Do you want to be an independent musician? If yes, you will need to write, orchestrate, arrange, record, and perform musical compositions.
You might have already written a song, had it mixed, mastered – and now it is time to release your music for the world to listen to.
All aspiring musicians share a mutual love for music. Their minds work in wondrous ways – they listen to their favorite artists on the go – using portable headphones, enjoying the lyrics, and plating their favorite track on repeat.
Recording and releasing music has become easier than before. If you own a computer, you can record a decent-quality track with minimal gear from the comfort of your home. Of course, you will be investing time and effort in mastering the recording tools – but – creating a good-quality album sans a studio is no longer a far-fetched dream.
Let us have a look at some of the best options for releasing your music as an independent artist.
Digital Distribution is the New Black
In the past, musicians had to sign contracts with record labels to release and distribute their music to their listeners. However, today the world is digital and digital distribution has made releasing music so much easier.
Digital distribution has allowed aspiring artists to cut out the middlemen, which has also allowed them to keep all of their royalties. Today, people are consuming music digitally rather than purchasing physical copies, which is why the medium of musical distribution has changed.
Speaking of digital distributions, you can place your music on the most popular music streaming platforms, such as the following:
- Spotify
- iTunes
- Google Play
Once your music is on these streaming platforms, people can download, stream, and buy your songs directly onto their devices. In exchange for listening to songs, independent artists receive royalties – depending on where and how their music was listened to.
The streaming platform has decreased the distribution time significantly. A process that used to take a few weeks has now come down to a few hours.
Why Do Independent Artists Need CDs
As a novice, you might be wondering why you need CDs when you can avail yourself of the benefits of music streaming platforms.
A CD will be the emblem of your hard work, and once your musical career sets off, the CDs will be the ultimate source of increasing revenues at your shows.
CDS is also essential to establish your brand as an independent artist. It is essential to mention here that you can use a music converter to burn your playlist to a CD as an independent artist. Here is the thing – you will make more money by hand-distributing your CDs and earning 100% revenue on each sold copy.
You can also generate a tactile experience for your fans – you can use a CD packaging style to showcase artwork, unique stickers, lyrics, and other unique features, which is impossible to do with an MP3.
Another potential reason to have CDs is that these are an integral part of your press release. CDs will legitimize you and help you maintain your brand identity. So, if you think about it – using CDs as mandatory promotional material is key to your success as an independent artist.
CDs are your ultimate business card as an independent aspiring artist.
Choose Your Option – CD Replication vs. Duplication
Most aspiring musicians are familiar with short run cd duplication as an easy method of copying their art files into CDs. You might as well opt for CD replication to share your music with your fans. Both methods have different advantages – but – the final decision is up to the musician.
If you need more than one thousand discs, you will want to opt for CD replication. The replicated discs go through a process where a glass master disc is created from the original CD.
Subsequently, stampers proceed to produce exact replicas from the glass master while integrating cutting-edge injection molding to lodge the audio. This process results in getting pressed discs. CD replication is ideal for fulfilling a large musical order without compromising high-quality standards.
CD replication will also keep your work from getting copied. Understandably, it is illegal to copy CDS without authorization, so your artwork is protected by law.
When it comes to CD duplication, duplicated CDs are known as burned discs. This process requires you to take your master disc and copy the artwork onto a high-grade recordable CD-R. This way, your music is directly printed onto these compact discs.
Usually, CD duplication is an ideal method for getting a smaller batch of discs (usually less than a thousand discs). If you need your music distributed on a fast-production schedule, short-run CD duplication is a good option.
The primary reason for independent artists to choose CD duplication is when they want to avail themselves of a faster turnaround time. CD duplication is a feasible option for cost-effective short-run orders compared to CD replication.
