The Self-Released Album 201: The Details
This article is part 3 of a 4 part series by guitarist Cameron Mizell. For more information about self-releasing your album, visit the other articles in the series.
Part I: An Introduction to the Self-Released Album
Part II: The Self-Released Album 101: The Basics
Part III: The Self-Released Album 201: The Details (this article)
Part IV: The Self-Released Album Reference Guide for Musicians
Ready to release your own album but not sure where to start? In an article last week we went over some of the basics including where you can sell your music, the role of a distributor, and a few vital pieces of metadata required to meet commercial standards. In this article, you’ll learn how to make a basic production schedule, the basics of manufacturing, and some legalities you may need to sort out before releasing your music.
The Production Schedule
For most independent musicians, an official album release date is just a concept rather than a logistical target. Our albums are finished when we say they’re finished, and as soon as we have the final product in our hands, we’re ready to start selling. But if you have a CD release party scheduled or a tour coming up and absolutely must have the CDs by a certain date, I highly recommend creating a production schedule.
When I worked production at a record label, part of my job was determining deadlines in order for an album to hit it’s release date. When does the master need to be to the plant? When do we need approved artwork? To determine these dates, I’d work backwards from the date I needed CDs in my hand. There are many variables that can affect each step, so be sure to speak with the people that are working on each step to find out how much time they need, then build a schedule that looks something like this:
10 weeks prior to Release Date: Recording session begins
9 wk: Photo shoot for album artwork
8 wk: Mixing begins / Album design begins
7 wk: Album artwork circulates for proofing and changes
6 wk: Final mixes approved, Audio is mastered / Artwork approved
5 wk: Audio master approved, Audio & Artwork files ship to manufacturer
4 wk: Proofs for artwork approved / Manufacturing begins
1 wk: CDs ship from manufacturer
Notice there are essentially two separate elements being worked on simultaneously: the music, and the artwork. Both of these elements must be final before CD manufacturing can begin, so set a due date for an approved master and final artwork that allows ample time for manufacturing and shipping. A manufacturing schedule can vary greatly based on your packaging choices. The above schedule allows three weeks for manufacturing, which is fairly typical, though the most basic packaging can often be turned around much more quickly.
Also, it is a very good idea to pad your dates. People get sick, have family emergencies, or maybe just need an extra night to sleep on an important decision. Pad your schedule, but make sure you know the drop-dead dates as well. Drop-dead dates are the deadlines that, if missed, put the target due date in jeopardy. And of course the purpose of making a schedule is to make sure you have CDs in time for your big release!
Tip: Create a shared calendar, such as a Google Calendar, and add the due dates for each step of your production schedule. This is something everyone involved can see on a daily basis and be reminded of when things need to get done.
CD Manufacturing
CD manufacturing is an industry unto itself, and a basic understanding of how things work can greatly empower you as an independent musician. As discussed above with regards to production schedules, there are essentially two separate processes involved in CD manufacturing:
- The music! Or more specifically, copying the music onto multiple CDs. For large quantities, this is called replication. For smaller quantities, this is called duplication.
- The artwork! Or creating and mass producing the package, which involves printing the artwork onto the paper or board and then cutting, folding, stapling or glueing until the project is complete.
What’s the difference between CD replication and CD duplication?
In short, CD replication is a more involved process. The CD is actually created from scratch specifically for your music. This involves creating a unique glass master and stampers for your CD, which of course costs money. Because of that cost, the replication process is used only for larger quantities, generally of 1,000 units or more. CD duplication, on the other hand, is the process of burning information onto ready made, blank discs. Advances in writable media has made duplication more reliable, and therefore you’ll find more manufacturing companies offering short-run duplication options for quantities under 1,000 units.
*While some CD manufacturing services will use verbiage geared towards the layman, I believe there is value in understanding the basic jargon of the print industry. This knowledge will help you communicate with a professional designer, and it will ultimately help you get the best work done for your project. See below for an explanation of common printing and manufacturing terminology.
Glossary of CD manufacturing terms:
4/1 (four over one) – This describes the number of colors used on each side of the paper. 4 generally represents the standard CMYK (see definition). Most common configurations are 4/1 (full color on one side, black and white on the other), 4/4 (full color), and 4/0 (full color on one side, blank on the other).
