Indie Record Label?

[Don Muerte]

I have been considering putting out my own albums self-released as CD-Rs
independently. What I am curious about is will anyone out there actually buy
them? If any of you run distros, would you order CD-Rs for your mailorders?
I want to see what kind of response I get in order to gauge whether or not I
should invest a bunch of capital into materials for the albums. This could
also grow into a more realistic record label with ovrcast (www.ovrcast.com),
the label my partner and I have been slowly pushing lately. Please let me
know if you've got any suggestions.
--
Don Muerte
http://www.ls-ttl.com
http://www.tubhost.com


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[unknown]

"Don Muerte" wrote:

> I have been considering putting out my own albums self-released as CD-Rs
> independently. What I am curious about is will anyone out there actually buy
> them? If any of you run distros, would you order CD-Rs for your mailorders?
> I want to see what kind of response I get in order to gauge whether or not I
> should invest a bunch of capital into materials for the albums. This could
> also grow into a more realistic record label with ovrcast (www.ovrcast.com),
> the label my partner and I have been slowly pushing lately. Please let me
> know if you've got any suggestions.


Avoid CD-Rs at all costs. Even if they produce substantially similar audio quality to glass-mastered disc replication, the perception is overwhelming that CD-Rs are only marginally professional and they certainly do not engender the same respect and appreciation for your label as would otherwise be the case. Not a good investment, IMHO -- BLC


>




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Sent via SPRACI - http://www.spraci.com/ - Parties,Raves,Clubs,Festivals

[nerdsferatu]

Brandon wrote:
[snip]
> Avoid CD-Rs at all costs. Even if they produce substantially similar audio quality to glass-mastered disc replication, the perception is overwhelming that CD-Rs are only marginally professional and they certainly do not engender the same respect and appreciation for your label as would otherwise be the case. Not a good investment, IMHO -- BLC

at the last neubarten gig, one could buy a CD of that very gig, fresh
from the burner :-)

[Don Muerte]

This opinion has been a very big percentage of the response I've gotten from
this question so far. I guess the thing I thought would benefit me most with
a CD-R format would be a "made to order" kind of setup. They wouldn't need
to be ready for immediate shipment, since it'd only take 5 minutes or so to
burn it and slide in the cover art.

My previous album sold about 650 copies professionally pressed and packaged.
I don't know if my kind of music (experimental / dark ambient) could profit
from professionally pressed CDs unless I found a dirt-cheap plant that could
simply supply me with a bunch of the pressed CDs in a spindle and leave the
packaging up to me to handle. No, I'm not looking to get rich on this, but
I'm also not eager to throw away money on some music of mine that has been
and always will be a form of musical experimentation for myself.
--
Don Muerte
http://www.ls-ttl.com
http://www.tubhost.com

<Brandon> wrote in message
news:41154240$0$31711$***@un-2park-reader-01.sydney.pipenetworks.com.au...
> "Don Muerte" wrote:
>
> > I have been considering putting out my own albums self-released as CD-Rs
> > independently. What I am curious about is will anyone out there actually
buy
> > them? If any of you run distros, would you order CD-Rs for your
mailorders?
> > I want to see what kind of response I get in order to gauge whether or
not I
> > should invest a bunch of capital into materials for the albums. This
could
> > also grow into a more realistic record label with ovrcast
(www.ovrcast.com),
> > the label my partner and I have been slowly pushing lately. Please let
me
> > know if you've got any suggestions.
>
>
> Avoid CD-Rs at all costs. Even if they produce substantially similar
audio quality to glass-mastered disc replication, the perception is
overwhelming that CD-Rs are only marginally professional and they certainly
do not engender the same respect and appreciation for your label as would
otherwise be the case. Not a good investment, IMHO -- BLC
>
>
> >
>
>
>
>
> ----------
> Sent via SPRACI - http://www.spraci.com/ - Parties,Raves,Clubs,Festivals
>


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[nerdsferatu]

Don Muerte wrote:
> This opinion has been a very big percentage of the response I've gotten from
> this question so far. I guess the thing I thought would benefit me most with
> a CD-R format would be a "made to order" kind of setup. They wouldn't need
> to be ready for immediate shipment, since it'd only take 5 minutes or so to
> burn it and slide in the cover art.

if you're going to set up "at home" get an old computer & install LINUX
it will save you a fortune, as it does not make coasters it burs CDs

> My previous album sold about 650 copies professionally pressed and packaged.
> I don't know if my kind of music (experimental / dark ambient) could profit
> from professionally pressed CDs unless I found a dirt-cheap plant that could
> simply supply me with a bunch of the pressed CDs in a spindle and leave the
> packaging up to me to handle. No, I'm not looking to get rich on this, but
> I'm also not eager to throw away money on some music of mine that has been
> and always will be a form of musical experimentation for myself.

might i offer some IMHO info

http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/sema/

these guys know everything there is to know about making music &
distributing same independently

[Mr. Tangent]

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 22:58:00 GMT, with raygun in hand the aliens
forced nerdsferatu <[e-mail]> to
write:

>Don Muerte wrote:
>> This opinion has been a very big percentage of the response I've gotten from
>> this question so far. I guess the thing I thought would benefit me most with
>> a CD-R format would be a "made to order" kind of setup. They wouldn't need
>> to be ready for immediate shipment, since it'd only take 5 minutes or so to
>> burn it and slide in the cover art.
>
>if you're going to set up "at home" get an old computer & install LINUX
>it will save you a fortune, as it does not make coasters it burs CDs

What in the hell? Windows, Mac OS, *BSD, BeOS, Amiga OS, OS/2,
NeXTstep/OpenStep/GnuStep, HP-UX, AIX can all burn CDs. Linux is a
fine choice but it's not like the others are invalid. I'd personally
say burning CDs on Mac OS X is the easiest. Not the cheapest, but
then again, Linux isn't for everyone.

