Producing Your Own Cd's

by Huber, Christian W.

• ISBN13: 9780711998056
• ISBN10: 0711998051
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-01
• Publisher: Music Sales Amer

Summary

An indispensable guide for any musician or music label needing to record and market a professional-quality CD. From choosing material and mastering your disc to creating artwork and manufacturing and packaging, every stage of professional-quality CD creation is covered. Topics include: choosing the right studio, costing production, working with a distributor, Internet sales, legal issues, professional bodies and unions, and technical details about CDs and DVDs. No one who is planning to make their own CD should be without this invaluable guide. With black-and-white photos.

Table of Contents

Preparation & recording
Choosing the right songs	p. 6
Choosing the right studio	p. 7
How can a producer help?	p. 8
Pre-mastering CDs on your own computer	p. 10
CD-writers and the right CD-R	p. 11
Checking the CD master	p. 12
Mastering in a professional studio	p. 13
Doing the artwork of your CD
Different types of packaging	p. 18
Developing your design ideas on the computer	p. 22
Recommended logos for the CD	p. 24
Specifications for films or digital art files	p. 27
Transferring the computer data on to film (film output)	p. 40
PDF files	p. 42
Choosing a manufacturer
How do you find the right manufacturer?	p. 44
What to look out for	p. 46
The full costs of producing a CD	p. 48
Delivery of the CD	p. 53
What if something goes wrong?	p. 55
Checklists
Audio masters	p. 60
Artwork for film output	p. 60
Layout-data for the technician doing the film output or the manufacturer	p. 61
Checking films for printing	p. 61
Manufacturer/Replicator	p. 61
MCPS and legal questions	p. 62
Your order	p. 62
Crucial sales strategies for your CD
Working with a professional distributor	p. 64
Promotion and marketing strategies	p. 67
Applying to labels and concert organizers	p. 68
Sales and promotion over the Internet	p. 70
Choosing ISRC and UPC codes
ISRC codes are available for every production	p. 74
The UPC/bar code is important if you want your CD to be sold in shops	p. 75
The four parts to an UPC code	p. 76
Legal questions relating to CD production
Copyright - how do you protect your music?	p. 78
Protect your band name	p. 79
Cutting cover versions	p. 80
Sampler/Compilation CDs	p. 81
The Next Step: A Label Recording Contract	p. 85
Associations and institutions
American Federation of Musicians of the U.S. & Canada	p. 90
ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers	p. 91
BMI - Broadcast Music, Inc.	p. 91
NARAS - National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences	p. 92
Starting your own label
Getting started	p. 94
Distribution and sales	p. 94
Technical details about CDs and DVDs
The different types of CD format	p. 98
The technical process of manufacturing a CD	p. 99
DVD - Digital Versatile Disc	p. 101
Important information about the manufacture of vinyl records
Mastering records	p. 104
Different types of vinyl format	p. 106
Special formats	p. 106
Different kinds of packaging	p. 107
Appendix
Abbreviations and Terminology	p. 110
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