October 10, 2015 editorial: comments

Putting the Spin on Your Album

Releasing a record isn’t as prestigious as it once was. Thanks to home recording studios and the availability of worldwide distribution for about $50 a year, it seems like everyone has an album out these days. You no longer need the blessing of a record label to get into the game.

It’s an empowering trend for musicians, for sure, but there’s a lot more to putting out an album than just production and distribution. A consequence of the democratization of the record industry is that the haystack has grown exponentially, but the needle has not followed suit. Without a label to provide PR and marketing, how will anyone know about your album? Yes, you can use social media and other internet resources, but do you have a plan for doing so?

We all get excited, and rightly so, when we’re in the process of recording an album, but to get any tangible results after the album is released, you need a business plan, and a goal for what you’re attempting to achieve.

Are you trying to “make it big,” commercially, or simply using the album as a calling card for getting gigs and as a merch item to sell at your shows? Maybe you’re trying to do both? Are you going to have CDs made, or maybe even vinyl, or are you just going to sell it digitally? Do you plan to submit it to music blogs and radio stations?

This subject is on my mind, in part, because I’ve been working on an instrumental album for a couple of years, and it’s finally just about ready. I’m realizing that I’ve been so focused on finishing the mixes that I haven’t really thought much about how I’m going to market it, and even what my overall goal is.

Another reason for bringing up this topic is a story we just published called Get the Most from Your Album Release. It offers a timeline for releasing your record and recommends a series of marketing and business-related steps to take, starting from about a year out and continuing through the release and even after. (I wish I’d read it about a year ago.) It’s very informative, and if you’re working on an album or thinking about doing so, I recommend it highly.

What have your experiences been with self-released albums? Have you released one? Was it worth the time and expense you put into it?