I began by using Google to find the most popular brands and soon found that they were also the most expensive for what I was dealing with. I was only looking to produce 100 CDs and almost all of the big brand names such as Disc Makers, CD Baby, and Disc Masters had poor marginal costs for anything under 1000. It was then that I decided to go the self-assembly route. I ended up purchasing CD labels, sleeves, blank CDs, and custom designed rubber stamps for album artwork from all different companies. Though this was a huge hassle and it would have been nice to pay one fee, I ended up cutting the cost in half. In the end, I sacrificed my original idea of a professional look and settled for a more homemade, rustic design. I am very happy with my purchase and the CDs look very nice. However, if I ever have the need to have over 1000 CDs made, there is no way that I will do that myself.
Monday, October 31, 2011
CD Production
This past month, I have been preparing to release a self-produced EP called "Wintertime". The recording / mixing process took longer than I had originally planned and in anticipation of the CD release show, November 2nd, I have been in a bit of a time crunch. Since I have never released an album before, I had zero experience or knowledge about CD production / packaging. In other words, there was no prototype for me to compare to. I did, however, have three goals in mind. First and foremost, I needed to meet my deadline. Secondly, I wanted walk away with a unique and distinctive product. Thirdly, I wanted to keep the cost to the bare minimum. These goals needed to be met in this particular order of importance, yielding a very compensatory approach to my decision-making process.
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As an avid music lover and musician, I have personally had the pleasure of experiencing this EP, "Wintertime," and it's artwork and production and wanted to comment on it from the consumer's viewpoint. I wasn't able to make it to the concert on time due to a late class, but the next day I was able to get a CD from Ian himself. As soon as I saw the CD I was extremely impressed; I knew how much work Ian had put into it and that he had made it all on his own. The CD's still looked very professional, but had a personal touch to it. It gave ma an actual "connection" to his "brand" instead of the usual Jewel case with the normal lyric booklet on the inside. The "Wintertime" album was rustic, unique, and fit Ian's music perfectly. It fit great with the message in the lyrics and due to this it stayed in my memory longer. I even made some judgments on his brand and what the CD would sound like due to the message of the design of its case and because I knew and trusted the source. The CD is fantastic and everyone should get a copy for themselves. All profits from his EP release show also went to the organization Bound, giving the consumer even more reason to buy his CD.
ReplyDeleteIan, while you may have sacrificed the professional look you had hoped for originally, I have to give you kudos on your finished product! I think you really opened up yourself and your brand to another segment by creating the more rustic looking CDs. Anyone will buy a CD that is sold in a regular old jewel case, but with a little do-it-yourself effort, you allowed your EP to stand out to people who are looking for something different. Bound also really appreciates your contribution!
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