Booklet – An insert with 8 or more pages, made up of separate pieces of paper bound together with staples, stitching, or glue. Typically more expensive than a folder.
CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (the key plate typically prints black). White areas simply get no ink, so you end up seeing the white paper. This is the standard for printing, while RGB is used on the web. Be sure your artwork is submitted in CMYK colors to ensure accuracy.
Folder – A 2-sided insert that is folded down to fit in a jewel case or digipak. No staples or binding required. There are a variety of standard folding options.
Inlay – The piece of paper found under the tray in a jewel case. The inlay-out is the side visible when the jewel case is closed, and includes the back cover and both spines. The inlay-in is the side underneath the CD and is only visible if you have a clear tray (note the gutter on the left of a clear try, visible when the case is closed).
Label – The printed side of the CD.
Panel – Used to describe pages, sides, or evenly divided sections. A 2-panel insert has a front and back side, while an 8-panel folder has two sides but is folded in three places, creating 8 equal sized sections. Booklets generally just use the word pages in place of panels.
Other than the process in which the information is transferred to the CD, you’ll find very little difference in the final product. However, there are still some older CD players in use that have trouble with burned CDs, and so your duplicated CDs may not play in 100% of the machines out there.
What are my packaging options?
Visit the website of any CD manufacturing company and you’ll find a list of packaging options. In fact, look at your own collection. Chances are you’ll find a bunch of jewel cases and digipaks, and maybe some eco-wallets, minijackets, and custom packaging. What does all this mean, and what should you consider before choosing the packaging for your album?
Ultimately, pricing may end up dictating your choice. We’d all love embossed, foil stamped, 5-color digipaks with a custom die-cut and 16 page booklet, but chances are you’ll end up going with a standard option. Here’s a rundown of the four most standard options. Variations do exist if you need to accommodate multi-discs or would like something slightly different without going custom, it just takes a little shopping around.
Jewel cases are very common, inexpensive, and pretty sturdy. The lid can hold a variety of inserts ranging from the simple, inexpensive two panel variety, to more standard folders*, to a fully loaded 16+ page booklet*. The cases themselves are easily replaceable if they break. For the most professional look, go with a clear tray so your designer can add artwork to the inside of the inlay*.
Digipaks are basically cardboard cases with plastic trays to hold the CD. These are becoming more popular because they use less plastic (eco-friendly) and generally look great. The artwork extends all the way to the edge, and because of the way digipaks are printed (4/0* and then folded and glued) you end up with a great looking, full color package. They usually come in 2 to 8 panels* which will probably give you plenty of space for artwork. However, if you need extra space for your lyrics or pictures, digipaks can accommodate inserts with a variety of pocket styles, or even by glueing a booklet to one of the panels. Be aware though, that adding an insert to a digipak may involve a handpack, or manual insertion. Handpacks raise the cost and lengthen the timeline of production. Ask questions and find out what processes can be automated if you are on a tight budget or have a strict deadline.
Eco-Wallets are very similar to the digipak, but without the plastic tray. Instead the CD is inserted into a pocket inside one of the panels. Eco-wallets are growing in popularity because of their eco-friendliness (hence the creative name). The only disadvantage is that without a plastic tray, they are relatively flimsy and offer less protection to the actual disc. Even so, the eco-wallet is the leading contender in my choice of packaging for my next CD. I’ll just make sure to ship the CDs in a rigid mailer to prevent damage.
Mini-Jackets are very much like a miniature version of an old LP jacket. They are simply a 2-sided (front and back) cover with a pocket for the disc. Mini-jackets are popular for samplers, in part because they are a relatively inexpensive, full color option. Like eco-wallets, these are somewhat flimsy.
Printing Artwork on the CD
Without a doubt, one thing that will make your CD look professional is quality printing on the disc surface, usually called the label. The CD itself should be the centerpiece of your packaging, so you want it to look great. Printing on the plastic surface of the disc is a very different process than printing the rest of your artwork, and in my experience, most designers do not understand how to make the most of the label artwork.
