Planning For Your Record Release, Part I

Jake Smith is a TuneCore customer support representative and editor of the weekly newsletter.  He is best known for his Tony nominated performance in the TuneCore tutorial videos.

The idea of this writing this article came about from a conversation I had with my co-worker and good friend Mike.  We debated the value a "traditional" record release, where labels and artists leave months between an album's completion and an album's release to market, promote, and build up hype for the street date.  The digital revolution changed everything in that sharing and selling music worldwide became something ANYONE could do and at any time.  For that reason, some feel that creating a full length album and waiting months to release is an antiquated practice.  Millions of others still believe in the LP as a sacred art form and that this will stay true regardless of how people consume music.

In this article I am focusing on the idea of a more traditional record release, however I hope my musings will still apply for those of you who follow a different path.

For some artists, just finishing a record can be extremely difficult.  For others, the real hard stuff comes after the studio work is complete.  After putting so much time and energy into a project, the idea of having to do even more can become very overwhelming.  Making great music is the most important thing, but almost as important is figuring out how to get it heard.

Below is a list of some things you may want to consider prior to your record release.  This is by no means gospel, but I hope you'll be inspired enough to make your own check list! 

1. Make a budget

This first step is really important and is true for both money and time.  How much are you ready to spend promoting you project?  How much time do you need to get all of the work done?

This will vary from project to project.  Some things you may want to put funds aside for are:

    * Logo/website design
    * Online or print marketing campaign
    * Swag materials for sale or giveaway (t-shirts, buttons, stickers)
    * Promotional material like flyers, posters, business cards
    * Photo shoot
    * Press packages (including artist/album bio, music samples, photos/graphics, positive reviews, upcoming shows etc.)

Before you spend a penny on anything, think about friends, family members, or casual acquaintances who may be able to help you do some of these things for a reduced cost or completely free.  Think about what you can offer other than money (such as time in your studio, free piano lessons, free tickets to your next show etc.) for their help.

Next you need to think about how much time you'll need to get all of these things ready. Make sure you set deadlines for every last thing from CD manufacturing to flyer design.  Maybe your web designer is helping you for free but needs 2 months to finish everything, or maybe your "friend of a friend" who happens to be great behind the lens won't be available at the same time as your band.  Even when you're submitting your materials through TuneCore - remember that the iTunes store review can take as few as 3 weeks but as many as 6. Timing is everything when trying to coordinate a release and set a budget.

A record release can be one of the most exciting things about making music.  It is unfortunately this same excitement that can make artists take shortcuts near the end of the process.  My group ended up facing a WAY too early self-imposed record release deadline, and as a result we had almost no time to think about artwork, press photos, or additional promo materials.  Our CD manufacturing order ended up arriving about 24 hours before the show itself which made it very difficult to relax and focus.

2. Press

In the age of blogs, twitter, facebook, etc., everyone with an opinion and computer access is also a reporter to some degree.  There are millions of people out there who love sharing their thoughts on music, and if you play your cards right there are millions of potential outlets for your album to be reviewed and promoted.  And of course, the best part about press is that it's free.

The best place to start is to search for blogs that have written positively about artists you like or share similar qualities with.  If you are putting out a Polka album, you probably shouldn't spend your time reaching out to writers of Jay-Z fansites.  Ask your friends to list four or five music acts they'd compare you to and work from there.

When reaching out to writers, don't come across as just spamming their inbox with an email blast.  Make it personal, let them know that you like the way they write, that you have common taste, and if they are interested you would love to have them review your album.  Some things you'll want to be armed with:

    * A free promotional copy of the album
    * 1 or 2 songs off the record they can share with their readers
    * A "one sheet" giving some artist and album background so that they'll know where to start
    * A band photo
    * A press kit, either physical or online where they can learn more about you

If you really want to go above and beyond, you may want to consider making an EPK, or "electronic press kit", including pre-taped interviews, concert and/or studio footage.  The more you give album reviewers to work with, the more consistent your message will be across the web.  Once you've got a few glowing reviews (which I'm sure you will), feel free to quote them or link to them from your myspace page or website.

Let me know what you think, especially if you feel I'm missing anything.  Thanks!

Tune in next week for part II - Planning your release party

Comments

[wtivproductions/Prophet Project]

In addition to all of your really great ideas I am also inviting 20 people to a private listening party where food and drink will be served and the cost of admission is a one paragraph review of the album. I may do this in several cities before releasing. Also asking each of my myspace friends (personally)to write a comment about a song they like from the album. Time consuming but lots of feedback is good.

[Jams Love]

Jake,
I can only add my voice to the chorus of voices singing praises of your article. It's too often that good music never gets heard, because the artist is concerned with producing the particular musical work and when it's finished, they don't really no where to go with the second phase, handling the release properly. The problem I've found with myself and some other artists is that
many of us are not that well trained to be business types and self promotion also can seem a bit foreign if not even but in poor taste. Your very specific advice goes far in making things easier to put into action because you have detailed out a particular plan of attack so one can, so to speak, fire the second stage of the musical rocket, which would be keeping it from falling and crashing like a meteor into the realm of obscurity. Thanks so much!

[Jared Jones]

Very nice article, and so beneficial to me, as I just decided to release an album later this year. I already put out a single on ITunes about a year and a half ago, but since then, I've changed direction with the style of music, for marketing purposes. Instead of strictly R&B, I'm mixing that with an alternative, singer/songwriter type sound. Anyway, the first thing I'm doing is getting the whole record done. I am beginning to save up to press it up, and put it online as well, but with family and bills, I need the majority of my money going to that, and only my music licensing checks (next one coming in July) can be counted on for supplying my budget.

When the record is finished, I'll send it to my manager, I'll already have my photo shoot and bio done, and I will see if an independent company can pick up the project and put money behind it. If not, I'll keep saving until I can put it out on my own. My credit isn't good enough to get financing for it.

Anyone who has any other advice for me, please let me know. I want to absorb all information I can.

[Priest Forever]

Great piece. I'm looking fwd to the information on planning the record release party. One question though, Is there a resource or listing of music blogs by genre? Trying to track them all down is so time consuming..

thanks

[Jake]

Hey Deacon-

You are totally on the money. I feel very 2002 now for forgetting to mention that MySpace is, for all intents and purposes, the most successful and commonly used EPK for all musicians on the planet. Thank you for bringing that up and good luck with the upcoming record!

[The Deacon]

Hey Jake,
I agree that your ideas can be used in a release regardless of format. We're in the midst of finishing up our debut release, so all tips are helpful.

I would like to point out that you don't necessarily need to create a separate EPK any longer. Your artist web site or social site has all of the items contained in an EPK: photos, bio, audio/video, press, etc. Those interested in you can also read other's comments about you and really see if there is a true following or track record for the band.

Big up from Brooklyn!

The Deacon (vox, guitar)

Mama's Dirty Li'l Secret
www.MamasDirtyLilSecret.com
Rock Hard! Rock Sexy!

[Carl]

Big Blue X was here

[Mental Shed]

This is really good information. In this day and age successful marketing is really in the hands of anyone willing to put the effort into it.

Who needs a major label deal anymore?