to hiring.  We do live auditions around the country as well as auditions over the phone and via video.

In each case, you’ll be handed several charts and be asked to read them without any preparation.  These charts will range from big band to top 40 to Broadway selections.  Depending on the audition, you might also be asked to play a jazz head and solo over it in order to get a feel for your improvisational skills.

Needless to say, at the end of an orchestra musician contract, you’re sight reading and chops in general will definitely be strong as ever.

Entertainers

If sight reading isn’t your thing, you can also be hired as an entertainer on board.

Lines hire the following entertainers to perform on their ships:  solo pianist/vocalist (aka Piano Bar Entertainer) , cocktail pianist (aka Intermissionist), solo guitarist/vocalist (aka Pub Guitarist), classical guitarist, duo, standards trio/quartet & party band.  These entertainers perform four to five 45 minute sets a night in lounges on board.

Entertainers must entertain!  You would think this would be a given; however, I’m always surprised at how many people don’t get this concept.  Connecting with guests is key.  Taking requests, sing-a-longs, theme nights, talking to guests before and after sets are all essential in a) being hired and b) being a successful entertainer on board.

In order to be hired as an entertainer on board a ship, you must have the following: promo video, song list, performance history & availability to do a contract.  My next blog entry will talk about the top 10 things we look for in a promo video.

Specialty Acts

Some cruise lines hire specialty or variety acts such as comedians, steel pan musicians or a cappella quartets.  The actual job description for these musicians varies, however a promo video is required for all in order to secure employment.

Singers and Dancers

Finally, each cruise ship has their own production cast on board.  This cast is composed of singers and dancers often hired by a separate production company.  The production cast performs Broadway revues, top 40 and classical shows on board and sometimes even have aerialists or flyers included.

These positions are usually secured at live auditions held by the different production companies around the world.

Length of Contracts

No matter what the position, cruise ship musician contracts are generally 3-8 months long in length.  These are continuous contracts where you live on board the ship for the entirety of the contract.  Often food, room, travel and health coverage are included, so there’s definitely an opportunity to save money.  It’s a great way to travel the world, play music and get paid for it!

Thanks for reading and I hope it helped you better understand the different options for working as a musician on board a cruise ship.  Expect another blog entry next month!

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Allison Weiss, photo by Shervin Lainez

I asked Allison if she’d share her secrets with us, and as I suspected, there are no secrets! She is just a creative and savvy musician that is willing to try out new technology to stay ahead of the curve (something I believe is a key to a successful DIY music career). But don’t take my word for it, read Allison’s responses and see for yourself. There’s a lot to learn for any independent musician trying to get their music in front of the right people.

CM: You’ve built an impressive online audience. How did that start?

AW: I could say YouTube and I could say Tumblr, but I think it all started because of how much I really love the internet. Since I first got online in my early teens, I’ve loved what the internet has done for communication. Social networking is a beautiful thing. You can find someone who loves what you love in a second, even though they may be halfway across the world. When I started playing music professionally it seemed obvious that just being myself online was going to be the best form of promotion (I didn’t know any other way). I’m also an early adopter. When new technology comes along I don’t look at it as another burden to bear, but another tool to utilize. I jump on the bandwagon immediately rather than waiting until someone forces me on it.

Considering how quickly trends change online, do you think somebody doing that today would have the same results?

Absolutely, but nowadays it definitely takes patience. Back in 2005 you could put an acoustic cover up on YouTube and everyone was watching it. Now the market is saturated, so you can’t just complete the task. You have to be good. You can’t start a Twitter account and expect the fans to come pouring in. You have to use it and get good at it and learn how to make the technology work for you.

Did you have a vision of what you were building, or did it just kind of happen?

It definitely just kind of happened. I’ve never had a solid plan. I get excited, I have fun, and I roll with it. It’s hard to tell what’s going to be successful, which is why I do a little bit of everything. I set up my Kickstarter account in a couple of hours and set it in motion with a mentality of “Here goes nothing, let’s see if this works…” and it blew up*. Recently I posted a couple tracks to thesixtyone.com because a fan recommended it, and out of nowhere I was gaining a ton of fans through it. Like I said, sometimes you just never know and you have to figure it out by trial and error.

*Editor’s note: Allison created a Kickstarter project to fund her latest album, Allison Weiss Was Right All Along. She gave herself two months to raise $2,000 and ended up hitting that goal in 10 hours. She raised $4,000 by the end of the week, and ended up with $7,711 total, allowing her to expand the EP she intended to make into a full length album.

