Topic: The path to release a CD to the public after recording...

[SClassical]

I would like to know how to produce a CD for comerical sale. I have 2 professional artists who I work with often and they asked me how they can  release a recording to the public. Is there a company who would make the CD cover, packaging, duplicate the CD etc...if I provide them with the original master CD? I understand I also need to provide the insert notes and CD cover photo? Anyone here know how much is it to do this and would my artists and I be getting royalties from their CD sale?

FYI...I record classical music.

Thanks a lot!

PS I asked a Americus Records and they said it will be about $3000-3500 to make 1000 CDs. It seem a bit too expensive and too many CDs. Is there a more economical way for the artists?? I know many musicians starting out are not rich so for them to make 1000 CDs for $3000 is sort of a big risk for them when they are just starting out....Can anyone give me some advise??

[SClassical]

Thanks! Anyone know how do you get them listed in Amazon.com etc....?

[Patrick]

Thanks! Anyone know how do you get them listed in Amazon.com etc....?

http://www.tunecore.com/

You must get an "internet merchant barcode" to sell music digitally.  Most of the time, the mastering facility will take care of this.  I'm not sure about obtaining it if you don't use a mastering plant.  I'm sure it's relatively easy to do.  But some former bands I've been in have used Tunecore; it's easy.  Flast yearly fee and you keep all income from sales.

Good luck!

[J.Maye]

My aunt is part of a Cantori group in NYC and they "release" CD's via cdbaby. They seem satisfied but Ive never looked into it before.

[guitard]

PS I asked a Americus Records and they said it will be about $3000-3500 to make 1000 CDs. It seem a bit too expensive and too many CDs.

I've looked into this before myself.

Basically, the overhead costs of making the glass master, designing the packaging, etc. account for a lot of the initial expense.  So the smaller the batch of CDs, the higher the price per disk to manufacture.  But you reach a point where you're pretty much are just paying for the additional disks themselves (and associated packaging and shipping, etc.).

So a run of 300 disks might cost $2400 and a batch of 1,000 of the same disks might only run $3000.

Bottom line: it's hard to get a deal on a really small batch of CDs.