Members ckcondon Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 We are toying with the idea of making up a bunch of "CD singles" with our two new songs to give away at shows.We have some festivals coming up as well as a return trip to GTMO and want to get the music into people's hands.I want to keep the cost low and go DIY. I have a cd duplicator here at work and just need ideas for cheap label printing. We're just looking at one color w/band logo, song titles website and copyright.We'll throw the CD's in white sleeves and hand them out. Anyone else doing this? Any suggestions for the labels? Cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted May 17, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 17, 2011 We are toying with the idea of making up a bunch of "CD singles" with our two new songs to give away at shows.We have some festivals coming up as well as a return trip to GTMO and want to get the music into people's hands.I want to keep the cost low and go DIY. I have a cd duplicator here at work and just need ideas for cheap label printing. We're just looking at one color w/band logo, song titles website and copyright.We'll throw the CD's in white sleeves and hand them out.Anyone else doing this? Any suggestions for the labels? We generally sell our CDs at shows for a very modest price (currently any of our three albums are $5 each) but actually yes, we're planning to do a free EP (one new song and re-arrangements of four or so old songs) as a sort of stopgap until our next proper album is recorded. I use Kunaki for everything; it's easy, looks professional if you do it right, and there's no minimum order. With shipping, if I recall correctly, it comes to around $2 a pop. I find that pretty reasonable and with all the band crap I have to do, making CDs and labeling myself isn't something I want to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poker99 Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 Why not also give a t-shirt with the free album? Then 10 years from now I'm sure your fans will remember it and buy your stuff. Joking aside, I really think you should try to sell the album even if its with a tip jar. People don't give a {censored} for things they get for free, they will end up in the trash, and you will contribute to the general devaluation of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FitchFY Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 Before my last band started getting a following, we gave out 100 duped CDs with one full track and then another track which was comprised of 10-20 second snippets of all the other songs on the forthcoming CD. We covered the costs of the first CD at the CD release show, and I maintain a lot has to do with the buzz that we generated. I'd say do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted May 17, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 17, 2011 Joking aside, I really think you should try to sell the album even if its with a tip jar. People don't give a {censored} for things they get for free, they will end up in the trash, and you will contribute to the general devaluation of music. Well, the OP is talking about doing a 1-2 song self-assembled single that's free. I'm generally not a proponent of giving albums away, but free singles, promotional samplers, etc... in my view that's kind of a different thing. I think it's especially useful if you also have product for sale, in particular through iTunes and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ckcondon Posted May 17, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 I have no illusions that I will ever see much ROI for the $$ I've spent over the years in the business.We are purely trying to build a bigger fan base. We have a few shows coming up that are outside of our usual bar scene and want to use the opportunity to get our music heard by new ears.I'd rather give it away than record it and post it to itunes where it will die on the vine if no one knows about it!It's a 2-song sampler, not a whole album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwire Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 If it's a 2-song single, give it away, sure. But spend the extra +/- $0.50 and put it in a slimline case. I played with an original band a few years back. The founder had recorded a really good CD of his material. His wife was a graphic artist and had come up with eye-catching graphics for the disc and the sleeve. I was working in a print shop at the time and I was able to dupe printed CDs and print, cut and fold full-color sleeves. I would give him 12 - 15 copies before each show. I assumed he would get slimline sleeves for them. Instead, he slipped them into white paper sleeves. He would put them on the floor of the stage at our gigs. At some point, he would say, "Oh, if you want a free copy of our CD, they're on the floor here..." I BEGGED him to put them in plastic cases and sell them for $5. He refused, saying he didn't want "to rip people off". I could not get across to him that a CD given away in a paper sleeve is getting tossed in the glove compartment or desk drawer. A packaged CD that you spent the price of a beer on? Much more chance of that being listened to...which is the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poker99 Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 Well, the OP is talking about doing a 1-2 song self-assembled single that's free. I'm generally not a proponent of giving albums away, but free singles, promotional samplers, etc... in my view that's kind of a different thing. I think it's especially useful if you also have product for sale, in particular through iTunes and the like. Ok it makes sense. Downloads cards could be an option too (with free singles on bandcamp). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Inazone Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 We tried a couple of different things that worked well. For our first demo, we burned CD-Rs on our home PCs, used one of those CD label applicators to at least improve on the good ol' Sharpie look, and printed inserts with color cover art and a single panel of band/contact info. All this went into a slimline case, and we sold them for a buck or two to cover our costs. For an EP we did a couple of years ago, we had three new songs and two remixes. That time we went with professionally duplicated/printed CD-Rs with color front and back covers, B&W insert and traycard in a standard jewel case. We charged $3, essentially making the two remixed tracks freebies. These have sold quite well at shows. Meanwhile, other bands we play with give away entire albums in sleeves, and find them tossed on the floor or out in the parking lot after the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted May 17, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 17, 2011 Maybe I'm lazy or something, but I just can't imagine DIY-ing it when a place like Kunaki will ship printed CDs in jewel cases with inserts, with no minimim, for like $2 per. I guess it might be different if I was really crafty, but I'm not- anything I made myself would look pretty unimpressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ckcondon Posted May 18, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 Kunaki looks great.... Except I have a Mac and their software is PC only!Arrgh, need to turn these around quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members formula428 Posted May 18, 2011 Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 I'd rather promote digital copies (downloads). Plus, if you have a website that's easy to remember, the audience can also view other dates for shows. Besides, who uses CDs anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted May 18, 2011 Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 I'd rather promote digital copies (downloads). Plus, if you have a website that's easy to remember, the audience can also view other dates for shows. You have to consider all angles, though: Your suggestion assumes they will...Think about your band at some point more than 5 minutes after leaving the venueWant to listen to you more than 5 minutes after leaving the venueRemember the website (doesn't matter how easy it is)Go to that site and download the music A CD in hand at the show means they have the music then and there. Not saying it's the best solution; ALL suggestions so far have a certain amount of chance behind them, BUT... Someone who WANTS your band's music based on what they see at the show who you get that music to right then and there (either through selling or giving away CDs) is more likely to listen to your songs later and come back to future shows than someone who wants it and has to remember to go get it themselves at some point later IMO. Ultimately, it's all dependent on how attractive your music is...Outside of a band in college I was in that sold VERY well (casettes, baby!), I've never looked at physical media as a way to make money; it's 100% a way to get music into the hands of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ckcondon Posted May 18, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 Ok then, CD's are out for now.Let me ask you this... We have our new single on itunes (Through Tunecore). Does anyone know if we can change it to to a free download for a few weeks just to get some units moving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted May 18, 2011 Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 Have you already sold copies of it via iTunes? If so, dumb idea, because no matter how cheap it was to begin with, you'd be telling anybody who already bought it "Thanks for believing in us, chumps. Now we're going to give it away for FREE!"I'd assume anybody who has bought it already are among your biggest fans/supporters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ckcondon Posted May 18, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2011 Just checked. It can't be done anyway.Although I'd be willing to keep a few dollar bills in my pocket to repay anyone who got pissed about buying the song... At this point $20 would be plenty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted May 18, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 18, 2011 Ok then, CD's are out for now.Let me ask you this... We have our new single on itunes (Through Tunecore). Does anyone know if we can change it to to a free download for a few weeks just to get some units moving? Download codes are unique codes good for a download of a track or album. Generate them for any of your tunes on Bandcamp, then send them out via email or print them up and bundle them with your merch! Every account comes with 200 codes to try out. You can either buy more for a small fee (from 1.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delaware dave Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 many years ago I played in a dead band where we'd record the shows (audio) and then burn the audio to CD's and sell the CD's at another show. we'd get between $5-10. We normally sold about 6 CD's per show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted June 8, 2011 Members Share Posted June 8, 2011 We are about to start giving our 4 song Ep away at gigs. We are working on art and photos: packaging. But, in the interest of getting it out there at our next few gigs we are just going to burn some disks ourselves and have had a stamp made with the band's logo. Won't do paper sleeves but would like to find something other than the slimline plastic cases. Cardboard maybe? The idea is just to get the music out there so people who like us at a gig can share the music with friends and keep us in mind... in other words - create buzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted June 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted June 8, 2011 We are about to start giving our 4 song Ep away at gigs. We are working on art and photos: packaging. But, in the interest of getting it out there at our next few gigs we are just going to burn some disks ourselves and have had a stamp made with the band's logo. I'm curious, why wouldnt use just use something like Kunaki? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted June 8, 2011 Members Share Posted June 8, 2011 I'm curious, why wouldnt use just use something like Kunaki? We would and will. The above post is just in order to get something tangible to people at our next couple of gigs while the final product/packaging in being designed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted June 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted June 8, 2011 Gotcha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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