I’d say your online following is genuine, not like you used some scheme to get a bunch of MySpace friends or Twitter followers. What’s the key to attracting a real, honest fanbase?

The key to attracting a real, honest fanbase is to be a real, honest person. Most of the time I try and think of things from a fan’s perspective. How would I like my favorite bands to communicate with me? I try my best to be as interesting as possible, and I always stay true to myself. I’m open and inviting, because the bottom line is that I truly believe music is about community. I love being able to interact with fans. I love meeting people in real life who I’ve seen online. I think that if you’re a nice and genuine person, those relationships you form online will last longer than the hottest new site, and people who love you will follow you anywhere.

What do you do to keep your fans engaged online?

I post a lot of stuff. Not just show dates or album announcements. That’s super boring after a while. I update my blog and twitter like people would care about where I am or what I’m doing. I want people to feel like they know me, so I let myself be known. I have contests and give away free stuff, I try and make everything as entertaining and fun as possible. That way when I throw in a show date here and there, people are paying attention because they care.

How often do you try to do these things? How often is too often, and how little is too little, if there are such boundaries?

Tweeting and blogging (on Tumblr.com) have become natural parts of my life. I do it so often that I can’t imagine not. When something interesting in real life happens, I think about whether the internet would like to know about it (usually they would). In fact, I’m trying to stop differentiating between Real Life and The Internet, because the fact is The Internet IS Real Life. Every username is a real person who matters just as much as someone standing in front of you. As far as how often is too often, I think it totally depends. I know celebrity musicians who tweet every two minutes but still have hundreds of thousands of followers. Most of the time I wish people would post more. To me it’s more important to think about quality than quantity. You could tweet a thousand times a day and think every post you make is hilarious and incredible, but this usually isn’t the case. I say pay attention to ‘Likes’ and ‘Reblogs’. Stay entertaining and use your best judgement.

So I’d say we’ve established your web savviness by now. Can you share your 3 favorite online resources that help your career as a musician?

I’m going to give you six, is that okay? Two categories: Tools and Communities, because half of these are technical and save a lot of work, and the other half need to be used frequently and skillfully to really help a music career:

Tools:

• ArtistData.com – I use this website to update information across the net. They’ll sync up to a ton of event-listing websites and post it all over the place when you add a new show. One of the best things is that for about $5/mo, they’ll send your show listings to local press, which means you’ll always be on the physical calendar. Saves me a TON of time.
• FanBridge.com – Mailing list and email marketing tool. I love them. Your mailing list is a hundred times more important than number of Twitter followers or Facebook friends. They let you target fans by location and offer free downloads for joining.
• BigCartel.com – I just discovered this site. It’s a simple and easy way to sell physical merch online. Adding a new item is as easy as a few clicks. A basic account is free, and more options are available for a small monthly fee. PLUS it’s all linked up to PayPal so it’s really easy to deal with money. And I think they just added an option to sell downloads.

Communities:

• Tumblr.com – Blog here. It’s the best. Follow and be followed. It’s Twitter’s big bro who’s smarter and has more to say.
• Twitter.com – If you don’t have one yet, you’re only cheating yourself. If you can text, you can twitter. Stop wondering if people want to know about your day-to-day and just accept that they DO.
• TheSixtyOne.com – I haven’t quite figured out this site in it’s entirety, but I know that I uploaded a couple tracks, left it alone, and suddenly found myself swimming in new fans. It’s an incredibly innovative and experimental new music discovery site where fans choose what floats to the top. Explore it.

I could go on and on. Bandcamp.com, Livestream.com, Facebook.com, there are a million.

To conclude, has all the online activity carried over into the real world? Does it all help sell music or bring people out to your shows when you tour?

Definitely. It’s pretty awesome to see it all really working. I think it’s important to note here that you have to remember to ask your fans for support. Make sure you get names on your mailing list, send out Facebook events, and keep people updated on what you’re doing. The unfortunate thing about the internet is that there’s so much of it that will distract people from paying attention to you, so you have to give them a reason to care. Whether that means giving away an album for free in exchange for email addresses, or streaming yourself from your bedroom, or covering Lady Gaga songs on YouTube, that’s up to you. Stay honest, stay entertaining, and be good at what you do. Don’t be afraid of the internet. Embrace new technology. Get creative. Make it happen.

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Learn more about Allison Weiss and see her internet skills in action at www.allisonw.com.