While paper is printed in standard CMYK* the disc is printed using individual spot colors. A spot color is a color produced by a single ink (for example, the four individual inks in CMYK are each spot colors, but a green produced by CMYK is not). Printing CMYK on paper can produce nearly every color, but the process doesn’t work as well on discs. This is in part because ink is not absorbed into the plastic. What does this mean? A full color picture of you is not going to look very good on the disc.
In most cases, you will probably have the option of using up to three spot colors on your label. Instead of viewing this as a disadvantage, use some creativity to make something interesting. There are common spot colors that cannot be produced with CMYK, such as metallic or fluorescent colors, and UV coatings that give the illusion of different textures to your disc surface. You also have the option of knocking out color, or leaving spaces with no ink, so the silver of the disc shows through. Take a look at the CDs in your collection–something in there ought to inspire you.
For further reading you may find my previous article, Before Designing Your Next Album helpful. In many ways that article was a precursor to this series of more in depth articles, but I do talk about a few things not mentioned here that will help you work with a designer to make a great looking album.
Legal Considerations
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and the advice below should only be used as guidance. Please consult a music lawyer if you have more specific questions. If you need a place to start, try the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.
Copyright
A copyright is simply a form of protection for original, tangible means of expression. Registering your copyright with the Library of Congress (in the US) officially dates your composition and will allow you to use your copyright in a court of law should you ever need to file an infringement suit. In general, a copyright exists the moment your work is written down or recorded. Copyright does not cover an idea of a song.
When it comes to music, you cannot copyright chord progressions and simple melodies. The composition as a whole, arrangements, and lyrics most definitely can be copyrighted and registered. To learn more about copyright, and to register your songs, visit the website of the U.S. Copyright Office or seek out the appropriate service in your country.
Tip: There is a fee to officially register your songs, so one way to save some money is to register an entire album or collection of songs as an opus.
Cover songs: If you intend to record and release music written by another musician or songwriter, you will need to obtain a compulsory license and pay royalties. By law, you have a right to obtain a compulsory license and commercially release any song you wish, but you must follow the proper procedure to do so. The easiest way to license cover songs is to hire a lawyer. If you can’t afford a lawyer, there is an easy way to license a song using a handy service called Limelight.
Whenever you want to release a song written by somebody else, it is always a good idea to properly identify the songwriter(s) and copyright owner for the song you will be recording. In most cases, the copyright owner will be a publisher and not the songwriter, and definitely not the record label. Songwriters often sign deals with publishers or create their own publishing entities to handle this sort of licensing. To find this information, start by searching the databases at performing rights societies such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. If you try using the information printed on a CD or LP, keep in mind that the information may be out of date and the songwriter may have switched publishers.
If for some reason the cover song you want to release is not able to be licensed through Limelight, you can still obtain a compulsory license but will need to write a Letter of Intent to the publisher. I’ve released many cover songs, but only two that required writing a Letter of Intent, and for those I hired a lawyer. Therefore I am not comfortable advising anyone on how to write a Letter of Intent and recommend you call a lawyer. If you’d like, you can look at the Library of Congress’ Code of Federal Regulations Section 201.18 and 201.19 for the U.S. Government’s requirements for obtaining compulsory licenses. If that’s too scary, start with this blog post by Franklin A. Blanco, ESQ., a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale that works with musicians.
There are many advantages to releasing cover songs. For more of my thoughts on cover songs, read my article, Recording, Releasing, and Performing Cover Songs.
Legal Lines
If you look on the back of any CD, you’ll probably notice some sort of legal information. This is called the legal line. In it’s most basic form, the legal line states the owner of the master recordings (this time, we’re talking about the record label), the owner of the artwork (usually the record label), and date in which it was first released. In the case of an independent musician, this may just be your name or the name of the business entity you’ve established for tax purposes. Though it’s not required, you may also include the physical address of your label, and also some sort of verbiage against unauthorized duplication.
Legal lines are generally printed on all components of a CD package. In otherwords, you would include it on the inlay out or back of the digipak, on the disc label, and somewhere on the insert.
Up Next…
If you want to release your own album, you’ll find out that there is a lot to know about the music industry. While my experiences have taught me a good deal, or at least enough to carve out a living as an independent musician, I know there is more to learn. Next week I will wrap up this series on the self-released album by tying together articles I’ve written on the subjects of recording your album, releasing your album, and helping it sell. Perhaps more importantly, I will include a list of other resources that have helped me along the way and articles that cover information I have not written about myself.
