5 Tips for a Successful Album Launch

Many people are working hard at creating the kind of careers that will ultimately make them famous. However, without the right tools, not much can manifest.  For example, musicians recording music and putting it out today are competing for attention by consumers who are bombarded with offers to call them to action all day long, every day. To net a profit selling CDs is almost impossible if you’re not prepared I have listed 5 steps to make your new album make abetter impact.

1. Have a professional product & know your genre. Be sure to make sure you have taken all the proper measures to record a solid collection of tunes.  You can’t call it an album if you have less than 7 songs. It’s an EP if it’s 5 or less, and a single with 2 or less.  Just for starters, you must know the categories.  What is your genre?  Are you grunge, jazz, hip-hop, country? Make sure you sound like the style you say you are, and make sure your CD artwork reflects that style of music. Hire a good graphic designer or ask a friend who can design to help you.  The cover says everything and can make or break your marketing efforts.  So whatever you do, make sure it looks professional.  If you can’t afford a professional, then mimmic the best.  You can Google CD artwork, or purchase a template and design your CD from there.  Just keep in mind, great photos go a long way, so invest in good photography.
2. Mixing is not enough.  Now with home studios and even the simplest programs like Garage Band make it easy to record and mix.  The professional studios can cost upwards of $500-$800 a day to record.  But if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of musician, you can put together your own setup with programs like Protools (which is free) and other comparable recording programs. You should do your research if you plan to do it yourself in regards to what to buy and how to operate it.  Engineering is an entire career all its own.  So be prepared to spend countless hours learning your your equipment.  After you’re done mixing, don’t miss the  critical step of mastering your release – get it mastered!  if you want it played on the radio, it needs to be mastered properly. That means all the levels should be EQ’d and matching with each track on your CD; nothing should be in the red (levels should not be peaking) and there should be no noise or artifacts. More on the mastering process later.  But it’s not considered finished until it’s mastered.
3. Engage your fans pre-Release.  With free email programs like MailChimp, life has gotten a whole lot easier for a musician. Prepare your mailing list and keep them informed of your album’s progress.  You can set up pre-sales before it lands on iTunes, CDBaby, etc.. Many people use social media just for that purpose. Your fans want to know when you’re releasing product, so please keep them posted. You should have a Facebook fan page, a Twitter, and Instagram.  Always be present with updates, right until the big day arrives and you’ve received your CDs!
4. Hire PR. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears or sees it, did it actually happen? PR or public relations helps get you noticed by getting you reviews, radio interviews, TV appearances, celebrity-like, red carpet exposure, and more.  They can put out engaging press releases that get picked up by the top news outlets in the world and all the blogs anyone could ever ask for.  Hiring PR can make or break your burgeoning career.  Save your pennies for this one – get PR.
5. Don’t saturate with your product.  What do I mean by that?  Most independent artists use CDBaby.  This is a music distribution platform that is online and can get your music distributed everywhere. The mistake a lot of recording artists make is after signing up and submitting their new CD, they opt in for all the streaming companies that exists.  This is not a good idea.  If too many streaming outlets have your CD, why should anybody buy it? Especially if they can listen to it for free. I recommend you only use one or 2 streaming companies.  My recommendations are Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Google Play. If you’re really lucky . . . Pandora may decided to add you, too!

Bottom line, don’t rush to release your new CD.  Take your time, test your market, get PR, and be sure to set up your social media platforms and don’t forget to put your new release on your band’s website!