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To prepare
audio for your mastering session
read the article
"Preparing
for Mastering" by
Toby Mountain.
This will give you specific guidelines on mixing, formats, etc.
A professional
mastering studio, such as Northeastern Digital will help to ensure
that your album sounds the best that it possibly can. In order to
get the best results and save time and money, here are some
things to consider before you start your mastering.
1.
What is your marketing plan? Your
target audience and marketing strategy will impact the approach of
the mastering. Most commercial releases competing for radio airplay
usually use more compression and more aggressive EQ, whereas 'artistic'
releases for a specific musical niche tend to use more natural EQ
and less compression to retain the dynamic characteristics of each
song. If you want to have it both ways, you may want to consider making
a separate promo EP (3-5 songs) tailored for airplay. while using
a more balanced approach for the whole album.
2.
Make sure your CD release is ready for online sales: Your CD should
have a UPC Barcode on the
back inlay card. You can get an inexpensive barcode from cdbaby
and many CD manufacturers offer it as an option. Most online music
retailers require a barcode.
If your
release is on a Record Label, you should also include ISRC
Codes (International Standard Recording Code), a 12 digit
code for each song, that is mastered into the TOC (Table of
Contents) of your CD Master. If you're on an established label,
ask the production manager for the codes. If you're starting your
own label, you can obtain your unique 5 digit prefix for this code
from the RIAA.
Plan ahead, as it make take some time to process your request.
Your CD
should include CD-TEXT so
that the titles appear on compatible players. You should also register
your release with All
Media Guide
and Gracenote (iTunes) so that
the title and artist info appears on a computer player. When your CDs
are finished, send a press kit along with your new CD to All Media Guide.
They will enter your release into their database and possibly review
it as well. These reviews are used by many of the major online stores
like Amazon.
Having
a website to promote your CD is definitely a necessity. It
should feature your release with downloadable samples of the music
for free. Be sure to redirect potential buyers to web retailers like
CD Baby or Amazon.
3. Give
people an extra reason to buy your CD. Since
selling CDs has become an increasingly difficult proposition, you may
want to consider "added value" items such as Enhanced
CD or DVD-Video. For less
than $500 you can give your release a lot more appeal with a link to
your website and/or a free video. |