The final article in this series The Self-Released Album Reference Guide for Musicians, will overview the entire process of planning, releasing and promoting your album on an independent musician’s budget by referencing a number of helpful sources on the web. Subscribe by email or RSS and have these articles automatically delivered to you.
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Hey Cameron, this is a great breakdown of all the stuff it’s taken months and months for me to learn about…and had a made a good release schedule the whole process wouldn’t have dragged out so long.
The only big point I think you should add: when choosing packaging, an artist has to consider whether he or she will be sending the CD out to college radio. From what I understand, they really prefer jewel cases or digipaks because both these options have a spine – and since the stations are set up with shelves and shelves of CDs, they want to be able to stick your CD on a shelf and be able to find it easily. At least…last I heard, this was the case! You don’t want to be opening your sweet looking eco-wallets and dropping a hundred discs into homemade jewel cases after paying for a great looking CD.
3/30/2009
Thanks for well-thought out piece, Cameron. It’s definitely helpful to plan everything accordingly so vital pieces of the process don’t get left out.
Another thing to add I think, is in the copyright area. Creative Commons now offers free licenses to artists so they can stamp their creative efforts with the freedom they want it to carry, as opposed to the more traditional “all rights reserved” copyright. So if you’re an indie artist and you’re into having people copy and distribute your music legally (which could aid in reaching a reach a wider audience), you can choose that type of license via Creative Commons. Trent Reznor did it for his last album, and I’ll be using it for my next effort. It’s just more customizable to my circumstances.
3/30/2009
“Take a look at the CDs in your collection–something in there ought to inspire you.”
That’s a great piece of advice. I would always give that to customers who were getting CDs duplicated (or replicated). They would always hit a wall when it came to the CD imprint/lable and adding more text to their album art, like credits, thank yous, bios, and contact info.
On a seperate note, the stamper actually molds the info into the plastic poly-carbonate material when replicating CDs. The foil serves the purpose of reflecting the laser back to the lense on your CD player. Without it, the laser would just shoot through the clear plastic and the info would not be read.
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
3/30/2009
For those of you looking for more on the Creative Commons License options, I recommend you check out this article:
An Overview of Creative Commons Licensing for Music by John P. Strohm over at KnowTheMusicBiz.com
3/31/2009
Excellent article… very good indeed. A couple of follow up points if I may – from my vantage point as a CD/DVD manufacturer: ***(1)*** Production Schedule: The timing you map-out is good, but with so many do-it-yourself bands out there who try to save money by making their own CDR masters and designing their own artwork, the chance for an order to be put on “hold” due to assets being supplied off-spec is a real growing problem. Off-spec artwork has always been a big problem, but improperly formatted CDR masters is becoming common as well. Naturally this can cause delays which can potentially jeopardize CD related functions that are pre-booked. ***(2)*** Minimum Quantity & Packaging Options: I’m proud to say that our company dropped our minimum order requirement for replicated CD/DVD discs and packaging options to just 300 units which includes our eco-packaging and Digipak. This has proven to be very popular with many indie-musicians who just don’t need/want more than 300 units. Granted, buying a higher quantity means a better price-per-unit, but if you can’t sell 1,000 copies the left-overs are going to end up in the land-fill. That’s the great thing about lower minimum orders – it consumes less materials and creates far less waste – so that’s a great result for the environment. ***(3)*** Disc Printing: For replicated CDs and DVDs there are two standard types of disc printing (though not all companies supply both). One is called Silkscreen Printing (aka: Screenprinting) and the other is generally referred to as “Offset” Printing. Silkscreen Printing uses individual ‘spot’ colours referenced from the Pantone Matching System “Solid Coated” colour library (you can also print CMYK using Silkscreen but let’s not go there). Very few designers seem to know how to properly design for Silkscreen Printing (which involves color separations amongst other things) and it’s a shame because it is still a really effective printing method for many designs. The “Offset” Printing method is a CMYK printing process (aka: four colour process printing) which uses just four translucent “Process” inks printing one on-top of the other to create a huge pallete of colour options. Offset Printing is ideal for photographic and complex multi-colour designs due to higher resolution, tight registration, and plate imaging. Many designs that are actually better suited for Silkscreen Printing end up having to be Offset Printed because the designers doesn’t know how to design for Silkscreen. Actually, that would be a good questions for bands who want to use a hired-out designer: “Do you know how to design for Silkscreen and, if so, let me see examples of your Silkscreen designs.” So that’s my $0.02 worth, though it did turn into a bit of a novel.
