Releasing a CD

[john]

Hey

I'd like to put out a CD. I've got a reasonable idea about what is involved. Assume I know nothing (not a huge leap, I know) when you offer advice though. What do I need to do? Business, CD covers, online promotion, agents...

Cheers

John

[FinnArild]

Woha! Big subject. Books have been written about this.

Firstly, make sure you got a good CD and a good concept for selling it. Secondly - set a goal for yourself - think market - picture yourself the type of person you think would buy the sort of music you're offering and have that in mind throughout. What do you want to accomplish?

Make yourself a vision.

Write down your vision so other people can understand it and use it in contact with designers, photographs, PR agents - let that vision be your compass when you decide. If you find yourself disagreeing with your own vision, change it.

I think getting hold of your vision at all times is the single most important thing to get to an endpoint you're happy with - or at all!

It all sounds very mumbo-jumbo, I know - but when you look at it - all the rest is just plain work. Making phonecalls. Meeting producers. Making interviews. That's just work - to accomplish the vision.

[john]

What do you mean by a vision? What was your concept for Serendipity (Is that the right title?

[hariossa]

I think Finn is talking about "conceptual continuity" as Zappa used to say...

[john]

You mean a theme for the album?

[Lazz]

work - to accomplish the vision.

I agree

HIC!

(Sorry, I just popped out for a pee and didn't realise anyone was in here.)

Neat thing I think about this is that problem-solutions become more achievable.

Because they're goal defined.

Everything I have learned, skills etc, has been in pursuit a goal, a vision, a concept.

[john]

Ah! You mean purpose...

[FinnArild]

What do you want to accomplish? What is your target? Who do you want to reach out to with your music? What do you want to say?

There are further questions you could ask (and which you are better than me to think of), but the answer to them is your vision or concept.

The vision for Serendipity changed many times. Firstly I was going to make a very progressive album on a small label (at this point my vision wasn't as clear). Then the material turned out to be more broad and the vision changed to make an album which could sell more copies and still be progressive.

The vision has ben further adjusted on the way, but one part of it hasn't - the part where I stand and hold the result in my hand.

[john]

Gotcha. I just wasn't sure whether you mean conceptual in artistic or business terms.

[hariossa]

so it's both...

[john]