Release an Indie Album/CD in the UK: compiling the complete to do list
Ronnie Eaton's comment on Twitter made me think about the process of making and selling an Indie CD. I've compiled a list from my own experience.
Once you have had a look through the list, use the comment form to tell me what am I missing? What else should artist be doing to make a success of their next CD release?
- Write, arrange and record a set of truly great songs.
- Get them mastered by someone who knows what they are doing; i.e. make them sound shiny and professional (and loud enough to compete with the competition on the radio without sounding overly compressed).
- Set up a record company to release the record on your own label.
- Become a member of the PRS
- Register each song you write with the PRS;so that you get royalties when it is played on the radio or used as a backing track at a gym (or whatever)
- If you have cover songs on the album (a good idea for marketing purposes); get a license from MCPS for each song. Pay for the license to use the covers songs.
- Find a talented artist or designer to create a cover for the album; commission them to do the design work.
- Compile all the relevant bits of the CD cover; songs, musicians, copyright notice, record label, barcode, contact details, thank the right people, song lyrics if being included. Spell everybody's name right.
- Sign up with a distribution company such as cdbaby.com
- Obtain a barcode for the back of the CD - from your distributor (or perhaps from your CD manufacture);
- Find a CD manufacturing company to duplicate the CDs and print the CD packaging/cases (send their details to the MCPS to obtain licensing), send the bar code , the artwork in the right format and the masters of the the finished song. Keep your fingers crossed that the CDs they produce don't look horrible due to print or colour issues.
- Organise an album release party: book your venue at least 2 or three months prior to the release date so you can find a venue that is suitable.
- 6 - 8 weeks before the release date: Find a PR agent to help publicise the release: provide them with an appropriate amount of CDs for sending to magazines (e.g. 250), radio, blogs, newspapers, a biog, release notes, find a newsworthy angle for your release.
- Use your mailing list, Facebook, Twitter, and anything else you can think of to publicise the release.
- Obtain quotes and positive reviews prior to the release - ideally from well known people - to send out with your press release.
- Get T-shirts, badges, other stuff made to sell at the album launch.
- Invite people to the album launch.
- Launch your album; get great reviews, sell loads of CDs and get played on national radio.
Please add the things I've missed using the comment form below.
"a heady and exotic mix. " Q Magazine.
"..full of cinematic turns of phrase, dressed up in alluring melodies delivered by some of the most respected players on the modern-day Celtic Folk scene." UNCUT