4/4/2009
One question: Do people still listen to CD’s?
I’ve been considering doing a limited run of CDs fro promo purposes and then only doing downloads and selling flash drives on the gig. Not as flashy (no pun intended as a CD) but may save a lot of bread.
Thoughts? Recommendations?
4/5/2009
Personally, I think that’s a good idea. Unless you think you’ll sell a lot of physical CDs, I think digital-only is a much more practical approach for a lot of us.
Are flash drives less expensive than CDs?
4/5/2009
For the most part, I agree. Think about how your fans listen to music. The vast majority of people I know, including musicians, listen to music off their computer or MP3 player. That list includes my parents. How do you listen to music?
CDs, flash drives, etc. are just a means of transporting digital files in a tangible fashion. If that’s what you’re trying to accomplish, you could also consider selling download cards to at shows. Google “digital download card” and you’ll get a bunch of solutions. Or make matters even simpler, and print postcards with the iTunes URL on it to hand out at shows. It would looks something like: http://www.itunes.com/artistname/albumname (no spaces anywhere)
4/5/2009
Thanks for the replies! I like some of those solutions.
4/5/2009
John wrote: “One question: Do people still listen to CD’s?”
I think the best way to answer that question is to ask your fan-base… like the old ‘business’ adage says, the key to success is to “Know your customers!” Some people still prefer CDs… whether it’s just a desire to have something tangible to show for the money they spent, or whether they enjoy the cover art, lyrics, photos, etc.
The great thing is that now indie-musicians have more choice. They can cover all the bases through relatively inexpensive short-run CD manufacturing, download cards, digital download distribution such as iTunes, etc.. I have a growing number of clients who utilize all of these methods and (for the CDs and Cards) they just order what they need for a few weeks or a couple of months and then come back again and again throughout the year as need be.
This method of managing their inventory definitely helps their cash flow, and it makes their fans happy too – because the fans can choose the music source that best suits them too.
4/18/2009
Really a great article on music and artwork involved in CD manufacturing. Thanks for sharing.
6/25/2009
Thanks again for this helpful info. Hopefully many artist will take the necessary steps in protecting their work.
-frankie
check out some tunes @ http://cdbaby.com/artist/frankieflowers
1/2/2010
As everyone else has said let me add my thanks again for these great articles Cameron. As a musician about to release my first CD these articles are insightful and well thought out. I was wondering if you would be able to share (either here or through e-mail) your own experiences with the CD duplication process in terms of what companies have done the best work for you personally. Thanks again!
1/11/2010
As a follow up, I know that you do a great job of keeping these articles unbiased and honest so I understand if you’re not able to post that info. I’m just looking for another opinion and judging by the stuff you share in these articles (and since you’ve described yourself as very picky) I’m sure its good info! Thanks!
1/11/2010
I’ve often seen printed on CDs ‘all rights reserved, unauthorised lending, hiring copying…..prohibited’ I was wondering if you if it’s necessary to print this on your CDs. I’m assuming your right are reserved whether you state it or not and also it says ‘no unauthorised broadcasting’? would this put radio stations off playing it or does it just mean no you’re not allowed play it on an illegal radio station (which is a bit of a stupid thing to state, if they cared about the rules they wouldn’t be pirates now would they)
Thanks,
Riona.
7/3/2010
@ Riona – That bit of information is part of the legal line (described in the article) and it is not necessary. You are correct that you still maintain all the intellectual property rights governed to you as the creator of the piece. “Unauthorized use” typically means that you do not want somebody to use your work to generate income for themselves without properly paying you. For example, it would be illegal for me to take your CD, make copies, sell it to people, and keep all the money. The traditional legal line would not deter a radio station from playing your music.
7/3/2010
I realise how naive my question was, thanks for that response. This article is really useful.
7/3/2010
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