It's all moot because DonMuerte runs Linux (and OS X) already. :)

--

Mr. Tangent [the binary police]

"Religion is a magic device for turning unanswerable
questions into unquestionable answers." -Art Gecko,
Wombat Discord-1, 128649

[Don Muerte]

"nerdsferatu" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:YpcSc.1850$***@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> if you're going to set up "at home" get an old computer & install LINUX
> it will save you a fortune, as it does not make coasters it burs CDs

I think I get your little "joke" here, but it's not very funny. I have a few
machines with linux but I don't care to hook up a CD-R to it. They mostly
just sit in the corner of my office and hum. They will play a significant
role as a musical instrument in my forthcoming full-length album, however.
(they do other things, also, but those details are not worth mentioning)

> might i offer some IMHO info
>
> http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/sema/
>
> these guys know everything there is to know about making music &
> distributing same independently

Thanks, but unfortunately they're in England. That doesn't help me a whole
lot out in California.
--
Don Muerte
http://www.ls-ttl.com
http://www.tubhost.com


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[Immaculate:Grotesque]

> My previous album sold about 650 copies professionally pressed and packaged.

Do the math, if you can come up with the cash upfront for the disk
you'll break even on a run of 1000 with 100-200 copies sold depending
on how elaborate the art is, retail price, wholesale rates etc. etc.

> I'm also not eager to throw away money on some music of mine that has been
> and always will be a form of musical experimentation for myself.

Its up to you to do what is right for yourself given you position. You
also might want to think about just doing a few copies of the material
on cdr and label shopping to guage the interest for the material.

best,
Jeff
http://www.truculentrecordings.net

[Don Muerte]

I've thought about label shopping, but there's so many labels I can't say
where I'd even want to start looking.

"Immaculate:Grotesque" <***@hotmail.com> wrote
>
> Jeff
> http://www.truculentrecordings.net

...releasing a Conure Ifau album? Mark's been pretty busy with music lately,
apparently. I'm glad he's getting some support. He has some good musical
talents.
--
Don Muerte
http://www.ls-ttl.com
http://www.tubhost.com


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[nerdsferatu]

Don Muerte wrote:
> I have been considering putting out my own albums self-released as CD-Rs independently.

excelent, you can sell them at gigs / through your web site, thus you
are in controle of the money :-D


> What I am curious about is will anyone out there actually buy them? If any of you run distros, would you order CD-Rs for your mailorders?

I'd buy it if I liked the music that's on it :-)


> I want to see what kind of response I get in order to gauge whether or not I should invest a bunch of capital into materials for the albums.

invest? CD pressing plants aren't proud they'll work for anyone, the
investment is finding a good producer also arranging / recording it

>. This could also grow into a more realistic record label with ovrcast (www.ovrcast.com),
> the label my partner and I have been slowly pushing lately. Please let me know if you've got any suggestions.

record companies make money out of your work, if you make music you
should make & keep all the money that said music earns. [end of sermon]

HTH

[Don Muerte]

Slowly I am begining to come to the conclusion that CD-R may only be a good
form of media for cheap promo material for labels / zines. I've never played
live, but may do so sometime in the future. At that time I will contemplate
selling CD-Rs of the show (for dirt-cheap, of course).
--
Don Muerte
http://www.ls-ttl.com
http://www.tubhost.com

"nerdsferatu" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:POtRc.207$***@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
> Don Muerte wrote:
> > I have been considering putting out my own albums self-released as CD-Rs
independently.
>
> excelent, you can sell them at gigs / through your web site, thus you
> are in controle of the money :-D
>
>
> > What I am curious about is will anyone out there actually buy them? If
any of you run distros, would you order CD-Rs for your mailorders?
>
> I'd buy it if I liked the music that's on it :-)
>
>
> > I want to see what kind of response I get in order to gauge whether or
not I should invest a bunch of capital into materials for the albums.
>
> invest? CD pressing plants aren't proud they'll work for anyone, the
> investment is finding a good producer also arranging / recording it
>
> >. This could also grow into a more realistic record label with ovrcast
(www.ovrcast.com),
> > the label my partner and I have been slowly pushing lately. Please let
me know if you've got any suggestions.
>
> record companies make money out of your work, if you make music you
> should make & keep all the money that said music earns. [end of sermon]
>
> HTH


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[Delameko Stone]

"Don Muerte" <***@tubhost.com> wrote in message
news:AJudneS2lKnJO4XcRVn-***@speakeasy.net...
> Slowly I am begining to come to the conclusion that CD-R may only be a
good
> form of media for cheap promo material for labels / zines. I've never
played
> live, but may do so sometime in the future. At that time I will
contemplate
> selling CD-Rs of the show (for dirt-cheap, of course).
> --
> Don Muerte
> http://www.ls-ttl.com
> http://www.tubhost.com


I'm coming a little late to this discussion but I just wanted to put in my
2c's.

For a small self-released album I have no problem with CD-Rs, for me it
lends to the whole DIY ethic. I own quite a few CD-R releases from small
experimental/noise labels and have no problems with them.

The only problem I foresee is for people who think CD-R = pirate, and people
who have had problems with CD-R degradation in the past (just make sure you
choose quality media and that you assure people of that quality).

--
Delameko Stone